“One does see so much evil, I fear”: Watching Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple

[Mel O'Drama]

Preface​

While I’m confident I’ve watched many - if not all - episodes at some point, I remember very little.I dare say I caught parts of some instalments when they first aired back in the mid Eighties, but I’d say it was probably a Nineties rerun that saw me actively watching some before I promptly forgot almost everything I’d seen.

Likewise, I have read a number of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple novels but, blessed as I am with a shockingly random memory, most plots, details, characters, twists and killers have long since been vanquished to some dark, inaccessible recess of my brain.

Still, the image of Joan Hickson is embedded in my mind as the definitive Marple. And, of course, there’s Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley’s unforgettable theme tune which I had on cassette and, in more recent years, on CD.

Recently I bagged a new, sealed copy of this series for a song in a charity shop. As we enter its 40th anniversary year (this week marks the 39th anniversary of the first episode’s transmission date), what better time to crack it open and revisit Joan Hickson’s definitive interpretation of (as she's called in the opening instalment) “the redoubtable Miss Marple”.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The Body In The Library
Part One

Surprise number one for me: the gentle, quirky humour. Scenes of the Bantrys waking up and their dismissively incredulous reactions to hearing about the titular body are genuinely funny. It’s all terribly British: phlegmatic with the stiffest of upper lips on display. Colonel Bantry’s visible irritation with this inconvenience is a joy.

This has been interwoven through the episode. There was the reaction of the hotel manager who was assured - somewhat unsympathetically - that he needn’t be quite so upset because the death didn’t take place on the property. Then we had the “mistaken identity” platinum blonde showing up just as a suspect was being questioned, only to continue her row with the suspect, slap him and leave.

The underscore does feel a little overdone for some of these scenes, driving home their quirky nature just a little too vigorously (most notably in the scenes of PC Palk getting ready to leave his home). Still, in a series of this quality, it feels entirely forgivable.

The lines thoughout are great. Mrs Bantry is at the heart of many of them. She puts me very much in mind of Audrey Fforbes-Hamilton to her which is no bad thing, and much of the organic humour she delivers feels from the “comedy of manners” school. From her deadpan “it ought to be a practical joke, except that she’s dead” to her circuitous (but very logical) explanation for why she knows her husband is upset and hiding it, to she and Miss Marple making snarky, snobby comments about the corpse’s poor quality dress (“Edie was fond of cheap finery too”). It makes perfect sense for the character since without being judgemental how could she hope to solve a crime.

The humour is perfectly balanced with the darkness beneath it all. It is ultimately about a murder, after all. There’s an element of suspense introduced when a second body is discovered by a man who appears to have significant learning difficulties. He knows he’s found a body, and we know he’s found a body, but nobody else does at this point. Part I’s final shot of the grey-blue arm protruding from the car wreck is very grim indeed.

Adding still further balance is the cosiness of St Mary Mead, the prettily pastoral wrapping that disguises a world of sin and darkness. The choice of locations has been spot-on so far.

Then there’s Miss Marple herself. Joan Hickson is everything one could wish for from a screen Marple. From the moment she appears on screen, she simply is Jane Marple and convinces utterly.

We first meet her as she wraps up educating a maid on how to correctly pile wood in a fireplace:

Yes, that’s quite nice, Esther. Now always remember to make it into a nice, pointy mountain - just like that - and not a dumpy hill.

As she speaks, she wags her finger to emphasise the importance of her words, but it’s spoken so softly, with eye contact and an almost-smile that makes the matter of fact tone feel palatable and kind.

She rounds off by by a flattering observation that “the brass looks quite smart” and an encouraging pat on the shoulder to reward Esther’s efforts. She’s like that firm but fair teacher who wouldn’t stand for any nonsense or messing about, but who you still liked enough to want to do your best.

The small scene tells us so much about the character: her keen eye for detail; her ability to transmit what she’s learnt to others in a way they will understand; her almost forceful opinion (there’s no doubting that she is correct in what she’s saying because of the way in which she says it); and her capacity to display empathy. Above all, there is simply her presence: that bird-like quality that gets across that she watches everything, misses nothing and is sharp as a tack.

As displayed by the already-mentioned “cheap finery” remark, there’s also an element of borderline snobbery and social superiority. Jane appears to be upper middle class, and everything about her suggests this is by birth. She’s old money, knows her etiquette and can hold her own in any social setting. I’m sure this will prove as important as it is entertaining.

With my memory, I’m not sure how much of the dialogue is taken directly from the books. I do remember this series being applauded for being the most accurate and faithful translations in terms of story, so I’m trusting that any changes are made judiciously and hopefully necessary for the medium.

I’m only a third of the way into this story, and will no doubt be better placed to comment on this angle after watching the other two. So far, though, it’s a delight.

 

[Barbara Fan]

I bought the box set of Joan Hicksons Miss Marple many moons ago in an HMV sale

She was the quintessential Miss Marple and so perfect in the role - she was what i thought Miss Marple looked like and sounded like

Anyone else in the role was 2nd best or awful (Geraldine McEwan - sorry folks)

I also love it as some of the acting is a bit hammy but I like spotting actors who you know for other roles or starting out in their career

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I bought the box set of Joan Hicksons Miss Marple many moons ago in an HMV sale

Good old HMV.

