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Appointment with Death UKDate!

wolfbridge 25 Nov 09 at 9:21 p.m. GMT

so finally it airs in the UK - Boxing Day (26th of December) 2009.

9pm

Have fun!

(based on early ITV Schedules, changes might come as ITV only gives 2 weeks in advance schedules)

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MissQuin 31 Jul 10 at 2:02 p.m. GMT

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Appointment with death adapt spoilers!!!

I think the Nun was a slave trader. Because they said she's done it before. Ive no idea why she was seen praying etc, it was just misleading. No there wasn't a single nun in the book. What is with all the evil nuns they keep adding? Will they be added wicked Monks soon? Will Rasputin make a cameo appearance from beyond the grave? They may have problems of ways of killing him off!! Coshing, then Poisoning and then drowning just might do the trick.

Why was so much grief piled onto poor Ginny? Given up as a baby Mistreated as a child, the man she fancied then turned out to be her father. Then she was nearly sold into slavery. Then her mother and father were murderers!!

apriltaylor 26 Jul 10 at 5:56 a.m. GMT

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Just finished watching "Appointment With Death".   I have not read the book (or if I did it was so many years ago I've completely forgotten!), so I enjoyed it more than many people seemed to. 

I had a question about the Polish nun however.  What she really a slave-trader?  Poirot mentioned that Celia Westholme had been taken care of by nuns after the birth (and abandonment) of her daughter Jinny.  So I wondered if perhaps the Polish nun had been asked by Celia Westholme and Dr. Gerard (her birth parents) to abduct her to get her away from the Boynton clan, and to do it in the style of a slave-trade abduction so it might seem more plausible that she had really been abducted and disappeared?

I should probably watch it again, but those were my initial thoughts.

Maja_K 25 Jul 10 at 1:17 p.m. GMT

I watched Appointment With Death yesterday. It makes me so sad to have to say I disliked a Poirot episode. I loved Suchet's performance and the scenery, liked the music (although it may have been too obtrusive), but I hated the changes made to the plot. The slave-trading nun subplot makes me cringe, and the fact that she was Polish makes me especially uncomfortable. There was no reason to give her a different ethnicity than the other characters, so I wonder if that was a reflection of the screenplay author's prejudices. Mrs Boynton was so much more interesting as a psychological tyrant than as a physical abuser. But, most importantly, the best part of an Agatha Christie novel is the fact that the reader gets a chance to see all the clues and to attempt to solve the mystery himself/herself. Then, when the detective explains everything at the end, the reader will either feel the satisfaction of having guessed or, more often, think "It was right in front of my nose and I didn't see it!" The screenplay writer invented a new, complicated plot, but didn't pay much attention to clues. At the end, when Poirot gave the solution, I wondered how in the world he knew all that. I really, really hope that they treated "Murder on the Orient Express" differently.

liz3280 22 Apr 10 at 9:43 p.m. GMT

I have always loved David Suchet as Poirot and I was not disapointed with him in Appointment With Death but I was horrified by everything else about it, why they even kept the title I dont know.  Whoever was in charge of that project I hope they never get their hands on Curtain that would be a true crime.

Tommy_A_Jones 19 Jan 10 at 4:32 p.m. GMT

I thought the Sinister heaviness added something but there again although Three-Act Tragedy isn't one of my least favourite books I did think it was a bit dull (I am so sorry I couldn't think of a nicer word) in places, I don't remember much about the Marple version of Ordeal by Innocense and haven't read it yet.

I agree a b cust, Matthew or David should be the ones to put a stop to the Ruination of ACs work but they probably just want to take the Money to finance something they want to do more, They probably have both lost interest in Poirot, That's what it feels like sometimes, well to me anyway.

a_b_cust 17 Jan 10 at 6:58 p.m. GMT

But practically the produceres have to think in terms of programming, not just content. Many producers these days have no original ideas, or sense of integrity, but have to do whatever sells the item. They play to the majority. Thats is the curse of capitalism and sky telly. My guess is they would view officionados like urselves as purist nuisances and as mentioned before, will just be filed in the 'loony' bin- like dr who nerds.  i work in the profession and i know how it works. But i am surprised at the fact that the aspcts that made the programme so successful origianlly have been deemed old fashioned. I think there have been too many committee meetings now POIROT is big business. It just needs that one person there to say -hang on chaps, need to stop having ideas now - lets stick with the orginal. That should be Matthew a.c's nephew, or David S, but - it seems like they have got caught up in it too. Who knows - anyway glad to see 3 act tragedy  remain faithful even if still given that weird sinister heaviness. leaves me feeling depressed rather than refreshed. Its all a bit intense. BTW ust wtched the marple ordeal by innocence. hands up who thinks the wheelchair character couldnt be killed for politicallty correct reasons.

go_leafs_nation 11 Jan 10 at 5:15 p.m. GMT

Real life isn't as simple as all that. But anyhow, I think the producers have got SOMETHING through their thick skulls already- the first two adaptations have been excellent, and from the looks of the remaining two, they will be excellent as well.

Tommy_A_Jones 11 Jan 10 at 4:28 p.m. GMT

That is true Katherine but if a b mentioned all the things that have irked us all and where he thinks they are going wrong we might get proper explainations.

Katherine 11 Jan 10 at 3:04 p.m. GMT

It's a sweet idea, Tommy, but I imagine anyone writing to the producers offering their services as a "consultant", would have their letter filed immediately in the wastepaper bin...

Tommy_A_Jones 11 Jan 10 at 1:43 p.m. GMT

Surely it is, just get some paper and a pen or Typewriter and write a letter, if you are afraild of them recognising you used a Non de plume like Ronnie Barker used the name Gerald Wiley.

a_b_cust 11 Jan 10 at 12:05 a.m. GMT

Ah - if only it were that easy. 

