Episode-by-episode

Episode-by-episode reviews

Shortly after I had started writing this blog, a reader contacted me (poirotchronology@gmail.com) with the suggestion that I should "investigate" the work of the scriptwriters, directors and actors on the show. He wanted me to comment on their approaches to Christie's stories and characters - and the television series as a whole. This was not an entirely new idea; I had been considering something similar for a long time, but I was hesitant at first to comment on so many aspects of the adaptations, aspects that I had little knowledge of. However, after receiving this e-mail, I did some research into the information available online. I was struck by the fact that while all the blog entries and reviews I could find were excellent in their own right, very few (if any) offered a broad, comprehensive overview of every aspect of each episode. 

Consequently, I decided to discuss the series episode-by-episode, in order of broadcast dates. The idea was, in terms of scriptwriting, to compare and contrast Christie's original stories and the television adaptations. In terms of directing, production design, locations and soundtrack, I hoped to provide insight through useful links to online resources and provide my personal observations. As for characters and actors, I wanted to explore how the main actors developed their characters over the years, and how guest actors provided some much needed "new blood" (both literally and figuratively). 

You can find links to all my episode-by-episode posts below. Comments, discussions and observations are always welcome in the comments section.

1. The Adventure of the Clapham Cook (8 January 1989)

2. Murder in the Mews (15 January 1989)

3. The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly (22 January 1989)

4. Four and Twenty Blackbirds (29 January 1989)

5. The Third Floor Flat (5 February 1989)

6. Triangle at Rhodes (12 February 1989)

7. Problem at Sea (19 February 1989)

8. The Incredible Theft (26 February 1989)

9. The King of Clubs (12 March 1989)

10. The Dream (19 March 1989)

11. Peril at End House (7 January 1990)

12. The Veiled Lady (14 January 1990)

13. The Lost Mine (21 January 1990)

14. The Cornish Mystery (28 January 1990)

15. The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim (4 February 1990)

16. Double Sin (11 February 1990)

17. The Adventure of the Cheap Flat (18 February 1990)

18. The Kidnapped Prime Minister (25 February 1990)

19. The Adventure of the Western Star (4 March 1990)

20. The Mysterious Affair at Styles (16 September 1990)

21. How Does Your Garden Grow? (6 January 1991)

22. The Million Dollar Bond Robbery (13 January 1991)

23. The Plymouth Express (20 January 1991)

24. Wasps' Nest (27 January 1991)

25. The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor (3 February 1991)

26. The Double Clue (10 February 1991)

27. The Mystery of the Spanish Chest (17 February 1991)

28. The Theft of the Royal Ruby (24 February 1991)

29. The Affair at the Victory Ball (3 March 1991)

30. The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge (10 March 1991)

31. The ABC Murders (5 January 1992)

32. Death in the Clouds (12 January 1992)

33. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (19 January 1992)

34. The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb (17 January 1993)

35. The Underdog (24 January 1993)

36. The Yellow Iris (31 January 1993)

37. The Case of the Missing Will (7 February 1993)

38. The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman (14 February 1993)

39. The Chocolate Box (21 February 1993)

40. Dead Man's Mirror (28 February 1993)

41. Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan (7 March 1993)

42. Hercule Poirot's Christmas (25 December 1994)

43. Hickory Dickory Dock (12 February 1995)

44. Murder on the Links (11 February 1996)

45. Dumb Witness (16 March 1996)

46. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (2 January 2000)

47. Lord Edgware Dies (19 February 2000)

48. Evil Under the Sun (20 April 2001)

49. Murder in Mesopotamia (2 June 2002)

50. Five Little Pigs (14 December 2003)

51. Sad Cypress (26 December 2003)

52. The Hollow (12 April 2004)

53. Death on the Nile (26 April 2004)

54. The Mystery of the Blue Train (1 January 2006)

55. Cards on the Table (19 March 2006)

56. After the Funeral (26 March 2006)

57. Taken at the Flood (2 April 2006)

58. Mrs McGinty's Dead (14 September 2008)

59. Cat Among the Pigeons (21 September 2008)

60. Third Girl (28 September 2008)

61. Appointment with Death (25 December 2009)

62. Three Act Tragedy (3 January 2010)

63. Hallowe'en Party (27 October 2010)

64. Murder on the Orient Express (25 December 2010)

65. The Clocks (26 December 2011)

66. Elephants Can Remember (9 June 2013)

67. The Big Four (23 October 2013)

68. Dead Man's Folly (30 October 2013)

69. The Labours of Hercules (6 November 2013)

70. Curtain: Poirot's Last Case (13 November 2013)