Agatha Christie – Marple: Series One (2004/Acorn DVD Set)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras:
C+ Telefilms: B+
Joan
Hickson made all 12 full length Agatha Christie novels of Miss Jane Marple into
successful telefilms in the mid-1980s to early 1990s. That made her the
most successful Marple since Margaret Rutherford did her theatrical feature
films in the 1960s. Angela Lansbury only logged one feature film, though
it may seem like more to some. Now, Geraldine McEwan takes over as the
first Marple of the 21st century and Marple:
Series One (2004) offers the following four telefilm adaptations:
The Murder At The
Vicarage
(book originally written 1930 as Marple’s debut, adapted by Stephen Churchett)
– When a prominent Colonel (Derek Jacobi) is found shot to death in the Vicar’s
study, the murderer makes the mistake of committing the murder at St. Mary
Mead. Though he was not well liked, Miss Marple is going to find his
killer if it is the last thing she does. Rachael Stirling, Janet McTeer,
Jason Flemyng, Miriam Margolyes, and Herbert Lom also star.
The Body In The
Library
(1942, adapted by Kevin Elyot) – An 18-year-old dancer turns up dead in the
Library at St. Mary Mead, so Miss Marple goes out to find the why, the
connection to dance and has more suspects than usual to sort through as a
result. Joanna Lumley (The New
Avengers, Sapphire & Steel, Absolutely Fabulous), Simon Callow and
Jack Davenport also star. As Dolly Bantry, Lumley finds yet another
classic character, and is so good in the role that a guest appearance Emmy is
very likely. Hope they find a way to bring her back.
A Murder Is
Announced
(1950, adapted by Stewart Hardcourt) – When a newspaper ad tells everyone a
murder will take place at Chipping Cleghorn, Miss Marple skips afternoon tea to
take the trip. When a dead body turns up, it runs out to be the man who
placed the ad! Now, Jane has to find out what he might have known and was
running from. Zoë Wanamaker, Keeley Hawkes, Elaine Paige
4:50 From Paddington (1957, aka What Miss McGillicuddy Saw, adapted by Stephen Churchett) – Elspeth
McGillicuddy (Pamela Ferris) swears she was on a train when she witnessed a
woman being strangled to death on another train. Everyone thinks she is
“just an old lady who saw things” and no murder has been reported. Lucky
for her, Jane Marple is an old friend who knows Elspeth better and intends to
find out exactly what she saw. Niamh Cusack, Griff Rhys Jones, John
Hannah, David Warner, Jenny Agutter and Pip Torrens as Noel Coward (!) also
star.
It should
be said that all the stories take place in the 1950s, with an interesting twist
in a backstory of Jane suffering decades later over the long lost love of her
life. However, the show has the feel of the best Christie without any
pretense or dullness. McEwan is incredible, breaking the Murder She Wrote TV stereotype, as the
films do not follow any formula. That is as refreshing as the great
directing and performances.
The
anamorphically enhanced 16 X 9/1.78 X 1 image is very nice, very stylized and
you can tell serious money was put into this show like the two Nero Wolfe television series of the
early 1980s and late 1990s. This is rich, lush and lavish, recalling the
best theatrical Christies of the 1970s and early 1980s. The use of color
is much more like it versus the tired cliché of desaturated images. Nigel
Waters, Sue Gibson and (twice here) Martin Fuhrer, B.S.C., do some impressive
work on their shows. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound has some very
nice and smooth Pro Logic surrounds. The music by Dominik Scherrer is
exceptionally good for a current TV series, and is really on target for mystery
either way.
Extras
include a stills gallery, text on the cast, Christie and Marple on Film and TV
on DVD 1. That begins with a Gracie Fields installment of Goodyear Playhouse in late 1956.
There is also a featurette on the making of these new shows and runs 61
minutes. Stills and bios repeat on DVDs 2 – 4, though the casts obviously
change. That is pretty good. One if the great in-jokes on the show
involve all the murder mystery fiction she reads. The show premiers on
PBS before the set arrives, but catch it any way you can. True mystery
fans who have chased after the recent Poirot
and Sherlock Holmes series will love
this, as it may be an instant classic. McEwan is so good that her
Marple is like Tom Baker as Dr. Who,
uncannily vibrant and amazing.
With five
seasons and counting, here are links to later sets on DVD so far, plus to
Warner’s collection of the British Margaret Rutherford
films on DVD:
Two
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4026/Agatha+Christie+%E2%80%93+Marple
Three
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6005/Agatha+Christie+%E2%80%93+Marple
Four
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8844/Marple+%E2%80%93+Series+Four+(2
Five
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10286/Agatha+Christie:+Marple+%E2%80%
Margaret Rutherford/Warner DVD Set
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3530/The+Agatha+Christie+Miss+Marple+Mo
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Nicholas Sheffo