She was the quintessential Miss Marple and so perfect in the role - she was what i thought Miss Marple looked like and sounded like

Yes. I did grow up with Joan's version, and she was probably the first screen Miss Marple I saw, so perhaps there's an element of bias, but nobody else has ever felt so right. It's as though she was born to play the character.

She seems to be a fan favourite, and even Agatha Christie herself had written to Joan after seeing her in Appointment With Death in the 1940s saying "I hope one day you will play my dear Miss Marple".

Anyone else in the role was 2nd best or awful (Geraldine McEwan - sorry folks)

I must confess a fondness for the Margaret Rutherford films because of their daft, fun entertaining tone, but really they're so far away from the character and stories I view it as entirely unrelated to the "real Miss Marple.

I have seen some of the McEwan/McKenzie episodes and thought their interpretations of the character were OK (from distant memory I seem to remember being especially pleasantly surprised by Julia McKenzie), but I really disliked the changes that were made in the writing to try to give them "clever" new plot twists for a 21st Century audience.

I like spotting actors who you know for other roles or starting out in their career

Oh yes. I like that it's a mix of well-known faces (Joan Sims and the like), those who I think of as being very of their time (your Sabina Franklyns, etc) plus those who, as you say, would go on to be well known (John Bardon - forever in my head as @James from London's avatar- was a constable in the first episode).

 

[Barbara Fan]

Once Ive finished Crossroads (Im on my 2nd viewing) I will dust off the box set and re watch

One of the hammiest performances came from Caroline Blakiston as bess Sedgewick in At Bertrams Hotel - that laugh! (oh I shudder!)

Which also featuered if my memory is correct Irene Sutcliffe from Corrie amd James Cossins who Basil Fawlty thought was the Hotel Inspector only to find out he wasnt!! Thats why Miss Marple is so great!! (Joan Hicksons ofcourse!)

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The Body In The Library
Parts Two & Three

There's very little to say about these episodes... mainly because I watched them as a matinee a couple of days ago and there's been a lot of water under the bridge since then.

The two key points are that I thoroughly enjoyed it and I didn't guess the murderer. In fact, something that occurred to me in the later stages of the story was that I'd overlooked the fact that this is indeed a murder mystery. That statement might seem to be heresy considering this is a story from arguably the most famous murder-mystery crime writer to ever exist, but I was so absorbed in the period setting, the pretty location work, the pithy dialogue and enjoyably quirky characters played by some familiar faces (oh look - there's Crabtree from 'Allo 'Allo) that I simply let the story was gently over me.

I really like that there was so much to enjoy besides the mystery and, thinking about it, that has always been the case for me when it comes to various mystery series. The appeal comes not from putting my little grey cells to work and potentially having the satisfaction of saying "I knew it!" or (as is more likely) the surprise of an unexpected killer, but from enjoying the atmosphere and the rich world created. And, of course, the memorable characters who speak to me in some way.

Something I'd forgotten was Jane Marple's own eccentricities. When one thinks of Poirot, the quirkiness and eccentric persona is impossible to ignore. But Miss Marple is not without those by any means. The series captures very well the processes of her mind working and her process to put the pieces together. And this is shown to us not through ADR thought-bubbles or clever graphics, but through Joan Hickson's performance. It was fascinating to see Marple muttering incoherently to herself, or occasionally going into an almost trance-like state, distancing and disassociating herself from what's going on around her as she follows an intuition or an important thought that brings something to light. And it gives the viewer the responsibility of trying to work out what's just happened or been said that provides an important clue. In this regard the medium of television has perhaps even more mystery than the written novels. At the very least, it works the brain in a slightly different way.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Crossroads (Im on my 2nd viewing)

Hats off to you, BF. I hope to watch again sometime, but it will probably be a good few years from now. So many box sets sit, unwatched on my shelf, calling to me.

I will dust off the box set and re watch

Oh great. Do you remember how long it is since you last watched?

One of the hammiest performances came from Caroline Blakiston as bess Sedgewick in At Bertrams Hotel

That sounds fun. I'll be looking out for this one.

James Cossins who Basil Fawlty thought was the Hotel Inspector only to find out he wasnt!!

Oh, he's a Fawlty Towers favourite. I was even more impressed to learn a few years ago that the brilliant "corked wine" scene was heavily improvised as John Cleese genuinely struggled to remove the cork. But neither of them lost their character for a second. James Cossins's reaction when the wine suddenly spurted cracks me up every time. Neither of them knew that was going to happen, and he helped mine that moment for gold. What a pro.

I can easily envisage him in 1950s period dress, so that's one to look forwards to.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The Moving Finger
Parts One & Two

Comparing this story with the previous one, each has quite a different appeal. The writing in The Moving Finger is enjoyable and pithy, but does lack some of The Body In The Library’s wit. In the earlier adaption there seemed to be memorable line after memorable line. The Moving Finger has characters who are enjoyable judgemental and snobby, but with less edge. Even Jane Marple herself - who had tut tutted at victim’s lack of class in Library - seems less inclined to judge here.

