"Agatha Christie: Poirot" (1989) TV series 1989-????

User Rating:

9.0/10   

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

Release Date:

18 January 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Crime | Thriller

Plot:

The cases of an eccentrically refined Belgian detective.

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Belgian | Hercule Poirot | Sleuth | Private Detective

Awards:

4 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot (64 episodes, 1989-2009)
Hugh Fraser	...	Captain Hastings / ... (41 episodes, 1989-2001)
Philip Jackson	...	Chief Inspector Japp / ... (39 episodes, 1989-2001)
Pauline Moran	...	Miss Lemon / ... (31 episodes, 1989-2001)

Also Known As:

Agatha Christie's Poirot (UK) (complete title)
Poirot (Australia)

Runtime:

UK:100 min (13 episodes) | UK:50 min (36 episodes) | UK:95 min (2 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono | Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M (some episodes) | Australia:PG (some episodes) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Charterhouse Square, Clerkenwell, London, England, UK

Company:

Carnival Films

Trivia:

Before playing Poirot, David Suchet played Chief Inspector Japp opposite Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot in Thirteen at Dinner (1985) (TV).

Quotes:

Hercule Poirot: I am not a bloody little Frog! I am a bloody little Belgian!

Movie Connections:

Featured in There's Something About Christie... Murder Made Simple (2007) (TV)

The quinticential Poirot

At first I was somewhat lukewarm towards the Poirot series; although my family was enthused with the episodes I found them a bit bland. The Sherlock Holmes programs from Ramada starring Jeremy Brett made them seem boring in comparison (and perhaps a vague memory of Ustinov playing Poirot didn't help much). But after seeing Finney in Murder on the Orient Express I was interested, and during a stay at isolated Bar Harbor, Maine I decided to check out an episode of Poirot from the local library (oddly enough the same one reviewed here previously).

Suffice it to say David Suchet is the definitive Poirot. He has in the past played American movie chieftens and diabolical Middle Eastern terrorists, but he portrayal of Hercule Poirot transcends them. The settings are perfect, proficiently replicating the Art Deco feel of the early 1930s. And Poirot's fastidiousness and simple directness make him unique amongst Agatha Christie's creations.

I highly recommend viewing these episodes.