Poirot thread

[Harbottle]

I thought Herc looked a little less zombie-like in Halloween compared to the Orient Express production, which was almost a shame :) Actually this was one of the best Poirot's I've seen for a while, and lesbians made a long overdue return to an ITV Christie.

[Tigon Man]

Must say I find that since Japp, Lemon and Hastings have been dumped Poirot has taken a real dive, nothing like as entertaining as it was. The recent Orient Express was I thought dreadful, with Poirot in a miserable mood throughout. The light comedy touches of the other characters was most enjoyable, probably why they were removed to focus on just (boring) Poirot

Agreed. I enjoyed the original Carnival one hour series more than the two hour films, when in the former Poirot was joined by Miss Lemon and Inspector Japp. In defence of the film makers though, I believe that Lemon and Japp featured in only a few of the original stories and that they are trying to be as true to the original Christie's as possible. (Which is more than can be said for the McEwan, Mackenzie, Miss Marple's).
After Inspector Morse it was fashionable for every detective show to be structured to the two hour format, with Poirot though it doesn't really work.

[chuffnobbler]

we'll see the return of captain hastings in 'curtain' at least!

Don't hold your breath, Jay ...

Agreed. I enjoyed the original Carnival one hour series more than the two hour films, when in the former Poirot was joined by Miss Lemon and Inspector Japp. In defence of the film makers though, I believe that Lemon and Japp featured in only a few of the original stories and that they are trying to be as true to the original Christie's as possible. (Which is more than can be said for the McEwan, Mackenzie, Miss Marple's).

Miss Lemon, Captain Hastings and Inspector Japp are only in a few of the novels, but they brought colour to the TV series. i do miss Miss Lemon poking her head through that little serving hatch and tutting "Oh Mister Poirot!", or Hastings arching an eyebrow at a passing filly and uttering "Good Lord! What a stunner!".

There's been a po-faced seriousness about some of the recent Poirots. I've not seen Oorient Express yet, but have read it's a very goomy-do. Five Little Pigs, The Hollow and a few others were totally smile-free. Meanwhile, Miss Marple (sorry, "Agatha Christie's Marple") seems to have roped in a dozen of the biggest names they could find and encouraged them to improvise. I've long since stopped watching the marple films. They're agony. Even the ones that don't have Miss M in the book are not adapted straightforwardly. By The Pricking Of My Thumbs and Why Didn't They Ask Evans? were a bridge too far. poor old Aggie can actually be heard spinning in her grave at several points on the soundtrack.

[Windthrop]

News just came through about the final Poirot films and some new Marple films

BBC News - David Suchet to star in final Poirot adaptations

[CaptainWaggett]

News just came through about the final Poirot films and some new Marple films

BBC News - David Suchet to star in final Poirot adaptations

More Marples (and one of them is even from a story which has her in it )

[Freddy]

Excellent news, in an interview with David Suchet a couple of years ago he revealed one of his greatest wishes was to complete the Poirot series, am so glad this will now come to fruition.

[Windthrop]

More Marples (and one of them is even from a story which has her in it )

Yeah - Endless Night in particular could do with a new non-Marple version.

[dremble wedge]

Well hurrah for new Marples, even if it is only three of them.

[jaycad]

Yeeeeeessssssssss!!!!!!

[Windthrop]

The Sun reports that Suchet was causing the delay in making the new films


David Suchet in TV Poirot return | The Sun |Showbiz|TV

[Steve Crook]

The Sun reports that Suchet was causing the delay in making the new films


David Suchet in TV Poirot return | The Sun |Showbiz|TV

If that's what The Sun says, I wonder what the real story is?

Their article is wrong on many counts as a simple check of the IMDb or other sources would have shown them - but they couldn't even be bothered to do that

Steve

[Windthrop]

Though never a 100% fan of this long series two of the final books to be filmed will be intriguing. The Labours Of Hercules is a collection of short stories but is announced as a movie so will be interesting as to how much of the book is jettisoned. Curtain the final book, which I have just read, is going to need some alteration given that there has been a mistake in Suchet's physical appearance as Poirot. Anyone else picked up on this ?

[Windyridge]

Though never a 100% fan of this long series two of the final books to be filmed will be intriguing. The Labours Of Hercules is a collection of short stories but is announced as a movie so will be interesting as to how much of the book is jettisoned. Curtain the final book, which I have just read, is going to need some alteration given that there has been a mistake in Suchet's physical appearance as Poirot. Anyone else picked up on this ?

I never thought Suchet's appearance was correct because I always had it in my mind from reading one of the stories that Poirot was a thin man. Is that right?

[Windthrop]

I never thought Suchet's appearance was correct because I always had it in my mind from reading one of the stories that Poirot was a thin man. Is that right?

No

  Spoiler:

A big plot twist at the end is that Poirot has long worn a toupee and this is part of the solution at the end of the story - am sure the TV writers will get round it somehow but ITV obviously didn't realise the series would encompass the entire works back in the 80s when planning the makeup

[Windyridge]

Well, ITV have never been completely faithful to all the stories in the past, so I"m sure they'll come up with a solution here..

[Bernardo]

I love Agatha Christie books. To survive this long many others must agree with me. So what if the drama takes a bit of a liberty now and again e.g. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, the sub-plot around 'the Colonel's love affair' is completely altered, in fact the Colonel is not there at all! Does not matter to me, rather refreshing to compare and contrast. The fact that the Colonel, the older man in the story, disappears from the script tells me more about the producers and their attitude to age than anything else.

Come to think of it. Doesn't the old professor (doctor on the boat) not get his girl in the film Murder On The Nile, she chooses the socialistic aristocrat, actually the reverse is true in the book. Ageism again.

[Windthrop]

I love Agatha Christie books. To survive this long many others must agree with me. So what if the drama takes a bit of a liberty now and again e.g. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, the sub-plot around 'the Colonel's love affair' is completely altered, in fact the Colonel is not there at all! Does not matter to me, rather refreshing to compare and contrast. The fact that the Colonel, the older man in the story, disappears from the script tells me more about the producers and their attitude to age than anything else.

Come to think of it. Doesn't the old professor (doctor on the boat) not get his girl in the film Murder On The Nile, she chooses the socialistic aristocrat, actually the reverse is true in the book. Ageism again.

Thanks for that Bernardo. I have no problem with liberties being taken with Agatha Christie's work either - it's always gone on. I was simply asking whether anyone else had picked up on the potenial problem for the last adaptation and as I said in the spoiler I was sure they would find a way round it, as they will with Labours presumably by combining several of the stories and jettisoning others.

Would be nice if they could have Japp, Miss Lemon, Ariadne, Race and Hastings at Poirot's funeral.

[Windyridge]

Would be nice if they could have Japp, Miss Lemon, Ariadne, Race and Hastings at Poirot's funeral.

I didn't know he died, I haven't read the last story.