"Agatha Christie: Poirot" Hercule Poirot's Christmas (1995)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Edward Bennett

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel)
Clive Exton (dramatisation)

TV Series:

"Agatha Christie: Poirot" (1989)

Original Air Date:

1 January 1995 (Season 6, Episode 1)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Crime | Thriller

Plot:

The tyrannical patriarch of a dysfunctional but wealthy family summons his adult children for a Christmas reunion, but prior to the holiday his throat is slashed apparently by one of them.

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Detective | Manor House | South Africa | Choir

Cast

David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot
Philip Jackson	...	Japp
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Simeon Lee
Simon Roberts	...	Alfred Lee
Catherine Rabett	...	Lydia Lee
Eric Carte	...	George Lee
Andrée Bernard	...	Magdalene Lee (as Andree Bernard)
Brian Gwaspari	...	Harry Lee
Sasha Behar	...	Pilar Estravados
Mark Tandy	...	Sugden
Olga Lowe	...	Stella
Ayub Khan-Din	...	Horbury (as Ayub Khan Din)
John Horsley	...	Tressilian
Scott Handy	...	Young Simeon
Liese Benjamin	...	Young Stella

Runtime:

USA:100 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Chilham Castle, Chilham, Kent, England, UK

Company:

Carnival Films

Trivia:

Alternate titles for "Hercule Poirot's Christmas" include "Murder for Christmas" and "A Holiday for Christmas."

Goofs:

Continuity: When Sugden is at the room where Pilar is being interrogated, he says: "I better find Sgt Coombes" and leaves immediately the room. Later, when Poirot explains the solution, this scene is shown again, but Sugden, after saying that, doesn't leave immediately the room and waits a few seconds.

Quotes:

Simeon Lee: My family hate me, you know.
Hercule Poirot: It is not hard to see why.

Is there anyone as perfect as Suche?

I am commenting not just on "Hercule Poirot's Christmas," but on the entire DAvid Suche series. The entire cast is utterly superb. They have such an amazing on-screen chemistry. Hastings plays his part magnificently and Chief Inspector Japp is just as Christie describes him in her novels.

I am real big on cinematography and not often is it very good on made for TV movies, shows, etc, but Poroit on A&E has some very nice camera work. The stories are well presented and are concluded with nice, clear cut endings. This is the best Agatha Christie series ever and one of the best TV series on television.