Agatha Christie's Marple
Marple is a British television series based on the Miss Marple and other murder mystery novels by Agatha Christie. It is also known as Agatha Christie's Marple. The title character was played by Geraldine McEwan from the first to third series, until her retirement from the role. She was replaced by Julia McKenzie, from the fourth series onwards. Each episode is known for having many well-known co-stars.
The episodes (that have been adapted from the original novels and the screenplays) have been written by Kevin Elyot, Stephen Churchett, Stewart Harcourt, Tom MacRae, Patrick Barlow, Paul Rutman, and Russell Lewis.
Episodes
Series One (2004–05)
Series Two (2006)
Series Three (2007–09)
Series Four (2009–10)
Series Five (2010–11)
Future adaptations
Series six, which will include an adaptation of A Caribbean Mystery, as well as adaptations of Endless Night and The Seven Dials Mystery, will begin filming mid-to-late 2012.[1] The fourth episode of the series (if there is to be one) is not known, although it is thought that it may be an adaptation of one of Christie's short stories from The Thirteen Problems.
Ratings
Series 1
Date |
Episode |
Viewers
(millions)[2] |
12 December 2004 |
The Body In The Library |
8.72 |
19 December 2004 |
The Murder At The Vicarage |
8.36 |
26 December 2004 |
4:50 From Paddington |
5.95 |
2 January 2005 |
A Murder Is Announced |
7.78 |
Series 2
Date |
Episode |
Viewers
(millions) |
5 February 2006 |
Sleeping Murder |
8.74 |
12 February 2006 |
The Moving Finger |
7.89 |
19 February 2006 |
By The Pricking Of My Thumbs |
7.93 |
30 April 2006 |
The Sittaford Mystery |
6.58 |
Series 3
Date |
Episode |
Viewers
(millions) |
23 September 2007 |
At Bertram’s Hotel |
5.41 |
30 September 2007 |
Ordeal By Innocence |
5.54 |
3 August 2008 |
Towards Zero |
5.84 |
1 January 2009 |
Nemesis |
4.48 |
Series 4
Date |
Episode |
Viewers
(millions) |
6 September 2009 |
A Pocketful Of Rye |
5.39 |
13 September 2009 |
Murder Is Easy |
4.86 |
1 January 2010 |
They Do It With Mirrors |
5.55 |
15 June 2011 |
Why Didn't They Ask Evans? |
4.14 (+ 0.369 on ITV+1) |
Series 5
Date |
Episode |
Viewers
(millions) |
30 August 2010 |
The Pale Horse |
5.11 |
27 December 2010 |
The Secret Of Chimneys |
5.06 |
29 December 2010 |
The Blue Geranium |
5.96 |
2 January 2011 |
The Mirror Crack'd From Side To Side |
4.93 |
Other countries
Marple has been aired in the United States and British Columbia, Canada on PBS on Mystery! as Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and in the whole of Canada on CBC and in French on Radio-Canada. In Australia, Marple airs as Agatha Christie's Marple or simply Marple on ABC1. Marple is also being broadcast on ATV World in Hong Kong. In China, the first four seasons of "Marple" are presented on CCTV-8, but 'The Body In the Library' and 'Murder is Easy' haven't been shown due to the involvement of lesbian affair and incest rape separately, 'Why Din't They Ask Evans' has also been hugely edited due to involving War-period China. Marple has been broadcast on the Hallmark Channel in Israel. Marple has been shown in South Korea in EBS, and currently is viewed by many audience from MegaTV. In Southern Africa it was shown on Hallmark Channel on the Satellite service DStv. "Marple" has been broadcast in Italy on the Hallmark Channel and on Rai1. In Norway the series has been airing on state broadcaster NRK1 as "Miss Marple". In Sweden the series airs on TV4, the biggest commercial TV station.
Changes to novels
The show has sparked controversy with some viewers for its adaptations of the novels. The first episode, The Body in the Library, changed the identity of one of the killers and introduced lesbianism into the plot; the second episode explored Miss Marple's earlier life; the third episode contained a motive change and the fourth episode cut several characters and added affairs into the story and emphasized a lesbian subplot that was quite discreet in the original novel. The second series also saw some changes. By the Pricking of My Thumbs was originally a Tommy and Tuppence story, while The Sittaford Mystery was also not originally a Miss Marple book and the identity of the killer was changed. The third series has two adaptations that were not originally Miss Marple books: Towards Zero and Ordeal by Innocence. The fourth series continues the trend with Murder is Easy and Why Didn't They Ask Evans?. The fifth series does the same, with The Secret of Chimneys and The Pale Horse.
DVD releases
The first series of Marple was released in 2005 in the UK, followed by the second series in 2006. The third series was released in autumn 2007 in the US, but its UK release was delayed because of ITV1's decision to defer airing the final instalment.
Series One was released as four individual DVDs and as a "bundle" in Australia (Region 4) with Series Two released on 1 August 2007. The third series was released individually in April 2008.
Series Four will be released in Region 1 on 4 August 2009 after the conclusion of the broadcast on PBS Mystery!
Series 1 to 4 were released in a 16-DVD-box as "Agatha Christie's Miss Marple - The Collection" in August 2010 in U.K. Region 3.
Series 5 was released in the UK (Region 2) in June 2011
Location
Marple was mainly filmed in the picturesque village of Turville, in Buckinghamshire.
References
External links