I suspect the key reason behind these differences might be the different screenwriters. T.R. Bowen had adapted Library, while The Moving Finger is dramatised by Julia Jones. I suspect the different writing styles will be the key reason for the different tone.

Thanks to the consistent production, Joan Hickson’s performance and (presumably) the faithfulness to the source material, none of these differences feel malapropos. Quite the opposite: it feels right that each story should have its own voice.

It’s worth noting that the running time for this adaption is over a third less than its predecessor: at just over an hour and forty minutes, it’s 55 minutes shorter than Body. This makes the story more accessible, since it’s not difficult to watch in one sitting, creating a more immersive, cinematic experience. Mileage will vary, of course, and there are those who will enjoy spreading out the story over several nights. For me, though, the two-part stories are preferable to the three-parters.

Something else that went in The Moving Finger’s favour was its intimacy. While I greatly enjoyed the seaside location work in the first story, this one stayed in the quaint English village setting. Not St Mary Mead, but Lymstock which is presumably very close by since Jane seemed to know her way round the place and people. As a result, she looked very much at home here.

Familiar faces abound from the world of British film and television, many of them “familiar unknowns” who popped up in supporting character parts left, right and centre.

As with Body, it’s some are people I strongly associate with that decade. Sabina Franklyn immediately brings to mind a couple of sitcoms (No Place Like Home and Keep It In The Family); then there’s Elizabeth Counsell, best remembered as Veronica in Brush Strokes. And Sandra Payne, the daughter-in-law from Waiting For God. Juliet Waley’s round face looked familiar, though I can’t place her in much other than a small role in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (looks like she was in a lot of Angels episodes, so perhaps I saw her in that when I was young).

Imogen Bickford-Smith looks very much like a proto Gwyneth Paltrow. Curiously, I initially mistook both she and Deborah Appleby for The Upper Hand’s Diana Weston, with Deborah the one who cast more doubt in my mind regarding this (she was stuck with playing the most unlikable character yet seen in this series: a whiny, self-centred brat who inflicted herself on a wealthy eligible man and wouldn’t leave him be until romance developed. Appropriately enough, she was named Megan).

Then there are those older character actors. The only ones I could name without looking were Liz Smith* and Victor Maddern, the latter of whom has an extensive filmography, with his handful of Carry Ons being the ones that properly introduced me to him. Gordon Rollings is another one I know from a Carry On (he was the night porter in Doctor), but he’s another who’s cropped up in loads. Oh, and Gerald Sim, the rector from To The Manor Born, is a coroner here.

Two really familiar faces that I still haven’t been able to place for one specific role were Richard Pearson and Hilary Mason. Richard’s voice should certainly have been familiar to me, since he was Mole in The Wind In The Willows, but he looked instantly familiar as well. How interesting to see he’d previously appeared alongside an inferior Marple in the 1980 American adaption The Mirror Crack’d.



* Oh, I meant Patsy Smart - post Upstairs Downstairs - rather than Liz Smith. Apparently I get them confused.

 

[Barbara Fan]

Juliet Waley’s round face looked familiar, though I can’t place her in much other than a small role in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

She was in BBCs Carries War which I loved back in the day and as you say Angels - I did buy the DVD of her Carrie's war a few years ago and took me right back there - in my school uniform and rushing home to see it on TV - still have the paperback too with ehr on the cover

And as you rightly say She was also a St Angela's nurse

Hilary Mason.

I will always think of her and her "eyes" in Dont look now with Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland, as the scary Psychic blind sister in the film. It may be one of the reasons Ive never visited Venice!!

Sabina Franklyn

Always think of her father William Franklin (Ssscccchhhh)

 

[Mel O'Drama]

She was in BBCs Carries War which I loved back in the day

I don't think I've seen that one. Might be one for the ever-growing bucket list.

I will always think of her and her "eyes" in Dont look now with Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland, as the scary Psychic blind sister in the film.

Oh, was that her? That would be another reason why she was familiar.

It may be one of the reasons Ive never visited Venice!!

Ha ha. I can understand why.

 

[Angela Channing]

Anyone else in the role was 2nd best or awful (Geraldine McEwan - sorry folks)

I've never read the books so I don't know how the various actors compare to what Agatha Christie wrote but my favourite Miss Marple is Margaret Rutherford. Maybe it's for the reason that @Mel O'Drama suggested, because she was the first person I saw play the role.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

my favourite Miss Marple is Margaret Rutherford. Maybe it's for the reason that @Mel O'Drama suggested, because she was the first person I saw play the role.

Most who are familiar with the source seem to agree that they're not authentic to the character or stories, but they're certainly entertaining and fun. I'm sure it helps if you go in with no fixed idea of who Miss Marple should be.

Something that sets her version apart is that three of the four films were not based on novels featuring Miss Marple at all. Two of them were based on Poirot stories, while one of them was not based on any of Agatha Christie's stories. Even Murder, She Said featured many changes to accommodate Margaret Rutherford's personality and her request to include her husband in the cast. None of this really bothers me with her interpretation. In fact I think it helps that she's not covering the same ground as other Miss Marple actresses as there's less temptation to directly compare.

