Cards on the Table (19 Mar. 2006)
"Agatha Christie's Poirot" Cards on the Table (original title)

The enigmatic, sinister Mr. Shaitana, one of London's richest men, invites 8 guests, 4 of them possible murderers and 4 'detectives' to his opulent apartment.

Director:

Sarah Harding

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel), Nick Dear (screenplay)

Stars:

David Suchet, James Alper, Philip Bowen

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot
James Alper	...	Shaitana's Butler
Philip Bowen	...	Mr Luxmore
Cordelia Bugeja	...	Mrs Luxmore
Zigi Ellison	...	Mrs Craddock
Tristan Gemmill	...	Major Despard
Alex Jennings	...	Dr Roberts
Lucy Liemann	...	Miss Burgess
Lesley Manville	...	Mrs Lorrimer
Lyndsey Marshal	...	Miss Meredith
Jenny Ogilvie	...	Millie
Robert Pugh	...	Colonel Hughes
Douglas Reith	...	Serge Mureau
Alexander Siddig	...	Shaitana
Zoë Wanamaker	...	Ariadne Oliver / Mrs Oliver

Storyline

Hercule Poirot finds himself investigating the murder of his dinner host, Mr. Shaitana, who was stabbed in the heart while his guests played bridge. There are eight guests and Poirot finds himself in the company of three other investigators. The foursome interview each of the other guests in turn but make little headway until Poirot manages to reconstruct the various bridge hands played at the suspects' table. In doing so, he is able to identify one particular action that leads him to identify the killer.

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Plot Keywords:

hercule poirot | stabbed to death | homosexuality | police superintendent | nylon stockings | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

19 March 2006 (USA)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Granada, A&E Television Networks, Agatha Christie

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 120 min 94 min 93 min 93 min (11 episodes)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

During the party, Shaitana talks to a waiter and pushes him towards Poirot and Mrs. Oliver. When Shaitana pushes him, there is one cocktail glass on the tray carried by the waiter. When he approaches Poirot and Mrs. Oliver, there are two.

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Quotes

[Hercule Poirot attends a party at Mr. Shaitana's home]
Mr. Shaitana: My dear Monsieur Poirot, come in, come in. How simply divine to see you.
Hercule Poirot: Monsieur Shaitana.
Mr. Shaitana: I don't know if you know the famous Mrs. Oliver.
Hercule Poirot: Ah, yes, of course I do. Enchante, Madame.
Ariadne Oliver: Hello, Poirot.
Hercule Poirot: I did not realize you accepted this kind of invitation, Madame.
Ariadne Oliver: Oh, well, Mr. Shaitana can be awfully persuasive.
Mr. Shaitana: We met at a literary dinner. Mrs. Oliver was the guest of honor.
Ariadne Oliver: Oh, yes, it was the Crime Writers Circle, wasn't it? Come to think...

User Reviews

Poirot still can't be beat

I'm perhaps something of a barbarian, but I enjoyed many Poirot TV-adaptations without having read the original stories. Same here: I loved the attention to detail, the beautiful acting and the turns and twists in the plot. If I had read Agatha Christie's book I might very well have reacted like the other viewers. But without this knowledge: Suchet is as great as ever, and for the rest: nothing but class. Let's be thankful TV still offers quality like this. And besides: how nice to see 'Sam' from Foyle's War in a less heroic role here... Perhaps Christie-readers should be less fundamental in judging adaptations? (I'm sure about their answer).