Agatha Christie's Poirot: Difference between revisions

*Agatha Christie's Poirot*
Agatha Christie's Poirot
Genre	Crime drama
Based on	Hercule Poirot stories; by Agatha Christie
Screenplay by	Clive Exton and others
Starring	David Suchet
Composers	Christopher Gunning (series 1–9); Stephen McKeon (series 10–11); Christian Henson (series 12–13);
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	13
No. of episodes	70 (list of episodes)
Production
Producers	Brian Eastman and others
Running time	36 x ~50 minutes; 34 x ~89–102 minutes;
Production companies	LWT (1989–2002); LWT Productions (1989–1996); Granada Productions (2002–2008); Agatha Christie Ltd. (1989–2013); ITV Productions (2008–2009); ITV Studios (2009–2013); WGBH Boston (2008–2013); Carnival Films (1993–1994); Mittal Productions (1990–2009); Picture Partnership Productions (1994–1996);
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	8 January 1989 –; 13 November 2013

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Agatha Christie's Poirot, or simply Poirot (UK: /pwɑːroʊ/^[1]), is a British mystery drama television programme that aired on ITV from 8 January 1989 to 13 November 2013. The ITV show is based on many of Agatha Christie's famous crime fiction series, which revolves around the fictional private investigator Hercule Poirot. David Suchet stars as the title character. Initially produced by LWT, the series was later produced by ITV Studios. The series also aired on VisionTV in Canada and on PBS and A&E in the US.

The programme ran for 13 series and 70 episodes in total. Each episode was adapted from a novel or short story by Christie that featured Poirot. In each episode Poirot is both the main detective in charge of the investigation of a crime (usually murder) and the protagonist at the centre of most of the episode's action. At the programme's conclusion, which finished with "Curtain: Poirot's Last Case", based on the 1975 novel of the same name,^[2] every major literary work by Christie that featured the title character had been adapted.^[3]

Cast

David Suchet was cast as the eponymous Hercule Poirot. He was portrayed, especially in the earlier series, alongside Hugh Fraser as the closest friend of Poirot, Captain Arthur Hastings, as well as Pauline Moran playing Poirot's clever secretary Felicity Lemon and Philip Jackson depicting Poirot’s long-standing associate Inspector James Japp.

Towards the later series, other characters such as Poirot's English butler, George, played by David Yelland, and crime novelist Ariadne Oliver, played by Zoë Wanamaker, feature and become prominent. Several actors played multiple parts specific to certain episodes, including Nicholas Farrell and Beatie Edney.

List of main and recurring *Poirot* characters, with actors, by series (season)
Character	Series
Character	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
Hercule Poirot	David Suchet
Captain Arthur Hastings	Hugh Fraser												Hugh Fraser
Chief Inspector James Japp	Philip Jackson												Philip Jackson
Miss Felicity Lemon	Pauline Moran				Pauline Moran								Pauline Moran
Detective Inspector Jameson	John Cording
Countess Vera Rossakoff			Kika Markham										Orla Brady
Ariadne Oliver										Zoë Wanamaker
George										David Yelland
Superintendent Harold Spence										Richard Hope

Episodes

Series	Episodes	Originally aired		Ave. UK viewers (millions)
Series	Episodes	First aired	Last aired	Ave. UK viewers (millions)
1	10	8 January 1989 (1989-01-08)	19 March 1989 (1989-03-19)	TBA
2	9	7 January 1990 (1990-01-07)	4 March 1990 (1990-03-04)	TBA
3	11	16 September 1990 (1990-09-16)	10 March 1991 (1991-03-10)	TBA
4	3	5 January 1992 (1992-01-05)	19 January 1992 (1992-01-19)	TBA
5	8	17 January 1993 (1993-01-17)	7 March 1993 (1993-03-07)	TBA
6	4	1 January 1995 (1995-01-01)	16 March 1996 (1996-03-16)	TBA
7	2	2 January 2000 (2000-01-02)	19 February 2000 (2000-02-19)	9.12
8	2	20 April 2001 (2001-04-20)	8 July 2001 (2001-07-08)	7.21
9	4	14 December 2003 (2003-12-14)	26 April 2004 (2004-04-26)	7.27
10	4	11 December 2005 (2005-12-11)	2 April 2006 (2006-04-02)	6.98
11	4	1 September 2008 (2008-09-01)	22 September 2008 (2008-09-22)	5.18
12	4	30 December 2009 (2009-12-30)	11 July 2010 (2010-07-11)	5.12
13	5	9 June 2013 (2013-06-09)	13 November 2013 (2013-11-13)	5.53

Production

Clive Exton in partnership with producer Brian Eastman adapted the pilot. Together, they wrote and produced the first eight series. Exton and Eastman left Poirot after 2001, when they began work on Rosemary & Thyme. Michele Buck and Damien Timmer, who both went on to form Mammoth Screen, were behind the revamping of the series.^[4]