I'd say she played it very much as Margaret Rutherford, and since I'm quite fond of her I enjoy the films on that level. I also adore Ron Goodwin's foot-tapping soundtrack, especially Miss Marple's theme, which is a favourite of mine (I love playing this in the car while whizzing along country lanes).

 

[Mel O'Drama]

A Murder Is Announced
Parts One & Two

​

Considering my comments in The Moving Finger about favouring two-parters, I wasn’t greatly looking forward to the second. Nor did I realise it would come around this quickly. I’d read that only two of the stories took place over three parts, but didn’t know which ones and half assumed they would spread them out more than this.

Then again, this first series really consisted entirely of four stories told over ten episodes so, by the standards of the time, this was pacing them out.

Curiously, as with the previous three-parter, the writing feels sparkier and more witty than it did with The Moving Finger. Again, though, there’s a good likelihood this is because of the change of writer rather than having more “space” for character-filled dialogue. This story is dramatised by Alan Plater, meaning the three stories so far have each had a different writer.

Settling in to the series now, it becomes evident that the list of suspects is comfortingly familiar. You have your old British eccentrics (usually including a retired captain and some gossipy old maid and a quirky spinster or two).This stories examples include Joan Sims and Paola Dionisotti. The relationship between Miss Murgatroyd and Miss Hinchcliffe is intriguing. Ostensibly, they’re “companions”, back in the days when unmarried or bereaved people frequently had such an arrangement. There’s a similar arrangement elsewhere between Misses Blacklock and Bunner, but there’s a lot about the energy of the Murgatroyd/Hinchcliffe pairing that suggests they’re a couple (again, back in the days when gay people were able to conceal their relationship from society by living as “companions”).

There are your gracefully poised upper middle class ladies. Mostly all played by well-known actors with a wealth of acting experience. Filling this role here are Sylvia Syms; Joyce Carey and Ursula Howells. Ursula is best known to me as the ex-wife in Father, Dear Father, where I very much enjoyed her. She’s absolute gold in this episode.

Then there are your in-betweens: the slightly eccentric ones who coexist with the poised ones, with Miss Bunner (Tenko’s Renée Asherson) and Miss Harmon examples of this.

Then there are a couple of attractive wealthy younger characters, usually played by newer actors who are either very much of their day or rising stars. This episode features Simon Shepherd and Nicola King as siblings who appear to have ingratiated themselves into the life of a wealthy long-lost “relative” (I’m hoping the truth behind this is a red herring rather than a planned reveal, because it feels far too obvious, particularly with Nicola’s character named “Phillipa” while the name “Pip” is bandied around as hugely significant). Nicola plays Phillipa with a wonderfully cool sass and is great fun to watch, while Simon Shepherd is extremely dishy here (this being made in a time when dishy men still existed, before it was “hot” or nothing).

Then here are the blue collar types: servants and waitresses who speak like Nancy from Oliver Twist. And, of course, the police, trying their own investigation as Miss Marple conducts her own (“An old lady asking questions is just an old lady asking questions”, comments Jane in recognition of her own secret weapon). Assisting DI Craddock this time is young Kevin Whately, in the role of police sidekick with which his name would soon be primarily associated. This gives me a count of no less than THREE main original cast members from Peak Practice present here. I’ve never watched that series so there could well be even more.

I adore the Britishness of the reactions. Sometimes even the non-reactions can be even more tellingly British. Like the Colonel’s reaction from behind his newspaper when his wife tells him there’s going to be a murder. He asks what time, is told 7pm and tuts that it’s rather short notice. Then there’s everyone arriving at Little Paddocks in anticipation, but everyone making polite little excuses about “just passing by” or whatever. Until Miss Harmon arrives and excitedly asks what time the murder will be happening, causing a flurry of further polite excitement around her.

So far this one’s a winner with me, and I hope to wrap it up with Part Three this evening.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

A Murder Is Announced
Part Three

In all the years since I last watched Miss Marple, I’ve mistakenly been convinced that Joan Sims has appeared in A Pocketful Of Rye. Watching this final episode it became clear very quickly exactly why I would have thought that. The image of her body at the washing line has merged with what I’m pretty sure is very similar imagery from Pocketful…

Perhaps compounding this the Agatha Christie fandom website lists Pocketful… as the third story in the television series, with A Murder Is Announced as the fourth. I’m not sure of the reason for this switch (especially as it also lists the transmission dates which show that A Murder Is Announced aired before Pocketful).

The scene in question, by the way, was wonderfully atmospheric. I do love a scene with an approaching storm and thunder gently rumbling in the distance. Poor Joanie, though, having to lie there face down while the effects crew drenched her clothes and the ground beneath her.

I am still very much enjoying immersing myself in this cosy world, and especially Joan Hickson’s wonderful portrayal and perfectly knowing delivery. She had a terrific exchange with Kevin Whately’s character at the beginning of Part Three (following the second murder):

May I go into the house?

Of course. You’re beyond suspicion.

Oh, nobody is beyond suspicion.

This gentle reproach spoke volumes as to the workings of her mind (I might even switch up the thread title to include it). And it paid off richly with the reveal of the killer, for which the stage had been set relatively early on with the discussion of a female killer, along with various other clues (some of which were red herrings).