Tommy_A_Jones 08 Jan 10 at 1:48 p.m. GMT

a b cust, you aren't the first person to suggest that since ACs Daughter died the Adaptations haven't been as good, go_leafs has said the same thing before you afew times.

I can't see why you say it is undedrstandable that her Grandson has been turning AC into a 'Cash Cow', I would have thought he should have the Moral Fibre to resist all attempts to ruin his Grandmothers work

Were you a Famous Actor? I doubt it or else you would still be one, Why don't you offer your servcices as a Consultant if you think you can do better than the Producers (You couldn't make some Adaptations any worse could you) and you would be putting your Money where yourt mouth is in the same sort of way that you said couldn't or wouldn't give examples of young people who can't do Shakespeare. 

ampman 08 Jan 10 at 8:36 a.m. GMT

I agree with the comments of the pevious writers. I watched Suchet'e Poirot on TV before reading the books and was amazed at the difference in Poirot's appearance and character. It's not the forst time that a star with money in a film has made changes to suit their own agenda. One of the worst examples is Robert Redford in The Horse Whisperer.

a_b_cust 07 Jan 10 at 8:11 p.m. GMT

I actually used to be an acotr and david suchet always hd the reputation of being a brilliant craftsman, but never quite knew his own political limitations. i remember him announcinng that 'no young people can do shakespeare' in the press but when asked to evidence this he couldnt - it was just a feeling he got! Face it, hes an ego which makes his performances brilliant, but i think he should trust that others know their jobs -  or at least get someone on noard who knows about A.c. No doubt they just think we are nerdy purists - but i know im not. Thats just an excuse. im an incredibly able polymath and could sho  but just happen to be a fan for abit of fun.I could practically advise  the lot of them on how it should be done with class!

I wonder if the Agatha christie trust is a bit to blame too. i notice since rosalind - A.Cs daughter died, and her grandson has taken over ( who i suspect has never had to work a day in his life) a lot of questionable tv adaptations have come out, and the agatha christie theatre society has put an embargo on anyone perfroming her plays but them. Roasalnd was famous for insisting she continued as a spokesperson for the quality of work delivered, but Matthew seems to (understandably in this day and age) be turning her into an enterprise, sometimes at the expense of the quality of the cash cow that is delivering the goods in the first place. You only have to look at the totally unnessecary Marple series to see the evidence.

Tommy_A_Jones 07 Jan 10 at 1:11 p.m. GMT

Here! Here! Katherine, At Last someone suggesting (Like I think I have) that Suchet might be to blame for the Changes and would ask again, how many who haven't liked the changes have bothered to write to HIM and say so.

Katherine 07 Jan 10 at 9:33 a.m. GMT

Actually I wonder how much David Suchet himself is to blame for this change in tone which you've rightly perceived.

Now I'm not one of the brigade who believe Japp, Hastings and Lemon should be parachuted in to every story; far from it - their twee little comedy subplots could be irritating in the extreme in the earlier episodes. However, of late, some of the films do seem to take themselves incredibly seriously and forget that at heart, Agatha Christie novels are light entertainment, not heavy drama.

I don't think it's a coincidence that things have changed since David Suchet became associate producer. Big stars in long-running series often have a lot of power, so I wonder whenever fans rail at directors or producers or writers for the unnecessary changes that are forced into stories, how often it's at the request of Mr Suchet himself.

I can well believe that all the religious stuff that was shoe-horned into AWD was at his insistence. (He's recently spoken out about how Christianity is sidelined in the media, and he's very full on about his religion.) It sits a bit uneasily with me when he always insists on how true he is to the Poirot of the books, when in fact there are a lot of differences. For instance, why does he wear the padding? Every description of him in Christie refers to Poirot as a little, slim man. Also, he's hardly the insufferable egotist who appears in the novels. In fact, Suchet's creation is rather a fluffy, avuncular character. Again, big stars often don't like the role that they're most famous for to be depicted in an unfavourable light because they think it will affect their fanbase. So this might be the reason.

I agree with you, abc, about Halloween party, and I hope the lightness remains and it doesn't become a big morose, miserable mess.

I suppose we just have to wait and see!

Puffinjill 07 Jan 10 at 6:42 a.m. GMT

Couldn't agree with you more, a b cust!

a_b_cust 07 Jan 10 at 12:17 a.m. GMT

Im back, and just reread the book of awd and also now seen three act tragedy and i have to agree with the aearlier posts - altough the later offerings clearly have alot of work and nmoney put into them, they just lack charm and are no longer in the spirit of A.C but seem to be trying to make something heavy and claustrophobic, which she isn't. Brilliant though David Suchet the pieces have started to become dramas rather than crime entertainment. mat=ybe there is a fear of it becoming murder she worte, but the point is if you follow the stories faithfully that won;t happen as they are so well crafted - they were the ORIGINALS. I hope for exapmple they dont get all heavy on Halloween Party becasue the joy is that that the victims and the killer are actaully quite sick if you think about it, and the placing it in this light british setting makes it even MORE unsettling, which was always Ac's intention. YOu dont need to guid the lily with concets. its as if the director is too present and you ca see all the ideas. JUST TELL THE STORY. Cos every time they unnecesarily change it they slip up. There - thats my four penny worth.  

Bundle_ 04 Jan 10 at 3:52 p.m. GMT

How exciting for them!

And Bless you, Jill!

Puffinjill 04 Jan 10 at 3:26 p.m. GMT

Yes, Bundle, I've seen the DS version of Death On The Nile. by the way, a friend of mine is getting married in 10 days and they are going on a Nile cruise for their honeymoon. I've told her to be on the lookout for gun-toting ex-girlfriends!!

And i'm not jealous at all. I'm always this green colour....