While Christie's novels are set contemporaneously with the time of writing (between the 1920s and 1970s), 1936 was chosen as the year in which to place the majority of Poirot episodes; references to events such as the Jarrow March were included to strengthen this chronology.^[5] With some exceptions, the series as a whole is set in roughly chronological order between 1935 and 1939, just prior to the Second World War. Numerous references in early episodes place the series primarily in 1935, progressing to 1936 by series four. Most references remain to 1936, moving slowly forward to 1937 by series eleven and 1938 by Murder on the Orient Express. The Big Four is set explicitly in early 1939. The most notable exceptions to this chronology are The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which narrates Poirot's first case in 1917, and Curtain: Poirot's Last Case, which is set primarily in 1949. The Chocolate Box shows Poirot in the early 1900s, though the framing narrative remains consistent with the series' usual timeframe.

The episodes aired from series 9 in 2003 featured a radical shift in tone from the previous series. The humour of the earlier series was downplayed with each episode being presented as serious drama and saw the introduction of gritty elements not present in the Christie stories being adapted. Recurrent motifs in the additions included drug use, sex, abortion, homosexuality, and a tendency toward more visceral imagery. The visual style of later episodes was correspondingly different: particularly, an overall darker tone; and austere modernist or Art Deco locations and decor, widely used earlier in the series, being largely dropped in favour of more lavish settings (epitomised by the re-imagining of Poirot's home as a larger, more lavish apartment).^[6]

The series logo was redesigned (the full opening title sequence had not been used since series 6 in 1996), and the main theme motif, though used often, was usually featured subtly and in sombre arrangements; this has been described as a consequence of the novels adapted being darker and more psychologically driven.^[7] However, a more upbeat string arrangement of the theme music is used for the end credits of "Hallowe'en Party", "The Clocks" and "Dead Man's Folly". In flashback scenes, later episodes also made extensive use of fisheye lens, distorted colours, and other visual effects.

Series 9–12 lack Hugh Fraser, Philip Jackson and Pauline Moran, who had appeared in the previous series (excepting series 4, where Moran is absent). Series 10 (2006) introduced Zoë Wanamaker as the eccentric crime novelist Ariadne Oliver and David Yelland as Poirot's dependable valet, George — a character that had been introduced in the early Poirot novels but was left out of the early adaptations to develop the character of Miss Lemon. The introduction of Wanamaker and Yelland's characters and the absence of the other characters is generally consistent with the stories on which the scripts were based. Hugh Fraser and David Yelland^[8] returned for two episodes of the final series (The Big Four and Curtain), with Philip Jackson and Pauline Moran^[9] returning for the adaptation of The Big Four. Zoë Wanamaker also returned for the adaptations of Elephants Can Remember and Dead Man's Folly.

Clive Exton adapted seven novels and fourteen short stories for the series, including "The ABC Murders" and "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd",^[10] which received mixed reviews from critics.^[7] Anthony Horowitz was another prolific writer for the series, adapting three novels and nine short stories,^[11] while Nick Dear adapted six novels. Comedian and novelist Mark Gatiss wrote three episodes and also guest-starred in the series,^[12] as have Peter Flannery and Kevin Elyot. Ian Hallard, who co-wrote the screenplay for "The Big Four" with Mark Gatiss, appears in the episode and also "Hallowe'en Party", which was scripted by Gatiss alone.

Florin Court in Charterhouse Square, London, was used as Poirot's London residence, Whitehaven Mansions.^[13] The final episode to be filmed was "Dead Man's Folly" in June 2013 on the Greenway Estate (which was Agatha Christie's home) broadcast on 30 October 2013.^[14] Most of the locations and buildings where the episodes were shot were given fictional names.^[15]

Casting

Suchet was recommended for the part by Christie's family, who had seen him appear as Blott in the TV adaptation of Tom Sharpe's Blott on the Landscape.^[16] Suchet, a method actor, said that he prepared for the part by reading all the Poirot novels and every short story, and copying out every piece of description about the character.^[17]^[18]^[19] Suchet told The Strand Magazine: "What I did was, I had my file on one side of me and a pile of stories on the other side and day after day, week after week, I ploughed through most of Agatha Christie's novels about Hercule Poirot and wrote down characteristics until I had a file full of documentation of the character. And then it was my business not only to know what he was like, but to gradually become him. I had to become him before we started shooting".^[20]

During the filming of the first series, Suchet almost left the production during an argument with a director, insisting that Poirot's odd mannerisms (in this case, putting a handkerchief down before sitting on a park bench) be featured;^[21] he later said "there's no question [Poirot's] obsessive-compulsive".^[22] According to many critics and enthusiasts, Suchet's characterisation is considered to be the most accurate interpretation of all the actors who have played Poirot, and the closest to the character in the books.^[23] In 2013, Suchet revealed that Christie's daughter Rosalind Hicks had told him she was sure Christie would have approved of his performance.^[24]

In 2007, Suchet spoke of his desire to film the remaining stories in the canon and hoped to achieve this before his 65th birthday in May 2011.^[25] Despite speculation of cancellation early in 2011, the remaining books were ultimately adapted into a thirteenth series,^[26] adapted in 2013 into 5 episodes, from which "Curtain" aired last on 13 November. A 2013 television special, Being Poirot, centred on Suchet's characterisation and his emotional final episode.