During The Body In The Library, I mentioned that I was more absorbed with the period setting and location work to worry too much about the mystery. I did manage to invest myself just a little more in this one, and the correct killer did pop into my head at one point. Then again, I think I suspected everyone at different points, so that’s probably not saying much. And when I wasn't suspecting someone, I thoroughly enjoyed the vein of soapy stories that was woven into the story.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

A Pocketful Of Rye
Parts One & Two

And here we get to the reason why I’d mixed up Joan Sims’s washing line strangling death in A Murder Is Announced with the very similar one in this story.

The analogous murder in this case is a very young Annette Badland, best known to me from Bergerac (which I have lined-up to watch one of these days) and probably also for some Children’s BBC thingies around the time this was filmed. But I always get her mixed up with Jeanie Drynan. Even last night I said when she appeared, I said “Oh, it’s Muriel Heslop’s Mum.” Back in the day I also used to get Annette muddled with Miriam Margolyes sometimes. I think she just has one of those faces (and bodies).

Annette was one of many familiar faces appearing. Timothy West was something of a surprise. He was one of the most recognisable names and received excellent billing, but was killed off minutes into Part One. He did appear in a flashback a little later, but even with this I don’t remember him saying a single word apart from uttering “tea” several times. It was impressive that, even so restricted, he turned in an excellent, memorable performance that spoke volumes about his character.

He’d uttered “tea” to Susan Gilmore, pretty as a picture in her in period clothing and styling. She only had a cough and a spit, but she was months away from being catapulted to national recognition as Howards’ Way's Avril Rolfe.

Stacey Dorning was a familiar face that I couldn’t quite place. Looking at her IMDb, I probably recognise her from the sitcom Keep It In The Family where she appeared alongside Sabina Franklyn of The Moving Finger. Then there’s Geoffrey Fairbrother’s sister.

It felt a little moving seeing Tom Wilkinson’s credit since he died just last week. Inspector Neele makes a nice foil for Miss Marple, and he’s involved in a genuinely suspenseful sequence that actually results in a death that could have been prevented. Miss Marple has worked out that the murders are connected to the nursery rhyme Sing A Song Of Sixpence, and that the young maid will be killed next, and tries to speak to Neele at the house but is prevented from entering. She writes a note for Neele’s colleague to pass on to him, which he duly does but Neele dismissively pockets the note without looking at it and continues his conversation. Because the viewer knows Miss Marple’s efficacy and he doesn’t, we know that this is a grave error on his part but - like Marple herself - are powerless to do anything but wait for the inevitable death. It’s perhaps the most effective use of suspense yet seen in this series and it’s played to perfection by all concerned. Neele somewhat redeems himself at the end when he heeds Jane’s call to follow and stop the key suspect.

In Timothy West’s absence, Peter Davison - pre-Doctor Who/post-Doctor Dakar - is perhaps the most familiar face. It’s a decent role that makes use of his charming screen image, subverting it to a satisfactory level.

This story is dramatised by T.R. Bowen who previously did the screenplay for The Body In The Library. He writes a lovely parallel between Jane Marple’s first scenes in both stories. In Library, Jane was first scene tutoring a servant on how to build kindling for a fire in a way that met her standards. This time round she’s giving another servant the constructive criticism treatment in her own inimitable style. First she offers Daisy faint praise for the morning’s work, before gently chastising her for leaving marks on a surface. Following this, she gives some more faint praise about how she’s improving and has done a good job. Here, as then, she wraps up with an encouraging pat on the shoulder. It’s notable that the scenes feature two different servants. While it could suggest that she has several, I like to think that she has only one at a time, but they are invariably short-lived due to her exactingly high standards. Just as she gets close to house-breaking one, they hand in their notice and it’s a weary telephone call to the agency to get another. I hope this is a running gag that continues throughout the series.

What I love about this character is that she’s so consistent in her treatment of people. At the very end of the story, she speaks to someone who’d deliberately terrorised a family in the same soft tones as she’d spoken to Daisy, telling them they’d done “a very naughty thing” exactly as a teacher might speak to a child. She gets her point across so authentically, she is taken seriously while commanding the same respect one might give to a favourite aunt, and conveying the same sense of disappointment upon being let down by their conduct.

Joan Hickson gave many, many wonderful little moments throughout the episode. One of these came as she left her cottage. She stepped from the front door, then stopped in her tracks, turned to look at one of the roses trailing up around the doorway before taking it by the stem and leaning into scrutinise it. Then - apparently finding it satisfactory - she continued about her business.

She also did a hilarious thing when speaking to someone towards episode’s end. It was a shot with two people in frame, speaking. Jane made her point then leaned back towards frame’s edge, looking up at the other person as if to inspect what they made of the point she’d just made. She’s so very watchable.

Another thing in this story's favour is the sumptuous cinematography. More than the ones we've seen so far, this feels as though it's filled with shadows and atmosphere. Many of the scenes are quite gloomily lit, such as the one where Jane sits in her darkened cottage lit by the fire as she tries to work out the mystery. It's a choice I applaud and adds much to these episodes.

