Jim

Have we all seen most of ITV's MARPLE? Saw it last night - I mean for heaven's sake - Ken Russell as a vicar AND wearing a top hat to a burial?

I've been to quite a few funerals and never ever seen a vicar in a hat, let alone a top hat. Perhaps he wanted to put the FUN back into FUNerals?

I watch this series, but I think it lacks something of the old series, with Joan Hickson. What do others think?

Good morning boys.

Marky B

I have never fancied Marple PI - as I have said before,with ITV its all gloss and all star cast and no substance. Joan Hickson was Miss Marple - no contest.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I once shot an elephant in my pyjamas - how he got in my pyjamas,I'll never know

simmyred

I agree. Last night's episode was so rivetting that I fell asleep mid-way through. Mind you, my Dad, as an ex-Marine, used to keep his 'housemaid' in the cupboard under the stairs.
I'd still welcome a pointer in the direction of the guilty culprit, however!
Cheers!

simmyred

And IMO Margaret Rutherford was the original and best.

David Brent

Hi Jim,
How's retirement treating you mate?
We havn't received MARPLE over here yet so I cannot comment.
I totally agree with Marky B though - Joan Hickson WAS Miss Marple for me.
All the other Marple's are second best.

Cheers mate

Dave.

Phil Turner

Speaking personally, I have a preference for Margaret Rutherford in the role, although I agree with MarkyB that Joan Hickson was also first class in a quiet, understated way. I think I'm right in saying that Agatha Christie wanted Joan Hickson to play the part one day, and ultimately got her wish.

I think the present series lacks the quaint, old fashioned charm of the BBC production, although it's great to see so many established stars given cameo roles. Already this series Geraldine Chaplin, Frances de la Tour, Thelma Barlow and a slightly bonkers Ken Russell have appeared, and I understand that June Whitfield, Anthony Andrews and Timothy Dalton are lined up for later episodes.

Neither a hit or a miss in my book, but somewhere in between.

Regards
Phil Turner

Fellwanderer

Heard a BBC7 programme on the portrayal of Miss Marple early last year and it was said that Agatha Christie saw her as having a fluffy and mischievous side. I don't think anyone could ever accuse Joan Hickson of giving her a fluffy side and I'd have said she was more caustic than mischievous.

FELL

All the best
FELL

A signature is no substitute for a life

Freddy

I enjoyed the first episode but having just seen my taped version of sunday's episode it was a bit of a letdown. It gave me the impression of a Midsomer Murder set in the fifties and am I the only one who thought Miss Marple seemed to have few scenes in it leaving most of the work to our dashing young hero.

Some of the cameo roles did work although at first John Sessions plainly the son of Brideshead's Anthony Blanche ( conceived through a turkey baister no doubt) and Harry Enfield's character did seem familiar. I liked Ken's top hat but what was appalling was the moving backdrop (is it called blue screen?) with the motorbike and car scenes.

Both episodes have also ended with the male hero getting the "put upon" heroine in a passionate embrace/marriage proposal. Is this going to be a regular ending?

Taping it also gave me a rundown on the timings and ads. There were 5 ad breaks , each 4 mins long, also take away ads before and after and the odds and sods of commercial tv amd Miss Marple lasted for 93 minutes.

regards

Freddy

"What I owe you Colonel Lawrence, is beyond evaluation."

KevMc

I've watched both of the new 'Marple' episodes, as well as the four previous ones that were screened in late 2004. My overall opinion is that they're all style over substance - sumptuous production values and big name casts, but very averagely scripted. Another slightly strange aspect of the two most recent stories is the fact that Miss Marple has been almost a peripheral character, with the scriptwriters having others doing most of the sluething.

It's all quite watchable, but pales badly when compared to the Joan Hickson versions from the '80s. I was a teenager when they were first broadcast, and typically hadn't much interest in them. However, BBC2 has screened quite a few over the last couple of Christmas holidays, and I've come to enjoy and appreciate how very well made they were (for all their grainy 16mm visuals), and just how good Joan Hickson was in the title role.

Jim

I could tell you simmyred, but it might 'spoil' it for somebody else.

Good morning boys.

Jim

Hello Dave,

As for Joan Hickson - I like 'At Bartram's Hotel' best out of all her episodes.

Hope you are OK too Dave.

Good morning boys.

Ascoyne D'Ascoyne

If that's so then Geraldine McEwan is closer to Agatha Christie's conception than any of the others. Trouble is, how can anybody forget just how good Joan Hickson was in the excellent BBC series?

Fellwanderer

Just so and the very point I made in a newsgroup [uk.media.tv.misc I think] posting at the time. I had initially found Geraldine McEwan a little too twee in contrast to Joan Hickson but had to admit that her portrayal may well have been closer to that which AC had intended.

FELL

All the best
FELL

A signature is no substitute for a life

Allen Dace

I see next week's episode was made by a proper film director - Peter Medak.

The cast includes such notables as Anthony Andrews, Greta Scacchi, Miriam Karlin, June Whitfield, Claire Bloom, Steven Berkoff, Charles Dance and Leslie Phillips. The Radio Times claims that it "becomes a hybrid of The League Of Gentlemen [the Comedy series rather than the Jack Hawkins film I expect] and The Blair Witch Project"!

sadistic

Margaret Rutherford was made for agatha christie theres one agatha christie novel made to film that im looking for called and then there was none not seen it on tv for years

chin chin! do carry on with your mud pies!