Development

Actors

Alongside recurring characters, the early series featured actors who later achieved greater fame, including Sean Pertwee ("The King of Clubs", 1989; "Dead Man's Folly", 2013), Joely Richardson ("The Dream", 1989), Polly Walker ("Peril at End House", 1990), Samantha Bond ("The Adventure of the Cheap Flat", 1990), Christopher Eccleston ("One, Two, Buckle My Shoe", 1992), Hermione Norris ("Jewel Robbery at The Grand Metropolitan", 1993), Damian Lewis ("Hickory Dickory Dock", 1995), Jamie Bamber ("The Murder of Roger Ackroyd", 2000), Russell Tovey ("Evil Under the Sun", 2001), Kelly Reilly ("Sad Cypress", 2003), Emily Blunt ("Death on the Nile", 2004), Alice Eve ("The Mystery of the Blue Train", 2005), Michael Fassbender ("After the Funeral", 2006), Aidan Gillen ("Five Little Pigs", 2003), Toby Jones and Jessica Chastain ("Murder on the Orient Express", 2010), and Tom Ellis ("Dead Man's Folly", 2013).

Four Academy Award nominees have appeared in the series: Sarah Miles, Barbara Hershey, Elizabeth McGovern and Elliott Gould. Peter Capaldi, Jessica Chastain, Michael Fassbender, Lesley Manville, Vanessa Kirby and Emily Blunt went on to receive Academy Award nominations after appearing on the show (with Chastain winning the Best Actress award in 2022 for The Eyes of Tammy Faye). Several members of British thespian families appeared in episodes throughout the course of the series. James Fox appeared as Colonel Race in "Death on the Nile", and his older brother Edward Fox appeared as Gudgeon in "The Hollow".^[27]

Three of the Cusack sisters each appeared in an episode: Niamh Cusack in "The King of Clubs", Sorcha Cusack in "Jewel Robbery at The Grand Metropolitan", and Sinéad Cusack in "Dead Man's Folly". Phyllida Law and her daughter Sophie Thompson appeared in "Hallowe'en Party". David Yelland appeared as Charles Laverton West in "Murder in the Mews" and as George for the remainder of the series from Series 10 onward, and his daughter Hannah Yelland appeared as Geraldine Marsh in "Lord Edgware Dies".

