After the Funeral (26 Mar. 2006)
"Agatha Christie's Poirot" After the Funeral (original title)

When a man disinherits his sole beneficiary and bequeaths his wealth to others just prior to his death, Poirot is called in to investigate.

Director:

Maurice Phillips

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel), Philomena McDonagh (screenplay)

Stars:

David Suchet, Philip Anthony, Robert Bathurst

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot
Philip Anthony	...	Vicar (as Phillip Anthony)
Robert Bathurst	...	Gilbert Entwhistle
Anna Calder-Marshall	...	Maude Abernethie
John Carson	...	Richard Abernethie
Kevin Doyle	...	Inspector Morton
Michael Fassbender	...	George Abernethie
Fiona Glascott	...	Rosamund
Geraldine James	...	Helen Abernethie
Dominic Jephcott	...	Dr. Larraby
Vicky Ogden	...	Janet
Julian Ovenden	...	Michael Shane
Lucy Punch	...	Susannah Henderson
William Russell	...	Lanscombe
Annabel Scholey	...	'Miss Sorrel'

Storyline

His friend, solicitor Gilbert Entwhistle, asks Hercule Poirot to help solve a riddle and a murder. The riddle has to do with Richard Abernethie's will. It would seem that he changed his will immediately prior to his death, distributing all of his wealth equally among family members but excluding George Abernethie who, in all previous wills, had been the sole beneficiary. The two had supposedly argued recently, but Entwhistle suspects the new will may be a forgery. As for the murder, he would like Poirot to investigate the death of Cora Galaccio, who was violently beaten to death the day after Richard's funeral. She too had inherited from the suspect will, but are the two deaths and the will all part of a greater plot, or is there a simpler explanation?

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Plot Keywords:

suspect | beneficiary | funeral | hercule poirot | italian | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 March 2006 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Rotherfield Park, East Tisted, Alton, Hampshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Granada, A&E Television Networks, Agatha Christie

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 120 min 93 min (11 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Miss Gilchrist: Young people nowadays seem so uncaring. They don't know what it is to be alone in the world.
Hercule Poirot: The journey of life... it can be hard for those of us who travel alone, Mademoiselle. Have you always been a companion to a lady?
Miss Gilchrist: No. I used to have my own tea shop, "The Willow Tree". Oh, it was a delightful little place, Mr Poirot. All the china was blue-willow patterned... so pretty, and the cakes were really awfully good, if I say it myself. But a Lions establishment opened up nearby and my little ...
[...]

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Connections

Version of Murder at the Gallop (1963)

User Reviews

More Poirot is better Poirot

Count me as being one who is happy to see no Hastings in this episode. The poor-man's Dr. Watson does nothing for me, as he simply drags down every scene he's in. Japp is often necessary to the story as the representative of officialdom, and a little Miss Lemon is fine for seasoning, but Hastings swings from painfully dim to over-mannered in different episodes. If I have to sit through one more vacuous "Oh, I say there!" I'll take the gas-pipe.

As a general rule, the more Poirot you get in a Poirot story, the better. Every line for Hastings is one taken away from Poirot. And I've never read the books, so I really don't care about fidelity to Christie's characters. A lot of viewers/reviewers seem to have a problem with separating the movies from the books. If you want the book as written, then read it. I don't see the point of watching the television version if you know what will come next at every stage. Theatre is not prose - don't expect a transcription.