It's notable, too, that this is perhaps as involved in the action as Jane has got, going so far as to accept an invitation to stay in the grand old lodge where the murders are taking place.

But it's nice that we still get to see some of St Mary Mead with scenes of Miss Marple about the village and gossipy old postmistress Mrs Brogan chasing her round with updates on the murders.

One thing that intrigues me is the change of title from A Pocket Full Of Rye to A Pocketful Of Rye. I’ve assumed it’s to make it more contemporary, but it could be seen that a “pocketful” is a measurement while “a pocket full” is an inconvenience… and perhaps more of a mystery. But perhaps I’m overthinking it.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The Murder At The Vicarage

​

After ten episodes and four stories I’ve grown to accept that each new one will yield gold and hold my attention.

The Murder At The Vicarage is one I was keen to watch. It is, of course, the first Miss Marple story written, and a classic title.

Still, there were a couple of surprises with this one. Firstly, the credits were updated. And they didn’t look as good to my mind. The re-drawn images - resembling the ones in the original title sequence, but clearly very different - made things feel a little off-kilter, but it was the different font that made it look drastically so. I didn’t think it suited the series as well as the previous.

I understand the first four stories essentially formed what today would be called a “season”. These were transmitted over Christmas 1984 and spring 1985. Then there appears to have been a huge gap before the next batch of episodes, beginning with this one which went to air on Christmas Day 1986. Essentially, though, this is a new “season”, which might explain the different aesthetic. I have, however, seen images of several episodes (including early ones) where there appear to be different versions of the opening credits (or, at least, use a different font). This could suggest the existence of syndicated versions. I then found myself wondering if this is what I was watching here.

If this was a syndicated version, it would also explain what I felt was a slightly diminished image quality.

I realised after an hour or so of watching that it was a one-parter. It was only five or ten minutes shorter than recent two-parters but somehow it felt a little less substantial for being told in one sitting. Before watching, I’d have probably expressed a preference for watching the stories in one go, thinking it would be more immersive and cinematic. Instead, I realise I’ve become used to the structure that includes a bit of tantalisation and further anticipation somewhere in the middle as it breaks between episodes. A bit of online research shows this has always been a one-parter, so at least I wasn’t missing anything… even if it felt I was.

But what really matters is the story. And this was the bigger hurdle for me. The murder-mystery plot itself is fine. The location work is nice enough. There’s a decent cast, including such reliable actors as Paul Eddington and James Hazeldine - and it goes without saying that Joan Hickson is as wonderful as ever. But something about the presentation of this one didn’t work for me. It felt static, flat and very slow. The first act dragged enormously as we spent too much time with characters who didn’t feel as interesting as some previously seen. I had to really push myself to stop my mind wandering as we watched people going about their day. It did pick up somewhat, but because of the ropey start I felt less invested than in previous stories. And almost every scene seemed to lack a certain sparkle that had been present in the others.

It’s difficult to see what’s different here from previous instalments. T. R. Bowen has adapted two previous stories, and ones with some of my favourite dialogue. It did feel there was less of that here (one exception being DI Slack calling Miss Marple a “grey-haired cobra” who “sticks to this sort of business like chewing gum to a cat”) but not enough to feel the writing was problematic. I suppose the only anomaly here is Julian Amyes, directing his one and only Miss Marple story. In the absence of any other significantly different personnel, I fear I’m currently laying the blame at his feet. The fact that he doesn’t appear to have returned might be suggestive that I wasn’t the only person to feel this way.

A Joan Hickson Marple is never going to be a waste of time, and this was no exception. It has a lot going for it and, had I watched this before the other four, I may have viewed it much more favourably. For all its appeal, though, at this stage in my viewing I just didn’t feel it was up there with the previous four as Miss Marple at her best.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Sleeping Murder
Parts One & Two

​

Now this is a bit of a curiosity. In many ways it feels miles away from what one might expect from a Miss Marple story. There’s no St Mary Mead. Very little one-upmanship with law enforcement from Miss Marple. Indeed, there’s relatively little Jane Marple herself. What’s more, there was no death to hold the interest. Well, nothing in present day, anyway.

I haven’t been keeping score, but of the six stories I’ve watched so far this feels like the least percentage of screen time Joan Hickson has had.

Indeed, for a great deal of the first episode, it felt like a non-Marple film, with the key protagonists essentially being the newlyweds who move into the house. At times, it almost began to feel like some kind of satire (with the newly returned couple in the English countryside and the foreboding new house, The Comic Strip Presents… episode Consuela sprang to mind more than once).

If memory serves, the character only plays a small role in several of her own books, with screen adaptions over the years sometimes changing the story to introduce her earlier or give her a little more to do (this is true even for at least one of the stories previously watched).

The BBC Hickson series is known for being the most authentic adaption of most or even all stories so rather than a Miss Marple story, I appreciated this first and foremost as an Agatha Christie story in which Miss Marple just happened to have a role. Then it became perfectly enjoyable.

At first I was very unsure about the two lead actors. I couldn’t place them from anything else, so they were blank slates (I don’t believe I’ve seen Geraldine Alexander in anything else. It turns out John Moulder-Brown was in several episodes of Howards’ Way, though it’s been that long I still can’t place his character).