Multiple roles

Actors performing in multiple roles in *Poirot* episodes
Actor	Character	Episode
Nicholas Farrell^[28]	Donald Fraser	"The ABC Murders" (1992)
Nicholas Farrell^[28]	Major Richard Knighton	"The Mystery of the Blue Train" (2006)
Pip Torrens	Major Rich	"The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" (1991)
Pip Torrens	Jeremy Cloade	"Taken at the Flood" (2006)
Haydn Gwynne	Coco Courtney	"The Affair at the Victory Ball" (1991)
Haydn Gwynne	Miss Battersby	"Third Girl" (2008)
Geoffrey Beevers	Mr Tolliver	"Problem at Sea" (1989)
Geoffrey Beevers	Seddon	"Sad Cypress" (2003)
Simon Shepherd	David Hall	"Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan" (1993)
Simon Shepherd	Dr. Rendell	"Mrs McGinty's Dead" (2008)
Richard Lintern	John Lake	"Dead Man's Mirror" (1993)
Richard Lintern	Guy Carpenter	"Mrs McGinty's Dead" (2008)
Richard Durden	Dr Pritchard	"The Case of the Missing Will" (1993)
Richard Durden	Pebmarsh	"Taken at the Flood" (2006)
John Carson	Sir George Carrington	"The Incredible Theft" (1989)
John Carson	Richard Abernethie	"After the Funeral" (2006)
Carol MacReady^[29]	Mildred Croft	"Peril at End House" (1990)
Carol MacReady^[29]	Miss Johnson	"Cat Among the Pigeons" (2008)
Miranda Forbes	Landlady	"Double Sin" (1990)
Miranda Forbes	Mrs Turton	"The ABC Murders" (1992)
Pat Gorman	Desk Sergeant	"The ABC Murders" (1992)
Pat Gorman	London Man	"The Case of the Missing Will" (1993)
Beth Goddard	Violet Wilson	"The Case of the Missing Will" (1993)
Beth Goddard	Sister Agnieszka	"Appointment with Death" (2008 [DVD release], 2009 [aired])
Lucy Liemann	Miss Burgess	"Cards on the Table" (2005)
Lucy Liemann	Sonia	"Third Girl" (2008)
David Yelland	Charles Laverton West	"Murder in the Mews" (1989)
David Yelland	George	"Taken at the Flood" (2006) "Mrs McGinty's Dead" (2008) "Third Girl" (2008) "Three Act Tragedy" (2010) "Hallowe'en Party" (2010) "The Big Four" (2013) "Curtain: Poirot's Last Case" (2013)
Fenella Woolgar	Ellis	"Lord Edgware Dies" (2000)
Fenella Woolgar	Elizabeth Whittaker	"Hallowe'en Party" (2010)
Beatie Edney	Mary Cavendish	"The Mysterious Affair at Styles" (1990)
Beatie Edney	Beryl Hemmings	"The Clocks" (2011)
Frances Barber	Lady Millicent Castle-Vaughan	"The Veiled Lady" (1990)
Frances Barber	Merlina Rival	"The Clocks" (2011)
Sean Pertwee	Ronnie Oglander	"The King of Clubs" (1989)
Sean Pertwee	Sir George Stubbs	"Dead Man's Folly" (2013)
Danny Webb	Porter	"The Adventure of the Clapham Cook" (1989)
Danny Webb	Superintendent Bill Garroway	"Elephants Can Remember" (2013)
Ian Hallard	Edmund Drake	"Hallowe'en Party" (2010)
Ian Hallard	Mercutio	"The Big Four" (2013)
Phyllida Law	Lady Isabel Carrington	"The Incredible Theft" (1989)
Phyllida Law	Mrs Louise Llewellyn-Smythe	"Hallowe'en Party" (2010)
Jane How	Lady at Ball	"The Mystery of the Blue Train" (2005)
Jane How	Lady Veronica	"Cat Among the Pigeons" (2008)
Patrick Ryecart	Charles Arundel	"Dumb Witness" (1996)
Patrick Ryecart	Sir Anthony Morgan	"The Labours of Hercules" (2013)
Barbara Barnes	Mrs Lester	"The Lost Mine" (1990)
Barbara Barnes	Louise Leidner	"Murder in Mesopotamia" (2002)
Tim Stern^[30]	Bellboy	"Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan" (1993)
Tim Stern^[30]	Alf Renny	"Third Girl" (2008)
Catherine Russell	Katrina Reiger	"How Does Your Garden Grow?" (1991)
Catherine Russell	Pamela Horsfall	"Mrs McGinty's Dead" (2008)

Reception

Critical response

Agatha Christie's grandson Mathew Prichard commented: "Personally, I regret very much that she [Agatha Christie] never saw David Suchet. I think that visually he is much the most convincing and perhaps he manages to convey to the viewer just enough of the irritation that we always associate with the perfectionist, to be convincing!"^[31]

In 2008, the series was described by some critics as going "off piste",^[32] though not negatively, from its old format. It was praised for its new writers, more lavish productions, and a greater emphasis on the darker psychology of the novels. Significantly, it was noted for "Five Little Pigs" (adapted by Kevin Elyot) bringing out a homosexual subtext of the novel.^[7] Nominations for twenty BAFTAs were received between 1989 and 1991 for series 1–3.^[33]

Accolades

List of awards and nominations for *Agatha Christie's Poirot*
Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Nominee(s)	Result
British Academy Television Awards (1990)	1990	Best Original Television Music	Christopher Gunning	Won
British Academy Television Craft Awards (1990)	1990	Best Costume Design	Linda Mattock (series 1, episodes 2, 4, 7–8, 10)	Won
		Best Costume Design	Sue Thomson (series 1, episodes 1, 3, 5–6, 9)	Nominated
		Best Make-up	Hilary Martin, Christine Cant and Roseann Samuel	Won
		Best Design	Rob Harris (series 1, episodes 1–2, 5, 8, 10)	Nominated
		Best Graphics	Pat Gavin	Won
British Academy Television Awards (1991)	1991	Best Actor	David Suchet	Nominated
British Academy Television Awards (1991)	1991	Best Drama Series or Serial	Brian Eastman	Nominated
British Academy Television Craft Awards (1991)	1991	Best Costume Design	Linda Mattock and Sharon Lewis	Nominated
British Academy Television Craft Awards (1991)	1991	Best Film Sound	Ken Weston, Rupert Scrivener and Sound Team	Nominated
RTS Television Awards (1991)	1991	Best Tape or Film Editing – Drama	Derek Bain	Nominated
British Academy Television Awards (1992)	1992	Best Original Television Music	Christopher Gunning	Nominated
British Academy Television Awards (1992)	1992	Best Drama Series or Serial	Brian Eastman	Nominated
British Academy Television Craft Awards (1992)	1992	Best Costume Design	Robin Fraser-Paye (series 3, episodes 1, 4–5, 9–10)	Nominated
		Best Costume Design	Elizabeth Waller (series 3, episodes 2–3, 6–8)	Nominated
		Best Make-up	Janis Gould (series 3, episodes 2–3, 6–8)	Nominated
Edgar Awards (1992)	1992	Best Episode in a TV Series	"The Lost Mine"	Won^[34]
Satellite Award (2010)	2010	Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film	David Suchet	Nominated
PGA Awards (2010)	2011	Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television	"Murder on the Orient Express"	Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards (2015)	2015	Outstanding Television Movie	"Curtain: Poirot's Last Case"	Nominated^[35]

