ITV has updated their promo site for MIPTV, a yearly television market event in Cannes, France. See this link: http://mip.itvstudios.com/. There are promo trailers for several ITV series, including Poirot and Marple. Both trailers are unchanged from last year's event, I think, which is somewhat disappointing as their trailer in 2009 previewed Murder on the Orient Express, and I was hoping for a glimpse of the final series. But if you haven't seen the trailer before, you might find it interesting. Also, they seem to have included a photo from the final series, one from Poirot's office (see below). Or, at least, I assume it is from the recent filming, because the pen and ink stand on the desk is different from any previous series, and the Marple promo definitely has a recent photo (from the filming of A Caribbean Mystery, I guess). The promotional text on Poirot is also quite nice. If I were a television channel looking for series to purchase for national broadcasts, I would definitely be tempted:
For over 25 years, David Suchet has portrayed the inspired Belgian investigator, Hercule Poirot; creating a unique catalogue of timeless crime fiction. In an emotional farewell, Suchet returns as Agatha Christie’s number one detective to take on his final cases. He promises to go out in thrilling style, conquering a global conspiracy re-uniting him with old friends Japp, Hastings and Miss Lemon; and delving into a dangerous family mystery with crime writer Ariadne Oliver. Finally, the detective returns to Styles – the location of his first case, and whilst he may be weakened by age and poor health, his mind is as sharp as ever. He is on the hunt for a killer, and with more victims succumbing, an incapacitated Poirot becomes desperate… At the final curtain, has he at last met his match?
Oh, and interestingly, Philip Jackson's Japp is listed as Assistant Commissioner in the cast list! Surely, that must be a clue to how the character is to be reintroduced in The Big Four...
By coincidence, I stumbled over the websites of two members of the Poirot production crew: Ian Tomlinson (Art Department Assistant / Graphics Designer) and Andrew Lavin (Standby Art Director). Tomlinson's website, www.tomlinson-design.com, had a photo of Tomlinson's model for Poirot's flat (see below, photo linked to his website, no copyright infringement intended). That is probably the most accurate floor plan we will ever get of the flat (see previous blog posts for other suggestions).
Tomlinson also seems to have done some of the props for the series. See, for instance, the passport of Count and Countess Andreyni from Murder on the Orient Express (below). I'm just delighted by the attention to detail they have on these adaptations, even down to birth dates of characters in a passport. Really! Andrew Lavin's website has changed since I first visited it, so he has (sadly) deleted some of the many photos that were there to begin with. I very much regret I didn't save them. But I still have some, and there are still loads on his website (see below for a selection, photos linked to his website, no copyright infringement intended). Here are two photos from Poirot's flat, one from Lavin's website (bottom) and one from the Agatha Christie facebook page (top). To limit myself a bit, I will just draw your attention to two more photos from Lavin's website (see above). The first is from Appointment with Death, the hotel bar. I didn't really notice that this was a set when I first watched it, so that just proves that they did a good job! As to the second one, from Third Girl, I am just amazed at the detail of the food (as I hardly noticed it on screen).
Finally, two tiny updates from the filming of The Big Four that has just finished. One photo is of Suchet's chair on set, the other is from Miss Lemon's apartment, apparently (!). Both photos are from the AC facebook page. I'm thrilled that they have actually given Miss Lemon her own flat, even if it is probably just that corner with the telephone. I imagine we will see a scene where Poirot asks her to come back over the phone (hooray!).
.jpg)