Dave B

How come none of the digital channels are showing the Thames Television series "The Agatha Christie Hour"?

I would have thought - with "Poirot", "Marple" and "Partners In Crime" appearing regularly in the schedules - that no technical or financial problems would stand in the way of getting this show back on our screens.

Ten mysteries - 1982.

Piccadilly

Hmmmm...Haven't heard of this one. Maybe the rights are tied up or something.

Windthrop

I remember it - quite good adaptations of Christie's short stories. Like Dave B am surprised when the others are repeated ad nauseum that these haven't been unearthed. Contact ITV3

Thats the joke that killed the Music Hall !

Dave B

I contacted itv.com - this is their response:

Having checked our database I am unable to locate any programmes by the title of The Agatha Christie Hour therefore this would lead me to believe that ITV do not hold the rights to broadcast this series.

I feel slightly underwhelmed by the reply - I can almost hear the yawn.

oxfam1uk

According to IMDB this series was made by Thames, which is why it is no longer available to ITV its present form.

I don't remember this at all ! But what was the name of the earlier Christie series, made in the late Seventies by (I think) LWT? Often starred James Warwick and similar actors - I particularly remember "The Seven Dials Mystery" as being very creepy, but ultimately nonsensical !

Dave B

That is "Partners in Crime", which is continually being shown on ITV3. That features the Christie characters Tommy and Tuppence.

"The Agatha Christie Hour" features, among others, Mr. Parker Pyne.

oxfam1uk

Thanks, but I think the productions I remember were earlier than "Partners in Crime".

I looked up "The Seven Dials Mystery" on IMDB and found a version from 1980 that is now being sold as a movie. Was this videotaped, mostly in studio, as that is the production I remember ?

Windthrop

It is one of those largely studio based ones with 16mm film inserts for location work.

Thats the joke that killed the Music Hall !

Dave B

As well as "Seven Dials Mystery", there was "Why Didn't They Ask Evans?". Both have appeared on ITV3 (and on Granada Plus before that).

I wrote to Network about "The Agatha Christie Hour", and got a reply to the effect that this wasn't the direction they wanted their DVD releases to take.

So who, if not Network, would consider releasing the Thames series?

KMJvet

I think PBS in the USA showed this as part of the Mystery! series in the 80s. I've been looking/hoping someone has a copy of "The Manhood of Edward Robinson" for what seems like forever. PBS releases a lot of programs from Mystery! but not this one. I've not known of PBS to replay it although I suppose there are so many affiliates that one or another could do it and if you didn't live in that city, you'd never know.

Dave B

Are you saying, KMJvet, that it is just this one episode of "The Agatha Christie Hour" that is never shown - or that PBS seems to be ignoring all ten shows?

It would be something to know that part of the series is getting aired - albeit, from my viewpoint, in another part of the world.

KMJvet

I believe PBS aired some of it in the past in a program called Mystery! where they air a lot of British mystery shows. The source is this and it looks like it was part of the 1983 schedule.

MYSTERY!: Program History

I don't know that it's ever been aired again, but PBS is public television and the individual affiliates can air things not aired nationally.

I have a specific interest in the one episode. That's not to say I wouldn't very much like to have anyone air the whole series. It's just that there's an actor in "Manhood of Edward Robinson" that I try to collect all of his film work. He is English and was at Royal Shakespeare for a time. But he moved to Australia and most of his career has been there. But I still have tried and continue to try to find those few British shows he did as a young man before the move. As of yet, I've not come across anyone who has this for trade. But I would, of course, love to see you succeed in getting some network to either re-air it or release it on DVD. You'd think with the popularity of Agatha Christie, it wouldn't be a reach and they'd jump at the chance to air some AC stuff that hasn't aired a million times over. I have never tried to contact PBS, either locally or otherwise. I would dearly love to have this program especially that one episode.

Dave B

I see that "The Agatha Christie Hour" is now being listed for appearance in a fortnightly part-work called the "Agatha Christie Film Collection". (Details - in green - lifted from elsewhere.)

There are several items listed that I'd love to get - but loads more items I've already got, and would hate spending money getting (yet) again.

The leaflet detailing the collection says it includes.

Hercule Poirot's - Albert Finney, Peter Ustinov, Alfred Molina.

Miss Marple's - Helen Hayes, Angela Lansbury, Margaret Rutherford, Joan Hickson and Geraldine McKewan.

In addition there will be:

The Agatha Christie Hour 1982
Partners in Crime 1983

Treasures from the Archive:
Black Coffee 1931
Lord Edgware Dies 1934
Love From a Stranger 1938
And Then There Were None 1945
They Came to Baghdad 1952
Goodyear Playhouse A Murder is Announced 1956
Witness for the Prosecution 1957
Ten Little Indians 1959 + 1965
The Alphabet Murders 1965
Endless Night 1971
And Then There Were None 1974

TV Specials:
Why Didn't They Ask Evans 1980
Spiders Web 1982
The Seven Dials Mystery 1982
Murder is Easy 1982
Witness for the Prosecution 1982
Sparkling Cyanide 1983
Ordeal by Innocence 1984
The Last Seance 1986
The Man In the Brown Suit 1989
Ten Little Indians 1989
The Pale Horse 1997
Sparkling Cyanide 2003

Windthrop

I assume this is a magazine and DVD available from the Newsagents. I haven't been able to locate this yet or seen any mention of it on the web. Where did you find out about it ?

There are several titles I am keen to see - A Murder is Announced should be the one with Gracie Fields and should be in colour - I assumed it didn't exist and was just a live broadcast.

Thats the joke that killed the Music Hall !

Joenoir

Re Dave B's list of items listed in The Agatha Christie Film Collection They Came to Baghdad isn't listed on IMDB, and the 1959 Ten Little Indians would appear to be the tv adaptation broadcast under the original title. I actually saw this when I was at school! It would be great if these titles had been found, but there appears to be little evidence of this.

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