Home media

In the UK, ITV Studios Home Entertainment owns the home media rights.

In Region 1, Acorn Media has the rights to series 1–6 and 11–12. Series 7–10 are distributed by A&E, a co-producer on several of them. In North America, series 1–11 are available on Netflix and Amazon Prime instant streaming service. In Region 4, Acorn Media, distributed by Reel DVD, has begun releasing the series on DVD in Australia in complete season sets. To date, they have released the first 8 series of the show.^[36] Series 1–9 and 12 are available in Spain (Region 2) on Blu-ray with Spanish and English audio tracks. Dutch FilmWorks were reported to be the first company to release series 12, in 2010.

Beginning in 2011, Acorn began issuing the series on Blu-ray discs. As of November 2014, series 1 through 13 have all been issued on DVD and Blu-ray by Acorn. The A&E DVD releases of series 7 through 10 correspond to the A&E versions broadcast in America which were missing sections of the original video as originally broadcast in the United Kingdom. The Acorn releases of series 7 through 10 restore the missing video.

Home media releases of *Poirot*, showing series and episode numbers, with release dates
Release title	Series	No. of DVDs	No. of Blu-ray discs	Release date	Episode no.	Region no.	Released by
The Complete Collection^[37]	1–11	28	N/A	30 March 2009	1–61	2	ITV Studios
The Complete Collection^[38]	1–12	32	N/A	15 August 2011	1–65	2	ITV Studios
The Definitive Collection^[39]	1–13	35	N/A	18 November 2013	1–70	2	ITV Studios
The Early Cases Collection	1–6	18^[40]	13	23 October 2012	1–45	1	Acorn Media
The Definitive Collection	7–10	12^[41]	N/A	25 January 2011	46–57	1	A&E Home Video
The Movie Collection – Set 4	11	3^[42]	N/A	7 July 2009	58–59	1	Acorn Media
The Movie Collection – Set 5	11–12	3^[43]	N/A	27 July 2010	60–61, 64	1	Acorn Media
Murder on the Orient Express	12	N/A	1^[44]	26 October 2010	64	1	Acorn Media
The Movie Collection – Set 6	12	3^[45]	3	12 July 2011	62–63, 65	1	Acorn Media
The Final Cases Collection	7–13	13^[46]	13	4 November 2014	46–70	A	ITV Studios & Acorn Media
Complete Cases Collection	1–13	33	28	4 November 2014	1–70	1	ITV Studios & Acorn Media

Being Poirot

Being Poirot is a 50-minute 2013 ITV television documentary in which David Suchet attempts to unravel the mysterious appeal of Hercule Poirot and how he portrayed him.^[47] It was broadcast in the United Kingdom on the same evening as the final episode, "Curtain".

Suchet visits the Greenway Estate, Agatha Christie's summer home, recollecting how he met her daughter Rosalind Hicks and her husband Anthony Hicks for their approval before he began filming. He meets Christie's grandson Mathew Prichard who recounts how his grandmother found the character amongst Belgian refugees in Torquay. There's a visit to the permanent Poirot exhibition at Torquay Museum, to which he presented the cane he used in the television series.

Suchet acknowledges the first stage and film adaptations of the books with actors such as Charles Laughton on the London stage in Alibi, an adaptation of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, in 1928. Alibi was filmed in 1931 with Austin Trevor but is now lost. The oldest surviving film portrayal from 1934 was Lord Edgware Dies again with Austin Trevor portraying Poirot. Suchet notes a conscious decision was made by the film company to portray Poirot without a moustache.

Films featuring Albert Finney and Peter Ustinov are also featured. Suchet reveals that he read the books and wrote down 93 notes about the character that he went on to use in his portrayal. The descriptions in the books helped him discover the voice he would use, and the rapid mincing gait.