The main thing that initially struck me about them was that they were both very attractive, leading me to the worrying conclusion that they’d been cast primarily for their looks (even more worrying since they were carrying this story).

John Moulder-Brown in particular was impossibly pretty, with lovely white teeth. He kept reminding me of other actors. I initially saw a young, blonde Brett Climo, but then I realised he very much resembled Brett’s screen son, David Berry (a happy coincidence, since I’d never really noted the physical resemblance between them). There’s a bit of Maxwell Caulfield here. A dash of James Marsden there. Plus any number of fair haired British public school types of the era (your Peter Davisons and the like).

It turns out that both actors turned in good performances and had the charisma to match their photogenic looks.

Despite the two leads feeling like fresh faces, there’s plenty of familiarity among the ensemble with some great character actors, many of whom are better known for more frivolous roles. Kenneth Cope is one of the suspects. As is Hilda from Ever Decreasing Circles, sans knitted pully (I think Geraldine Newman was last seen on O’Dramavision in Crossroads). John Ringham’s very familiar face gave me a serious case of the “I know him from something”s. He’s been in oodles of series I’ve watched for an episode here and there, but the only ongoing role I cold place him in after browsing IMDb was in (of all things) the CITV comedy Woof!

In broad strokes, rather than a simple murder-mystery this is largely a supernatural thriller about a young woman haunted by visions of the past and experiencing what appear to be psychic visions of past events. Or perhaps she’s simply going mad. And once I accepted this for what it was I found it surprisingly watchable.

Of course, it is a Miss Marple story, and once she is in the frame (despite floating in and out of things even after this), it becomes truly wonderful. While others fret and worry, Jane simply listens to the woman’s story, and accepts what she is saying as true (true for the young woman, at least) and approaches the ostensibly supernatural problem with her usual pragmatism. And so it becomes an investigation into a possible historic murder, with a growing list of present day suspects.

This much needed grounding elevates the story. This isn’t an instalment where every line sparkles with wit, but there is plenty of character fun. These episodes come close to poking fun at her knack of being in the right place at the right time, while also artfully suggesting that she is there exactly because of what is going on. The way she skilfully obtains information from a shopkeeper by wrapping it up as whispered gossip is a joy to behold. And when someone expresses surprise at her having plans to visit a key person even as they come up with the person’s name, she simply points out that she does know people who know people. We know she’s been doing an awful lot of legwork as well as her keen intuition to get herself ahead of everyone else, but it’s all implicit, and done out of sight of both the audience and the newlyweds as we watch the pretty pair carry out their own investigation.

There’s also plenty of her good, honest brand of wisdom. I particularly liked her comment towards the end of the story that believing people is fatal and that she hasn’t done it for years.

On so many levels this feels everything a quintessential Miss Marple story isn’t. Which is why I’m so surprised to have enjoyed it as much as I’ve enjoyed any so far.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

At Bertram’s Hotel
Parts One & Two

In common with Sleeping Murder, there’s no sign of St Mary Mead here. Practically the entire time is spent in London. We even travel the last part of the journey by train as the story opens and those first four dialogue-free minutes are a joy to watch.

While it loses the English village feel, this is still abundant with quintessential British charm thanks to the setting of a Mayfair hotel on a street of Georgian townhouses. The period detail in this episode feels particularly atmospheric from railway station to the opulently grand interior of the hotel, lit with tasteful restraint.

The village links are further built upon with hotel being a hotbed of gossip. This time it’s of the high society variety. We may be in London but in these circles everyone knows everyone… and their business. Particularly helpful in this regard is Jane’s old friend, the wonderfully named Lady Selena Hazy. Perfectly played by the wonderful Joan Greenwood, Lady Selena - the only other character familiar with St Mary Mead - helpfully dishes the dirt on each of the characters as we watch them go about their business.

Jane and Lady Selena aren’t the only ones doing a spot of people-watching. There’s also George Baker, evidently the warming up to play Wexford just a few months down the line.

And there’s no shortage of gossip to be had when wealthy heiress Elvira Blake’s visit coincides with that of Bess Sedgwick: the long-lost mother who gave Elvira away as a baby. Elvira’s secret lover also happens to be a gold-digging friend (and former lover) of Bess.

Upping the soapy ante, when the mother and daughter come face-to-face, Bess smilingly says she wants nothing to do with her daughter and she’s hardly the maternal type. It all smacks of Patricia Hamilton and John Palmer, but Bess - to her credit - has better motives. She genuinely believes that Elvira is better off without her. Bess’s own inner conflict is a bit of a theme throughout, and there are several times where she nobly (and secretly) does the right thing by her daughter despite herself (and, as it turns out, despite her daughter).

Carefree Bess is at times almost a caricature. The sight of her driving her little car while throwing back her head and laughing insanely conjures up images of Cruella de Vil. Actress Caroline Blakiston looked incredibly familiar but I couldn’t place her and put it down to her resemblance to Maggie Steed. Now I look at her filmography, I remember I know Caroline from Brass. This adds further complexity to the on-screen dynamics, since the man mother and daughter share is played by Caroline’s son from Brass.

