Agatha Christie's Marple Series 3 (2005)

As seen on the PBS Mystery! series

Though they might be fooled by her delicate exterior, criminals underestimate Agatha Christie's mild-mannered spinster sleuth at their peril! In the expert care of acclaimed actress Geraldine McEwan (Vanity Fair, The Magdalene Sisters), the beloved Miss Marple takes on new vibrance as a "worldly lady with a past, full of fun and mischief" (London Times).

In her golden years, Miss Marple blends into the scenery of her elegant surroundings. All the better to observe the foibles of human nature that lead to evil -- and to surprise one and all when she solves crimes that baffle the professionals. Rich with period detail, these all-new adaptations feature stellar supporting casts, including Richard E. Grant, Amanda Burton, Eileen Atkins, Saffron Burrows, Greg Wise, Martine McCutcheon, Francesca Annis, Peter Davison, Jane Seymour, and Juliet Stevenson. "Spectacular" -- DVD Talk

The Mysteries
Nemesis
Towards Zero
At Bertram’s Hotel
Ordeal by Innocence

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES include photo galleries, Agatha Christie bio, and cast filmographies.

As compared with the older series...

The Joan Hickson movies are longer and are more complex. They are closer in accuracy to the books and are, therefore, more classic. This newer series features stories that are less complex. They also have snappier music and tend to feature a lot of fairly big British stars. My husband and I enjoy watching this series because the movies are more relaxing and slightly easier to understand, due to less complexity and louder voices so we don't have to strain to understand what they are saying. Joan Hickson has a much lower and softer voice than Geraldine McEwan, whose voice is so high sometimes it almost has a bite. I guess I'd almost rather listen to Joan Hickson's voice long term, but I sometimes have to turn up the volume too high just to understand what she is saying. Therefore, Geralding McEwan is easier to understand.

They definitely changed more things in this series as compared to the books than they did in the older series. But they did make them interesting, entertaining to watch and easy to understand. My husband and I like both series, but we tend to like the newer series better for entertainment and relaxation (because they are shorter and less complex) and the older series better for being true to Agatha Christie and more classic.
August 7, 2008

4:50 from Paddington

4:50 from Paddington -- My favorite of all three series. The well chosen staff played their parts beautifully - a far (and better) version than Joan Hickson's. I find Geraldine Mcewans interpretation of Miss Marple more "human" than Hickson's. The productions are well staged, the sets very well done, and the musical background sensational. Of course there are deviations from the books - not as much as Margaret Rutherford's "tongue-in-cheek" portrayals. These should be enjoyed for what they are - "adapted from Agatha Christie novels". A pleasant change from Joan Hickson's stuffy, unbending portrayals!

Murder at the Vicarage - gave us a look into Miss Marple's early years. I found this not only endearing, but gave a better understanding of her character.

I have all three series and thoroughly enjoy replaying them often. I only hope a series four will be forthcoming.

Patsi, Toronto, Canada

February 22, 2008

Modernized Miss Marple - getting better in the role

This latest series from Geraldine McEwan is better than previous as she gets more into the role of Miss Marple, making extensive use of her bird-like head tilts and enquiring expressions. Her knitting skills are improving too but most improtantly for Christie buffs, the script is less salacious and sexually bizarre. The sexual side is still there for discerning viewers but no so in-your-face as the earlier series. Of course the scripts have suffered considerable re-writes but are generally still recognizable. Special applause given for the costumes and sets - nicely in the period. Enjoyable viewing overall. January 28, 2008

The best Miss Marple -- the writing is a little tedious

Geraldine McEwan IS the definitive Miss Marple -- AGATHA CHRISTIE'S vision of Miss Marple. She's not necessarily the "best" Miss Marple we've ever seen. I believe that this award must go to Margaret Rutherford in this series:

The Agatha Christie Miss Marple Movie Collection (Murder at the Gallop / Murder Ahoy / Murder Most Foul / Murder She Said)

Of course, Margaret Rutherford was nothing like the Marple of whom Christie wrote so fondly -- but her performance in those four excellent and timeless black-and-white films was nothing short of superb.

But we cannot allow mediocre screenwriting to take away from Geraldine McEwan's fine performance in this series. While her acting was brilliant, the films had an '80s feel about them and many of the various scenes seemed contrived. Yes, these are cozy murders so we expect a little tongue-and-cheekness but I think that better direction could have yielded an outstanding product. The star talent was clearly available.

I am commenting on 3 of the 4 of this series that I've seen so far, including "Nemesis," "Towards Zero," and, "At Bertram's Hotel," (but not
"Ordeal by Innocence," which I have yet to view). By the way, there is an incredible Donald Sutherland "noir-version" of "Ordeal by Innocence" if you have yet to hear of it:

Ordeal by Innocence ([...] Exclusive)

"Nemesis" is sort of jumbled and over-dramatized, story-wise. It's all about Miss Marple solving an old murder (and a new one) during a bus tour of the English countryside. As a consequence of this, you can expect some spectacular cinematography which saves the film.

In "Towards Zero," the story gains coherence as it goes along but it lacks substance. It's as if the actors were "puting out product". I think that the Director must have kept them on too tight a leash. I was THRILLED to get to see a much aged, but still great, Tom Baker (of "Doctor Who" fame!) playing the victim in this one.

"At Bertram's Hotel" is a huge stretch from Christie's superb original story. If that's what you're expecting you'll be disappointed because the producers fleshed out about 60 percent of it. Consequentially, the screenplay is limited to murder at (near) the hotel and that's about it. Most of the original international intrigue and swarthy characters have been nullified. Again, it's okay, but it could have been outstanding.

I wondered after watching these films why the producers and casting directors went to all the effort to grab the perfect Miss Marple and then, with barrels of red ink and abounding artistic license, ditzed the original Christie stories. It's a puzzle to me.

The quality of these DVDs is excellent and the scenes are well-done in terms of costumes and set artifacts. If you're a big Christie fan, definitely watch these. If you're a broader-market cozy murder fan, you can still watch with interest. More casual movie enthusiasts will probably yawn quite a bit during viewings of these films. January 26, 2008

I LOVE THIS MARPLE...SHE FIESTY!

Will you people below shut up!
I am so tired of people complaining about the NEW Marple series. I own both series 1 and 2 on DVD and am now starting on series 3. They keep getting better and better. Marple is such a fun character and the stories leave you on the edge of your seat. No I have not read the books or seen the old old movies but even if I did I would not sit here and compare. This is an excellent series and I look forward to series 4 this summer!! January 3, 2008

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