Suchet also goes to Florin Court, a place that the production company chose to represent his home Whitehaven Mansions. There he meets first producer Brian Eastman, with whom he discusses the set that was built based on the flats, and Eastman's decision to fix the stories in 1936. Suchet also visits composer Christopher Gunning who had composed four themes for Eastman, the first being Gunning's favourite. Eastman chose the fourth after having Gunning darken the tone.

Suchet travels to Brussels, where he is feted by the police chief and mayor. He then goes to Ellezelles, which claims to be the birthplace of Poirot, and he is shown a birth certificate as proof. It says the date was 1 April, "April Fools' Day", with no year mentioned. Finally, Suchet travels on the Orient Express and recounts filming the episode "Dead Man's Folly" last at Greenway to finish on a high note.

Novels or stories not included in the series

Suchet was proud to have completed the entire Poirot canon by the time of the broadcast of the final episode, only slightly short of the target he had set for himself in a 2007 interview of completing the entire canon before his 65th birthday.^[48]

A number of Poirot short stories were not directly adapted for the series. In most cases, these stories were subsequently reworked by Christie, and adapted for the television series in their final forms. "The Plymouth Express" was adapted in both its original short story form and as The Mystery of the Blue Train.

Original Story Title	Adaptation Title	Notes
The Lemesurier Inheritance (1923)	None	The episode "The Labours of Hercules" uses the surname "Lemesurier" from the original story, but otherwise has nothing in common with the story.
The Market Basing Mystery (1923)	"Murder in the Mews"	Re-worked by Christie
The Submarine Plans (1923)	"The Incredible Theft"	Re-worked by Christie
Christmas Adventure (1923)	"The Theft of the Royal Ruby"	Re-worked by Christie (also known as "The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding")
The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest (1932)	"The Mystery of the Spanish Chest"	Re-worked by Christie
The Second Gong (1932)	"Dead Man's Mirror"	Re-worked by Christie
The Incident of the Dog's Ball (written c.1933, posthumously published)	"Dumb Witness"	Re-worked by Christie
Poirot and the Regatta Mystery (1936)	None	Re-worked by Christie as a Parker Pyne story (published as part of The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories, 1939). Posthumously re-published in Hercule Poirot: the Complete Short Stories (2008).
The Capture of Cerberus (written c.1939, posthumously published)	None	Unrelated to the better known final case of the same title in The Labours of Hercules. Intended as the last of The Labours of Hercules, Christie re-wrote the entire story due to its political content, retaining only the title.
The Nemean Lion (1947)	"The Labours of Hercules"	Not directly adapted as part of the episode's combined narrative.
The Augean Stables (1947)	"The Labours of Hercules"
Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly (written 1954, posthumously published)	"Dead Man's Folly"	Re-worked by Christie
Black Coffee (play)	None	In 2012, Suchet performed a rehearsed reading of Black Coffee, produced and presented by The Agatha Christie Theatre Company, in aid of Chichester Festival Theatre's restoration fund.^[49]^[50]

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^ Dillin, John (25 March 1992). "The Actor Behind Popular Poirot" Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. The Christian Science Monitor.
^ Dudley, Jane. "Award-winning actor David Suchet plays Robert Maxwell in a gripping account of the dramatic final stage of the media tycoon's life" Archived 14 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine. BBC.co.uk.
^ Dudley, Jane (27 April 1997). "Inside the mind of a media monster" Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Yorkshire Post.
^ J.D. Hobbs. "Suchet's Poirot". Poirot.us. Archived from the original on 11 March 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
^ (29 October 2013). "David Suchet reveals he almost quit Poirot during the first series after an argument over a hanky" Archived 6 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Mirror.co.uk.
^ Barton, Laura (18 May 2009). "Poirot and me". The Guardian. London. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
^ "Drama Faces – David Suchet". BBC.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
^ "Curtain: Press Packet" Archived 2 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine. ITVStatic.com.
^ "Meet the man behind the character". ITV.com. 18 June 2007. Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
^ Morgan Jeffrey (14 November 2011). "Poirot to return for final series on ITV". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 16 November 2011.
^ "Agatha Christie's Poirot". ITV.com. 13 July 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2008.
^ "Nicholas Farrell". IMDb. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
^ "Carol MacReady". IMDb. Archived from the original on 31 January 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
^ "Tim Stern (I)". IMDb. Archived from the original on 15 January 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
^ "Agatha Christie: Characters: Poirot". Agatha Christie Limited. Archived from the original on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
^ Wright, Mark (26 September 2008). "Square Eyes 26–28 September". Blogs.TheStage.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
^ "BAFTA Awards Database". BAFTA.org. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
^ "The Edgar Awards Database". TheEdgars.com. Mystery Writers of America. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
^ "Emmy Awards 2015: The complete winners list". CNN. 20 September 2015. Archived from the original on 22 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
^ "Poirot". EzyDVD.com.au. Retrieved 27 June 2010.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "Agatha Christie's Poirot – Complete Series 1–11 [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. 30 March 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
^ "Agatha Christie's Poirot – The Complete Series 1–12 [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. 15 August 2011. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
^ "Agatha Christie's Poirot – The Definitive Collection (Series 1–13) [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. 18 November 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
^ "Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Early Cases – DVD (1989)". Amazon. 23 October 2012. Archived from the original on 13 September 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
^ "Agatha Christie Poirot: Definitive Collection – DVD (2010)". Amazon. 20 January 2011. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
^ "Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Movie Collection – Set 4 (DVD)". Amazon. 7 July 2009. Archived from the original on 18 December 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
^ "Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Movie Collection – Set 5 (DVD)". Amazon. 27 July 2010. Archived from the original on 29 November 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
^ "Agatha Christie's Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express [Blu-ray]". Amazon. 5 August 2012. Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
^ "Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Movie Collection – Set 6 (DVD)". Amazon. 12 July 2011. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
^ "Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Final Cases Collection". Amazon. 5 August 2014. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
^ kokopico (2 December 2014). "Being Poirot". Archived from the original on 12 January 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2018 – via YouTube.
^ Interview archived here.
^ Radio Times report Archived 24 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine of the reading.
^ Details of the reading of Black Coffee Archived 17 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine with link to review.