Other familiar faces include character actors James Cossins and Derek Wilton himself… Peter Baldwin (he rather suits a moustache, I think).

Apropos of nothing, I believe this is the first episode where both screenplay and direction are from women. There are some rather nice lines here (last night I made so many mental post-its about them… in the cold light of day I’ve completely forgotten most of them). In particular, there was some reference to television, with newly-returned Elvira agog at the prospect of watching the new commercial channel ITV (“I’ve heard it’s ghastly”, she hopefully trilled with an excited smile) and the hotel staff talking about the television room in whispers (the Americans enjoy it, we’re told, but the room is kept well out of sight). Jane also has a nice little put-down about one of the chambermaids:

I’ve trained quite a few maids in my time, but I’ve never seen a bob curtsey like that since the St Mary Mead Players put on a French farce.

Ultimately, the theme of the episode seems to be that you can never go back. The mother/daughter reunion is ill-fated. The reunion of an ex-husband and wife is even more catastrophic. Lady Selena insists she would like to return to St Mary Mead but, even as she says it, we sense she never will.
Then there’s Jane herself, returning to the hotel in which she’d stayed as a child and fondly remembers. Everything looks just as it was, but nothing is quite the same for her and as the story progresses she comes to realise that she may have been better off not returning, reflecting that what once brought her comfort now seems hollow or even threatening.

Ah, Bertram’s. It’s always sad when a work of art has to be destroyed.

The sight of Jane leaving the hotel never to return to Mayfair unexpectedly gives the most poignant ending of any story so far.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Nemesis
Parts One & Two

Location spotting was particularly fun in this instalment, with lots of places I’ve visited over the years. Stourhead brought back some particularly nice memories since it’s beautiful there and I remember the property and its grounds making a big impression on me. There was also lots of pretty Cotswolds scenery, much of which I’ve visited or passed through many times.

Burgh Island was a most interesting choice since it’s so associated with And Then There Were None (one of the key motivators for my visits there has been its connection to that novel) but I suppose shots of the iconic island itself were brief enough to make it a nice little Easter egg for Christie fans without being too distracting. Besides, it always looks gorgeous on film.

Familiar face spotting was equally enjoyable. Some were instantly recognisable, like the endearing Valerie Lush who is best known to me as Auntie Flo in And Mother Makes Three…/And Mother Makes Five and its sequel series which was one of my Great British Sitcom thread discoveries. Then there was the Carry On team’s Liz Frazer, who gave a nice straight performance as a woman whose daughter had gone missing years before.

Many of the faces present here I failed to recognise until I searched for them afterwards. These included Peter Tilbury, creator of Shelley, whose face I probably know best from watching It Takes A Worried Man… some years back. He’s one of those rare men whose face suits a moustache incredibly well (I think he looks better with than without). His character - that of Jane’s godson Lionel Peel - was created for this adaption, but worked really well as a sidekick-cum-sounding-board.

My strongest sense of “I know that face from somewhere” came from the actor playing Professor Wanstead: John Horsley. Looking at his IMDb, I think I know him best from The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin as Doc “take two aspirins” Morrissey.

Whenever I see this story’s title, I always think of it as the final Miss Marple story (looking it up, I see it was the last one written, but Sleeping Murder was published after it). More than any other, the out-of-publishing order sequencing of this story

A further anomaly stemming from from this series’ sequencing is that this aired almost three years before A Caribbean Mystery, the story to which Nemesis is a kind of sequel. The “old friend” of Miss Marple who dies at the beginning of Nemesis (and who gave her that very nickname) had previously (according to the books) featured in A Caribbean Mystery. Even in this screen version she fondly remembers previously solving a murder with him, without giving specifics. A Caribbean Mystery would eventually air almost three years later, with Donald Pleasence taking the Jason Rafiel role. The reason for this is explained on the Wikipedia page for the series:

When the BBC was granted the screen rights to all twelve Miss Marple novels, the rights to three already co-existed and were set to expire at the end of 1988. The Mirror Crack’d From Side To Side had already been filmed and theatrically released in 1980 with Angela Lansbury in the role, and the same production company was in the process of filming A Caribbean Mystery and They Do It With Mirrors with Helen Hayes for television broadcast. Thus these three titles were the last to be dramatised under the BBC's agreement.

I find this background even more fascinating than the mysteries in the series itself.

 

[Barbara Fan]

Carefree Bess is at times almost a caricature. The sight of her driving her little car while throwing back her head and laughing insanely conjures up images of Cruella de Vil. Actress Caroline Blakiston looked incredibly familiar

thats the one scene i truly remember with some dreadful hammy acting - I think I last saw Caroline Blakiston as Aunt Agatha in remake of Poldark

She was once married to the Scottish actor Russell Hunter and they just didnt look like a couple to me!

character actors James Cossins

I cant help but think of Fawlty Towers and hotel Inspectors

Derek Wilton himself… Peter Baldwin

I once saw him early 2000s at Covent garden heating to his shop there on Toy Theatres (Benjamin Pollocks I think it was called) 30 mins later I bumped into Alec Gilroy aka Roy Barraclough in Borders book shop on Charing X road - was a bit surreal