Agatha Christie Marple: The Sittaford Mystery (2006) (TV)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Paul Unwin

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel) and
Stephen Churchett (screenplay)

Release Date:

30 April 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance

Plot:

The death of the presumptive future PM is predicted during a séance in a snowbound country hotel and, not surprisingly, he is found stabbed to death the next morning.

Plot Keywords:

Miss Marple | Member Of Parliament | Prime Minister | Snowstorm | Stabbed To Death

Cast

Geraldine McEwan	...	Miss Jane Marple
Michael Brandon	...	Martin Zimmerman
Laurence Fox	...	James Pearson
Robert Hardy	...	Winston Churchill
Patricia Hodge	...	Mrs. Evadne Willett
Paul Kaye	...	Dr. Ambrose Burt
Matthew Kelly	...	Donald Garfield / Smith-Jones
Jeffery Kissoon	...	Ahmed Ghali
Carey Mulligan	...	Violet Willett
James Murray	...	Charles Burnaby
Mel Smith	...	John Enderby
Zoe Telford	...	Emily Trefusis
Rita Tushingham	...	Miss Elizabeth Percehouse
James Wilby	...	Stanley Kirkwood
Timothy Dalton	...	Clive Trevelyan

Also Known As:

Agatha Christie - Marple: The Sittaford Mystery (Australia) (DVD title)

Runtime:

Finland:93 min | USA:100 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:TV-14 (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Dorney Court, Dorney, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Agatha Christie

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the scene where Miss Marple explains the murder's solution, just after 'Charles' falls into the ground, the feet of a crew member can be seen at the left bottom of the screen.

Quotes:

Ahmed Ghali: Why did the Captain not return last night?
Miss Jane Marple: It's all a mystery at the moment, Mr. Ghali.
Ahmed Ghali: I shall pray for his soul.

Did anyone in the production team read the book?

Just who was it who dreamt up this dire drivel, and then had to gall to say it was based on Agatha Christie's novel "The Sittaford Mystery"? Someone should sit down and have serious rethink.

Notwithstanding the silly and superfluous inclusion of Jane Marple, this "adaptation" had no resemblance at all to Dame Agatha's mystery. The characters were mostly different, the plot was different, the motive was different, the murder was different, and the culprit was different. In fact virtually the only non-differences in it, were the blizzard and the seance. It took about 50 minutes of tedious atmospheric build-up before the opening scene of the original story was unveiled, and even that was different. I had to look at the TV magazine to assure myself it was "The Sittaford Mystery" I was actually watching. Did anybody in the production team bother to read the book? Long may this series of "Marple" be eventually buried and forgotten, and this particular episode must be buried deepest of all. Leaving aside for a moment that it was supposed to be an Agatha Christie mystery, the production was boringly slow, had a terrible and garbled script, which was indifferently, and in parts even badly acted. In short it was just an awful jumbled mess. I really can't find the words to express how bad it was.

I just cannot understand the reasoning behind the appalling butchery of Dame Agatha's plots. It's unbelievable! "Sleeping Murder" was carnage, but this was complete annihilation. There are many novelists of the genre whose works are yet untouched by TV, film or radio, and if new mysteries are needed, there are also many new writers out there to satisfy requirements, rather than completely destroying the works of the best in the art.

I'd like to know the answer to one question...what was the necessity of including Robert Hardy's cameo of Churchill? I just saw no point to it. But then for that matter, I saw no point to the whole programme! I can imagine Dame Agatha waiting at the Pearly Gates with law-suits in hand, for this was an insult, not only to her name, but to her genius.

I can only conclude by saying, that as a murder mystery in it's own right, it was murder to watch, and a mystery why it was made. One wonders what other "gems" of horrendous nonsense are yet to appear in this series. If you've any sense you'll give this particular offering of "The Sittaford Mystery" a very wide berth.