External links

Quotations related to Agatha Christie's Poirot at Wikiquote
Media related to Agatha Christie's Poirot (tv series) at Wikimedia Commons
Agatha Christie's Poirot at itv.com
Agatha Christie's Poirot at IMDb
Agatha Christie's Poirot at epguides.com
Agatha Christie's Poirot at the BFI's Screenonline
Agatha Christie's Poirot Archived 3 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine on SonyLIV

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[3] "David Suchet to star in final Poirot adaptations". BBC News. 14 November 2011. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015.

[4] Kanter, Jake (13 September 2012). "Damien Timmer and Michele Buck, Mammoth Screen". BroadcastNow.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2014.

[screenonline.org.uk-5] "BFI Screenonline: Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989–)". Screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2009.

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[Screenonline.org.uk-7] "BFI Screenonline: Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989–)". Screenonline.org.uk. Archived from the original on 11 June 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.

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[13] "Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989–)" Archived 23 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2007.

[14] "Poirot investigates his last mystery at Greenway". NationalTrust.org.uk. Archived from the original on 29 June 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2014.

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[Telegraph.co.uk-16] Walton, James (9 September 2008). "David Suchet: Poirot". Telegraph.co.uk. London. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.

[17] Dillin, John (25 March 1992). "The Actor Behind Popular Poirot" Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. The Christian Science Monitor.

[18] Dudley, Jane. "Award-winning actor David Suchet plays Robert Maxwell in a gripping account of the dramatic final stage of the media tycoon's life" Archived 14 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine. BBC.co.uk.

[19] Dudley, Jane (27 April 1997). "Inside the mind of a media monster" Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Yorkshire Post.

[20] J.D. Hobbs. "Suchet's Poirot". Poirot.us. Archived from the original on 11 March 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.

[21] (29 October 2013). "David Suchet reveals he almost quit Poirot during the first series after an argument over a hanky" Archived 6 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Mirror.co.uk.

[22] Barton, Laura (18 May 2009). "Poirot and me". The Guardian. London. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 May 2021.

[23] "Drama Faces – David Suchet". BBC.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.

[24] "Curtain: Press Packet" Archived 2 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine. ITVStatic.com.

[25] "Meet the man behind the character". ITV.com. 18 June 2007. Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 26 May 2009.

[26] Morgan Jeffrey (14 November 2011). "Poirot to return for final series on ITV". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 16 November 2011.

[ITV.com-27] "Agatha Christie's Poirot". ITV.com. 13 July 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2008.

[28] "Nicholas Farrell". IMDb. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.

[29] "Carol MacReady". IMDb. Archived from the original on 31 January 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.

[30] "Tim Stern (I)". IMDb. Archived from the original on 15 January 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.

[31] "Agatha Christie: Characters: Poirot". Agatha Christie Limited. Archived from the original on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.

[Blogs.TheStage.co.uk-32] Wright, Mark (26 September 2008). "Square Eyes 26–28 September". Blogs.TheStage.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2009.

[33] "BAFTA Awards Database". BAFTA.org. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2013.

[34] "The Edgar Awards Database". TheEdgars.com. Mystery Writers of America. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2009.

[35] "Emmy Awards 2015: The complete winners list". CNN. 20 September 2015. Archived from the original on 22 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.

[36] "Poirot". EzyDVD.com.au. Retrieved 27 June 2010.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[37] "Agatha Christie's Poirot – Complete Series 1–11 [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. 30 March 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2013.

