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A Caribbean Mystery

MissQuin 31 Mar 10 at 4:05 p.m. GMT

I just wondered if it will ever be made as a McKenzie adaptation? Seeing as the other bboks have mostly been dramatised.

Has anyone else seen the Hickson version? It was good in parts not in others.

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23 replies

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MissQuin 28 Apr 10 at 4:46 p.m. GMT

I LOVED Adrian Lukis as Tim, then that's because he looked great in ACM. Also as I'm a HUGE Mr Wickham fan ( he was in Pride and preduice). But I liked most of the cast, except the one playing jackson. He was terrible. The scenery was great, the end was excellent.

Tommy_A_Jones 28 Apr 10 at 4:38 p.m. GMT

To answer the Original Question I have sewen the Joan Hickson version and I think it is too slow in Parts but liked Frank Middlemas and Donald Pleasence's Contributions aswell as Joan Hickson's.

Tommy_A_Jones 27 Apr 10 at 1:12 p.m. GMT

I imagine Tom Courtney in the Role of Major Palgrave

Santonix 27 Apr 10 at 6:06 a.m. GMT

I imagine A Caribbean Mystery must be next, though. There are no novels left, and I can't imagine an entire season of misplaced Marple! Of course, if they are going to continue with the short stories (and I hope they at least do The Idol House of Astarte and A Christmas Tragedy), they do have a lot to work with.

Whenever they get around to it, though: JIM BROADBENT for Major Palgrave. I choose not to imagine anyone else in the role. Maybe Geoffrey Palmer. But no one else.

MissQuin 26 Apr 10 at 5:02 p.m. GMT

I think tht might be a false rumour, as Ive checked and their seems to be no plans as yet for CM.

How about a dream cast list? I'd like someone really handsome and charming for Tim, his wife should be glamourous I suppose. Then someone to play the colonel with the dodgy eye.

Adam 25 Apr 10 at 10:25 p.m. GMT

I've just read this about A Carribean Mystery and wonder if it's really happening as there is nothing official:

"A new adaptation for TV is currently in production, as part of the Marple series starring Julia McKenzie, Andree Bernard and Toby Stephens."

It was on wikipedia (now known for it's reliability), I was slightly doubtful as Toby Stephens is also in The Blue Geranium.

MissQuin 03 Apr 10 at 5:09 p.m. GMT

They changed Battle/Race to someone else, just to have that storyline about naughty photos!! No-one liked that change, it was just seedy and not needed.

I don't think their having anyone in Marple version of the Pale Horse that's been in Marple before. Except Julia McKenzie.

Tommy_A_Jones 03 Apr 10 at 5:05 p.m. GMT

I think It is MUCH better to re-cast rather than have a Character who is made up, I would have much preferred Cards On The Table if they had re-cast Colonel Race, after all Colonel Race only appears in two books with Poirot and they re-cast in other Programmes so It doesn't bother me where as not having the right Characters DOES anoy me ALOT I don't expect ITV to have the same people like the Vicars wife for Pale Horse and I personlly hope they don't as MM shouldfn't be in that so the Actress who played her in The Moving Finger shouln't be in Pale Horse but That is just my Humbe Opinion. 

MissQuin 03 Apr 10 at 5:03 p.m. GMT

Sometimes, but in the Hickson version, The Raymonds (sounds like a 60's pop group doesn't it?) look really different. I think it's best to have different actors, but choose ones that look alike.

HeiseiHolmes 03 Apr 10 at 4:55 p.m. GMT

I think it's better to have another actor be the same character, because that way it stays a lot closer to the original versions.

MissQuin 03 Apr 10 at 4:51 p.m. GMT

I'm wondering.. in the latest AC adapts, if they can't get the same actor back, they now replace the character with one thats made up. Like in The Pale Horse, Cards on the table etc.

So what does everyone think- is it better to have a character AC hasnt created, or is it btter to have another actor play the same chacarater?

I hope this makes sense.

The Raymond I saw was in Sleeping Murder, sorry, not nemesis.

The one in Sleeping Murder, went and took Gwenda to the theatre. He had black slicked hair, so how I pictured Raymond.

The other Raymond Ive seen in MATV and CM, with the white hair. It's confusing!

Tommy_A_Jones 03 Apr 10 at 4:44 p.m. GMT

Oh you mean in the GM series, In the JH series Miss Marple was accompanied by Lionel

MissQuin 02 Apr 10 at 6:28 p.m. GMT

We don't see much of Frank Gatliff? Mr Rafiel in Nemesis.

Donald in ACM was pretty much like his books character.

I like the nemesis Raymond best, he seems like the books character. The other Raymond is kinder though.

sjoerdbol 02 Apr 10 at 5:56 p.m. GMT

I think Donald Pleasance was a better Rafiel. I first watched  A carribean mystery and I thought he was really good.

Tommy_A_Jones 02 Apr 10 at 5:36 p.m. GMT

One Raymond was in The Moving Finger and the other in A Carribean Mystery The one with White hair is the writer T. R. Bowen the otherb one was in The Moving Finger I thought Raynmond looked like Nethaniel Parker

MissQuin 02 Apr 10 at 4:39 p.m. GMT

I didn't know that. Which is the second Raymond? One has white hair and the other looks just how I pictured Raymond...black slicked hair. Joyce/Joan was really unpleasant about Miss M in Nemesis.

Tommy_A_Jones 02 Apr 10 at 4:35 p.m. GMT

And the 2nd Raymond was the writer of alot of the Episodes T. R. Bowen

MissQuin 02 Apr 10 at 3:12 p.m. GMT

 Your right Tommy. The first Mr Rafiel was by Frank Gafliff. The 2nd Mr Rafiel was Donald Pleasence. Same with Raymond West, two actors.

Tommy_A_Jones 02 Apr 10 at 3:08 p.m. GMT

And he had a different face.

MissQuin 02 Apr 10 at 2:47 p.m. GMT

It was odd, as I watched them in order of them being made, Mr Rafiel had come back to life!!

shanty_sleuth 01 Apr 10 at 9:33 p.m. GMT

I believe they will film the McKenzie adaptation next season. It cost a lot of money to film Murder on the Orient Express, which is probably why they didn't film A Caribbean Mystery this season.

Yes, the Hickson version of A Caribbean Mystery was filmed after Nemesis. I don't think it made a difference, though.

MissQuin 01 Apr 10 at 2:58 p.m. GMT

This reply contains spoiler information. Show reply

The Hickson version has good and bad points. It's reasonably close to book. I don't actually like the book much, so I found the TV version better.

Good points- the murderer was very believable. The maid found stabbed was suitably creepy. The fact Miss Marple was given a friend gives real reason for her aveneging their death. I did like the scene where Miss is knitted a fluffy pink thing (a shawl?) and tells Mr Rafiel she's Nemesis.

I though there were some dull parts and some bad acting (Jackson for instance over acting to point of being laughable) Joan Hickson was great, for me the best ever Miss Marple.

I'm puzzled by the fact that Nemesis may have been filmed before Carribean Mystery? I think it must be a mistake on imdb.

sjoerdbol 01 Apr 10 at 2:36 p.m. GMT

Yes I rather liked it, on Imdb there is no information about the filming of a carribean mystery. They are busy wth the second season with McKenzie in this season they will film The pale horse, Blue geranium, Secret of the chimneys and the mirror crack'd.