The ABC Murders (5 Jan. 1992)
"Agatha Christie's Poirot" The ABC Murders (original title)

Poirot receives clues and taunting letters from a serial killer who appears to choose his random victims and crime scenes alphabetically.

Director:

Andrew Grieve

Writer:

Clive Exton (dramatized by)

Stars:

David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, Philip Jackson

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot
Hugh Fraser	...	Captain Hastings
Philip Jackson	...	Chief Inspector Japp
Donald Sumpter	...	Cust
Donald Douglas	...	Franklin Clarke
Nicholas Farrell	...	Donald Fraser
Pippa Guard	...	Megan Barnard
Cathryn Bradshaw	...	Mary Drower
Nina Marc	...	Thora Grey
David McAlister	...	Inspector Glen
Vivienne Burgess	...	Lady Clarke
Ann Windsor	...	Miss Merrion
Michael Mellinger	...	Franz Ascher
Miranda Forbes	...	Mrs. Turton
Peter Penry-Jones	...	Superintendent Carter

Storyline

Hastings returns to Britain after a long absence to find Poirot anxious for a new case which will challenge his gray cells. Poirot quickly gets his wish in the form of taunting letters from a serial killer who has dubbed himself ABC and who leaves an ABC railroad schedule at the scene of each crime. The victims as well as the crime scenes appear to be chosen randomly, but maintain an obsessive adherence to alphabetical order. However, Poirot grows to believe that the killer is not the madman the authorities believe, but a methodical murderer with a very tangible motive.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | letter | serial killer | hercule poirot | dominoes | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 January 1992 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Twickenham Film Studios, St Margarets, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Granada Media, L.T.V., London Weekend Television (LWT)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min 100 min (14 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The action music from the contemporary film showing at the cinema in Doncaster is also featured in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, for the scene where Sir Robin encounters the three-headed knight. The piece is 'Desperate Moment' by Kenneth Essex.

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Goofs

The St Leger scenes are a clever combination of newly-shot footage and archive material. However in the archive footage, the jockey of horse number 8 wears chocolate and blue hoops, whilst in the newer footage he wears red and green.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Announcer: Train now boarding.

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Connections

Features Footsteps in the Sand (1939)

User Reviews

A top notch and perfectly thrilling episode

I love episodes like Sad Cypress, Five Little Pigs and Peril At End House, but The ABC Murders deserves to be up there with the best of them. It was a near-perfect, top notch and thrilling episode. There are one or two slow moments, and before I realised that there was half an hour left I had the impression as I haven't read the book that I had been told too much, but these are the only problems I had with it. The plot is complicated with plenty of surprises, but is well constructed and well explained. The adaptation looks splendid, not in a sumptuous visual style like say Sad Cypress but in a dark haunting visual style like something like Hickory Dickory Dock. The music is enough to make the hairs stand up on your neck, it certainly did that to mine. The acting from all involved is exceptional, whilst David Suchet gives an impeccable performance as always as Poirot, it is Donald Sumpter who walks away with the acting honours in one of the best supporting performances in the history of the Poirot run. It is considered as one of Suchet's favourite Poirots, and you know what, it is easy to see why. It is superb. 9/10 Bethany Cox