Hercule Poirot's Christmas 

The tyrannical patriarch of a dysfunctional but wealthy family summons his adult children for a Christmas reunion, but prior to the holiday his throat is slashed apparently by one of them.

Director:

Edward Bennett

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel), Clive Exton (dramatized by)

Stars:

David Suchet, Philip Jackson, Vernon Dobtcheff

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot
Philip Jackson	...	Japp
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Simeon Lee
Simon Roberts	...	Alfred
Catherine Rabett	...	Lydia
Eric Carte	...	George
Andrée Bernard	...	Magdalene (as Andree Bernard)
Brian Gwaspari	...	Harry
Sasha Behar	...	Pilar
Mark Tandy	...	Sugden
Olga Lowe	...	Stella
Ayub Khan-Din	...	Horbury (as Ayub Khan Din)
John Horsley	...	Tressilian
Scott Handy	...	Young Simeon
Liese Benjamin	...	Young Stella

Storyline

When Simeon Lee, a mean-spirited, tyrannical patriarch of a dysfunctional family, summons his offspring to his country manor house in Kent for Christmas, he employs Poirot to attend the reunion. The detective is not given a full explanation for his assignment, but he soon observes the palpable animosity, suspicion, and resentment among the three Lee sons. Also in attendance is the beautiful Pilar Estravados, the only surviving child of Lee's daughter, who recently passed away after living in exile in Spain. The ruthless Senior Lee, who made his fortune in the South African diamond fields, sadistically treats his progeny with deliberate cruelty and obviously relishes pitting one against the other. It comes as no surprise when the old man's throat is mysteriously cut in an apparently locked room, and although he was frail and wheelchair-bound, there appears to be evidence of a great struggle. Poirot is aided in his quest for a solution to the baffling mystery by Chief Inspector Japp and...

---

Plot Keywords:

christmas | south africa | manor house | uncut diamond | reference to francisco franco | 

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1994 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Chilham Castle, Chilham, Kent, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carnival Film & Television, London Weekend Television (LWT), Picture Partnership Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min (14 episodes)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Vernon Dobtcheff (as Simeon Lee) has appeared alongside 2 different Poirots: David Suchet here in this rendition, and Albert Finney in Murder on the Orient Express (1974).

---

Goofs

Whilst on the train, Harry and Pilar are talking about Simeon Lee, Harry states that the family don't know that he is coming. However, when Horbury arrives to collect the party at the station, he greets Harry as if he were expected. Horbury is fairly new to the household, and obviously doesn't know Harry when he meets, as he asks 'Mr Harry Lee' like he is expecting him to be there but doesn't know him.

---

Quotes

Simeon Lee: [Telephone rings] Hercule Poirot?
Hercule Poirot: Yes, it is I Hercule Poirot who speaks.

User Reviews

Chrimestmas

Fine adaptation of Christie's book,made with care.The yuletide spirit is perfectly captured and the use of Christmas carols ("I came to save you from that cacophony" Poirot says)delightful.All happens in four days ,the 22nd ,23rd ,24th and 25th of December,as the pages of a tear-off calendar show.

This is Christie at her best: a group of persons in a desirable mansion where a murder is committed ;all might have killed,everyone had a reason for it...Christie had probably read Gaston Leroux's "le Mystere de la Chambre Jaune" and her story is a brilliant variation on the theme.

If you've not read the book,I dare you to guess who...