Hickory Dickory Dock (12 Feb. 1995)
"Agatha Christie's Poirot" Hickory Dickory Dock (original title)

Miss Lemon persuades Poirot to investigate a series of apparently minor thefts in a university hostel, but simple kleptomania soon turns to baffling homicide.

Director:

Andrew Grieve

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel), Anthony Horowitz (dramatized by)

Stars:

David Suchet, Philip Jackson, Pauline Moran

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot
Philip Jackson	...	Japp
Pauline Moran	...	Miss Lemon
Paris Jefferson	...	Sally Finch
Jonathan Firth	...	Nigel Chapman
Damian Lewis	...	Leonard Bateson
Gilbert Martin	...	Colin McNabb
Elinor Morriston	...	Valerie Hobhouse
Polly Kemp	...	Patricia Lane
Jessica Lloyd	...	Celia Austin
Sarah Badel	...	Mrs Hubbard
Rachel Bell	...	Mrs Nicoletis
Granville Saxton	...	Mr Casterman
David Burke	...	Sir Arthur Stanley
Bernard Lloyd	...	Mr Endicott

Storyline

When a series of apparently minor thefts plagues a university hostelry run by Miss Lemon's sister, Poirot is recruited to investigate. Celia Austin, a pharmacological major, confesses that she is a kleptomaniac and responsible for most of the thefts but denies stealing several objects including a stethoscope, light bulbs, and a student rucksack. Furthermore, she claims to know the other thief and vows to help return the missing items. Unfortunately someone substitutes an overdose of morphine for one of her sleeping powders, and she takes the identity of the thief to the grave. Japp connects the murderer's m.o. with a cold case he had investigated ten years earlier, but the prime suspect in that crime, a powerful statesman, now lies dying in a local hospital. Despite numerous obstacles, Poirot is able to link the killing to an international diamond smuggling ring but not before the murderer claims more victims.

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Plot Keywords:

rucksack | hostel | hercule poirot | morphine | kleptomania | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Crime | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 February 1995 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Brushfield Street, Spitalfields, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carnival Films, London Weekend Television (LWT)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min 100 min (14 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although Agatha Christie's original story took place in the 1950s, the setting is moved to the 1930s for continuity reasons.

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Goofs

Although set at the time of the Jarrow march of 1936, the rolling stock of the London Underground is clearly the "38 Stock" first introduced only in 1938.

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Quotes

Mrs. Hubbard: I think she might have been a secret drinker.
Chief Inspector Japp: After all the bottles we found in her room, there's no secret about it.

User Reviews

Not outstanding but well worth the watch

Hickory Dickory Dock was a good Poirot mystery. I confess I have not read the book, despite being an avid Agatha Christie fan. The adaptation isn't without its problems, there were times when the humour, and there were valiant attempts to get it right, was a little overdone, and the events leading up to the final solution were rather rushed. I also thought there were some slow moments so some of the mystery felt padded. However, I loved how Hickory Dickory Dock was filmed, it had a very similar visual style to the brilliant ABC Murders, and it really set the atmosphere, what with the dark camera work and dark lighting. The darker moments were somewhat creepy, this was helped by one of the most haunting music scores in a Poirot adaptation, maybe not as disturbing as the one in One Two Buckle My Shoe, which gave me nightmares. The plot is complex, with all the essential ingredients, though not as convoluted as Buckle My Shoe,and in some way that is a good thing. The acting was very good, David Suchet is impeccable(I know I can't use this word forever but I can't think of a better word to describe his performance in the series) as Poirot, and Phillip Jackson and Pauline Moran do justice to their integral characters brilliantly. And the students had great personalities and well developed on the whole, particularly Damian Lewis as Leonard. All in all, solid mystery but doesn't rank along the best. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox