Top Five Agatha Christie Miniseries

More than 40 years after her death, Agatha Christie is having a moment. Charlotte Moore, the director of BBC Content has commisioned another seven Agatha Christie adaptations. Here are the top five Agatha Christie miniseries.

1. 'And Then There Were None' (2015)

This three-part miniseries isn’t the most faithful adaptation of And Then There Were None, but it’s the most engrossing. It was shot and edited in the style of a modern psychological thriller.

And Then There Were None doesn’t have a trustworthy investigator character who rises above the fray. It’s a well-rounded ensemble piece populated exclusively by morally gray characters. After all, there are no small parts when everyone is a suspect.

Watching these desperate people trapped in an elaborate psychological “game” is captivating. If the ending has been spoiled for you, don’t worry; it’s still enjoyable.

2. 'Ordeal by Innocence' (2018)

We’re thrown right into the action. Philanthropist Rachel is bludgeoned to death. Jack, the wildest of her pack of adopted children, is convicted and killed in prison. A year later, the whole family gathers at the ancestral home for the wedding of patriarch Leo, Bill Nighy, and his gold-digging secretary. A mysterious stranger turns up out of the blue and gives Jack an alibi.

Now that they know that Rachel’s murder is still at large, the family starts turning on each other opening old wounds and creating bitter divisions. As more and more secrets are revealed through illuminating flashbacks, you realize that everybody had a motive to kill Rachel.

This series has plenty of twists and turns and benefits from a uniformly talented cast.

3. 'Poirot: The ABC Murders' (1992)

There’s no way I could get through this list without mentioning ITV Poirot series. This is the series that introduced me to Hercule Poirot.

Many Christie adaptions struggle to maintain the delicate balance between humor and suspense. It’s easy for them to go over the edge and become goofy or maudlin. When you’re playing an icon character it can be easy to showboat. David Suchet brings playful whimsy to the character of Poirot without diminishing the tension.He also doesn’t chew the scenery, unlike Kenneth Branagh.

In The ABC Murders, Hercule Poirot investigates seemingly random murders committed in alphabetical order. It works as a stand-alone episode while also reinforcing the relationships between the series’ regulars.

4. 'Miss. Marple' (1984–1992)

Miss Jane Marple, an elderly spinster living in the quiet village of St Mary Mead, has an uncanny knack for stumbles upon mysteries which she helps to solve. At first, the skeptical police are reluctant to accept Miss Marple's help, but over time she earns their respect with her amazing track record and keen powers of observation.

She apprehends murders and bests the local police, defying ageist and sexist stereotypes. To me, Joan Hickson will always be the definitive Miss. Marple. She’s not flighty like McEwan version or, a comedic figure like Margaret Rutheford interpretation. Hickson’s Marple is shrewd with an iron core.

5. 'Partners in Crime' (1983)

This L.W.T. adaptation of two Tommy and Tuppence novels is fairly faithful to the source material. It follows the lighthearted adventures of a pair of elegant amateur sleuths who just so happen to be a married couple.

The duo takes over a detective agency in London. When they start intercepting coded messages they discover that the former manager of the agency was a spy. Meanwhile, they tackle poltergeists, missing jewels, poisoned candy, and more.

The show pokes fun at other famous detective series, like Father Brown and the iconic Sherlock Holmes. This meta fourth wall breaking is amusing and ahead of its time. I would definitely recommend this to fans of Mrs. Bradley Mysteries, or Miss. Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.