[38] "Agatha Christie's Poirot – The Complete Series 1–12 [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. 15 August 2011. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2013.

[39] "Agatha Christie's Poirot – The Definitive Collection (Series 1–13) [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. 18 November 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.

[40] "Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Early Cases – DVD (1989)". Amazon. 23 October 2012. Archived from the original on 13 September 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.

[41] "Agatha Christie Poirot: Definitive Collection – DVD (2010)". Amazon. 20 January 2011. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.

[42] "Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Movie Collection – Set 4 (DVD)". Amazon. 7 July 2009. Archived from the original on 18 December 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2013.

[43] "Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Movie Collection – Set 5 (DVD)". Amazon. 27 July 2010. Archived from the original on 29 November 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.

[44] "Agatha Christie's Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express [Blu-ray]". Amazon. 5 August 2012. Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.

[45] "Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Movie Collection – Set 6 (DVD)". Amazon. 12 July 2011. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.

[46] "Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Final Cases Collection". Amazon. 5 August 2014. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.

[47] (2 December 2014). "Being Poirot". Archived from the original on 12 January 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2018 – via YouTube.

[48] Interview archived here.

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v t e Agatha Christie
Bibliography Universe Adaptations
Characters	Superintendent Battle Tommy and Tuppence Beresford Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent Sir Henry Clithering Captain Arthur Hastings Chief Inspector James Japp Miss Jane Marple Ariadne Oliver Hercule Poirot Parker Pyne Mr. Harley Quin Raymond West
Locations	St. Mary Mead
Novels	The Mysterious Affair at Styles The Secret Adversary The Murder on the Links The Man in the Brown Suit The Secret of Chimneys The Murder of Roger Ackroyd The Big Four The Mystery of the Blue Train The Seven Dials Mystery The Murder at the Vicarage The Sittaford Mystery Peril at End House Lord Edgware Dies Murder on the Orient Express Why Didn't They Ask Evans? Three Act Tragedy Death in the Clouds The A.B.C. Murders Murder in Mesopotamia Cards on the Table Dumb Witness Death on the Nile Appointment with Death Hercule Poirot's Christmas Murder Is Easy And Then There Were None Sad Cypress One, Two, Buckle My Shoe Evil Under the Sun N or M? The Body in the Library Five Little Pigs The Moving Finger Towards Zero Death Comes as the End Sparkling Cyanide The Hollow Taken at the Flood Crooked House A Murder Is Announced They Came to Baghdad Mrs McGinty's Dead They Do It with Mirrors After the Funeral A Pocket Full of Rye Destination Unknown Hickory Dickory Dock Dead Man's Folly 4.50 from Paddington Ordeal by Innocence Cat Among the Pigeons The Pale Horse The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side The Clocks A Caribbean Mystery At Bertram's Hotel Third Girl Endless Night By the Pricking of My Thumbs Hallowe'en Party Passenger to Frankfurt Nemesis Elephants Can Remember Postern of Fate Curtain Sleeping Murder
As Mary Westmacott	Giant's Bread Unfinished Portrait Absent in the Spring The Rose and the Yew Tree A Daughter's a Daughter The Burden
Short story collections	Poirot Investigates Partners in Crime The Mysterious Mr Quin The Thirteen Problems The Hound of Death The Listerdale Mystery Parker Pyne Investigates Murder in the Mews The Regatta Mystery The Labours of Hercules The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories Three Blind Mice and Other Stories The Under Dog and Other Stories The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding Double Sin and Other Stories The Golden Ball and Other Stories Poirot's Early Cases Miss Marple's Final Cases and Two Other Stories Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories The Harlequin Tea Set While the Light Lasts and Other Stories
Plays	Black Coffee And Then There Were None Appointment with Death Murder on the Nile The Hollow The Mousetrap Witness for the Prosecution Spider's Web Towards Zero Verdict The Unexpected Guest Go Back for Murder Fiddlers Three Akhnaton Chimneys
Radio and television plays	Wasp's Nest The Yellow Iris Three Blind Mice Butter in a Lordly Dish Personal Call
Other books	The Road of Dreams Come, Tell Me How You Live Star Over Bethlehem Poems An Autobiography The Mousetrap and Other Plays Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks
Depictions	Agatha Christie Memorial Agatha (1979 film) Agatha Christie: A Life in Pictures (2004 docudrama) The Unicorn and the Wasp (2008 TV episode) Agatha and the Truth of Murder (2018 film) Agatha and the Curse of Ishtar (2019 film) Agatha and the Midnight Murders (2020 film) See How They Run (2022 film)
Related	Archie Christie (first husband) Max Mallowan (second husband) Ashfield, Torquay (home) Greenway Estate (home) Agatha Award Agatha Christie Award (Japan)
Category