The Hollow (26 Sep. 2004)
"Agatha Christie's Poirot" The Hollow (original title)

Poirot stumbles on the murder scene of philandering Dr. John Christow at a country estate as his mistress, his hostess, and his wife (with a revolver) stand over him.

Director:

Simon Langton

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel), Nick Dear (screenplay)

Stars:

David Suchet, Jonathan Cake, Megan Dodds

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot
Jonathan Cake	...	John Christow
Megan Dodds	...	Henrietta Savernake
Sarah Miles	...	Lucy Angkatell
Edward Fox	...	Gudgeon
Claire Price	...	Gerda Christow
Lysette Anthony	...	Veronica Cray
Tom Georgeson	...	Inspector Grange
Edward Hardwicke	...	Sir Henry Angkatell
Caroline Martin	...	Midge Hardcastle
Jamie de Courcey	...	Edward Angkatell (as Jamie De Courcey)
Ian Talbot	...	Victor Simms
Angela Curran	...	Frances Simms
Lucy Briers	...	Beryl Collins
Dale Rapley	...	Sergeant Coombes

Storyline

While spending the weekend at his cottage outside London, Hercule Poirot is invited to dinner by Sir Henry and Lady Angkatell. Leaving immediately after dinner, he returns the next day to find that a weekend guest, John Christo, has been shot dead. There is any number of suspects: his former lover, Veronica Cray whom he had not seen for 12 years but suddenly turned up at a nearby cottage; his wife, Gerda who was deeply hurt by his womanizing; his current mistress Henrietta Savernake; Midge Hardcastle, who was very much in love with him, but whom he constantly ignored; and Edward Angkatell, who was in love with Midge. What Poirot finds however is that the evidence equally implicates everyone just a little too equally for it all to be just by chance.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | former lovers | revolver | detective | country estate | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Crime | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 September 2004 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Hampton Estate, Seale, Farnham, Surrey, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Granada Television, A&E Television Networks, Agatha Christie

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min 93 min (11 episodes)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Henrietta doodles, she always sketches a stylized tree that she calls Yggdrasil. In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is a giant ash tree that represents Viking cosmology, with the branches standing for different parallel worlds. "Heaven" is at the top and Hel is at the bottom. The world we experience is on one of the middle branches.

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Goofs

When Lady Angkatell wakes Henrietta Savernake to tell her of the gun holster, the shadow of the boom mike shows on the lamp on the bedside table.

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Quotes

Veronica Cray: Are you saying you don't love me?
John Christow: You are a very, very alluring woman, Veronica, but I don't "love you," no.
Veronica Cray: I came all this way to find you; waiting in this ghastly hovel for the weekend you'd appear. You see, I knew if we could be just once more together... just one more...
John Christow: You? You planned it?
Veronica Cray: Oh, you belong to me, John. You're mine.
John Christow: When I was a young man, I WANTED you to share my life and you wouldn't do it!
Veronica Cray: Because MY career was so much more important than yours. I mean, anyone can be a "...
[...]

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Connections

Version of The Great Alibi (2008)

User Reviews

Beautifully shot, dark and faithful adaptation

I hadn't read the book for a couple of months prior to seeing this, but while I enjoyed it I never considered it a favourite. While not the best Poirot, The Hollow is a rock solid adaptation, and is remarkably true to the book. Midge and Edward's relationship development is a little too out of the blue, my only criticism of the adaptation, but I loved the Hollow's serious and dark tone while maintaining some dark, subtle humour too. The story does have moments when it is thin, but it is still involving and suspenseful, and standout scenes have to be the face to face confrontations between Henrietta and Poirot and of course the final solution. The adaptation is exquisite to watch with terrific production values, and the music is a nice touch. The acting is excellent as per usual, David Suchet is impeccable as the eccentric Poirot, while Megan Dodds is breathtakingly-beautiful as Henrietta, Jonathan Cake is suitably loathsome as John Cristow and Sherlock Holmes's Edward Hardwicke is an inspired piece of casting as Sir Henry. Overall, a solid adaptation and wonderful to watch. 9/10 Bethany Cox