Poirot (TV Series) Hercule Poirot's Christmas (1994) User Reviews

A fine seasonal mystery.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 25 March 2019]

Christmas was never going to be relaxation and Belgian chocolates for poor Poirot, invited to a home, it was obvious murder was on the menu.

I love the story, and really enjoyed this adaptation, it's a clever deception that could have easily gone wrong, but they nailed it, in unique fashion. Very nicely produced, they truly did capture Christmas.

Vernon Dobtcheff steals the show as Simeon Lee, he really does being the character from the book to life, he is monstrous and grotesque, it's a memorable performance. All the cast are excellent, Suchet is as magical as ever.

Nice touches of humour, I love the look on Japp's face as his family sing Welsh Christmas carols, his gift to Poirot is also a fun moment.

I dig it out every Christmas to watch, it's a great episode. 8/10

Very good adaptation and seasonal fun

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 28 October 2010]

Hercule Poirot's Christmas isn't what I consider the most definitive adaptation in the Agatha Christie Poirot canon, but it is good seasonal fun and a very good adaptation. My only complaints really are the occasionally stodgy pacing and I agree the reveal of the veiled lady was rather unnecessary. I personally had no problem with the final solution. As always, the production values are excellent with the scenery and photography particularly striking and the music is beautiful. The story is well written and is atmospheric and suspenseful, while the writing is excellent in general, likewise with the directing. I had no real qualms with the acting, I wasn't initially sure about Mark Tandy but I am fine with him now. David Suchet as he consistently is is superb as Poirot and Phillip Jackson is a joy as Japp. In the supporting cast, the standouts are (and I concur) Vernon Dobtchef as the chilling and hateful Simeon Lee and Sandra Behar as the beautiful Pilar. Overall, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Clever and, as always, intriguing

[grantss · 8/10 · 19 May 2016]

Four days before Christmas, Hercule Poirot receives a phone call from Mr Simeon Lee, a mining magnate. He is inviting all his family over to his mansion in Shropshire for Christmas and needs Poirot around, as he fears someone will try to kill him. With nothing significant planned for Christmas and his central heating broken, Poirot agrees. Upon his arrival at the mansion, it is immediately apparent that Lee and his family don't see eye-to-eye at all. Lee calls a family meeting in which he mentions that he is about to change his will. That night he is murdered. Poirot is immediately on the case and enlists the help of Chief Inspector Japp, who is on holiday in nearby Wales with his family.

Clever and, as always, intriguing. The murder method is particularly ingenious. The murderer is given away reasonably early, if you concentrate hard enough (there is no padding in a Poirot mystery, remember...). Still, even if you figure you know who the murderer is, you never know how they did it or what their motive was, and its these elements which make it so interesting.

Poirot is invited to spend Christmas with Simeon Lee--a wealthy, embittered man--and his family.

[rwag-2 · 10/10 · 13 July 2006]

This is one of my favorite Christmas movies, although I watch it year 'round. The interactions between Poirot and Japp are warm and indicative of their true (sometmes hidden) admiration and fondness for each other. The final scene will remind viewers of what Christmas is really about. David Suchet is--as always--the only Poirot to watch on screen. The soundtrack is one of my favorites--with children's choirs and Salvation bands. The setting is made more beautiful by the holiday events taking place within this suspenseful plot. Although I wonder about the whereabouts of Hastings and Miss Lemon, their absences don't significantly detract from this movie. Make this a part of your collection.

Chrimestmas

[dbdumonteil · 24 December 2006]

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...

Is there anyone as perfect as Suche?

[amon_re2 · 10/10 · 22 December 2000]

I am commenting not just on "Hercule Poirot's Christmas," but on the entire DAvid Suche series. The entire cast is utterly superb. They have such an amazing on-screen chemistry. Hastings plays his part magnificently and Chief Inspector Japp is just as Christie describes him in her novels.

I am real big on cinematography and not often is it very good on made for TV movies, shows, etc, but Poroit on A&E has some very nice camera work. The stories are well presented and are concluded with nice, clear cut endings. This is the best Agatha Christie series ever and one of the best TV series on television.

"I have yet to meet anybody in this household that has even the most rudimentary sense of humor."

[bensonmum2 · 8/10 · 9 April 2008]

Harry Lee, a wealthy and curmudgeonly old coot, invites Hercule Poirot to spend Christmas with him and his dysfunctional, greedy, money-hungry relatives. On hand are Lee's three sons, their two wives, and a Spanish granddaughter whose late mother was Lee's only daughter. Though Lee seems to relish tormenting his offspring with talk of changing his will, he tells Poirot that he's afraid for his life and wants Poirot to keep and eye on his family. As it turns out, Harry Lee's fears are proved to have been well founded when he's discovered with his throat slashed behind a locked door. With the able and welcome assistance of his friend Inspector Japp, Poirot sets out to find a killer for Christmas.

Hercule Poirot's Christmas is one of the very few Agatha Christie books that I haven't read. Therefore, I have no idea how faithful or unfaithful the movie is to the book. And quite honestly, that may be one of the reasons I enjoyed Hercule Poirot's Christmas so much – I went into it completely blind with no expectations. It has all the traits that I love about a good Agatha Christie mystery – a murder committed in a locked room, a house full of greedy relatives, a bitter old coot of a murder victim, and a gathering of the suspects for the final reveal. The killer's identity wasn't too awfully difficult to figure out, but the how it was done was quite interesting. Like most of the Poirot episodes, Hercule Poirot's Christmas looks fantastic with interesting sets, nice period touches, and solid cinematography and lighting. The acting from most of the supporting players is what I would call okay. The exceptions would be the notable performances of Vernon Dobtcheff as Harry Lee and Sasha Behar as Pilar Estravados. Phillip Jackson gives his usual enjoyable performance as Inspector Japp. And David Suchet is as good as always in the role of Poirot. I can't believe that there was a time just a few years ago when I didn't care for Suchet. Now, not only do I enjoy Suchet's performances, but I consider him the definitive screen version of Poirot. Quite simply, David Suchet IS Poirot!

A broken radiator leads to a Christmas whodunit for Poirot

[SimonJack · 9/10 · 6 September 2018]

As with all of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot mysteries, this one is full of intrigue and packed with mystery. It starts off with scenes from 40 years before the main story - 1896, in South Africa. This is one of those films that shows incidents well before the main plot. That is to help the audience understand something about one or more characters later. In this case, its distaste for Simeon Lee. Vernon Dobtcheff does a superb job in playing Lee as the despotic, lecherous, spiteful and mean man that he is.

Poirot gets involved with the super wealthy Lee and his family quite by chance. The radiator in his home and office building is on the blink and maintenance can't repair it until after Christmas. So, wanting to spend Christmas with the warmth of indoors, Poirot takes a call and accepts an invitation to spend the holiday at Simeon Lee's mansion.

Thus is the unfolding of "Hercule Poirot's Christmas." The only regular character who joins Poirot in this adventure is Chief Inspector Japp. It's mostly a distasteful time for the super sleuth because the majority of characters and suspects are so nasty and distasteful themselves. So, Japp's presence, besides helping with the murder mystery, is a morale booster for Poirot.

While this story has all the intrigue one expects from the pen of Agatha Christie, it also provides some hint to the audience for suspects. That's from the opening scenes and Lee's past in South Africa where he amassed his fortune in diamonds.

As with all Christie and Poirot stories, this one won't disappoint viewers but will keep one interested to the very end. It did leave me thinking that it was too bad a couple of other characters didn't get some sort of comeuppance.

Here are some favorite lines from the movie. For more dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the film.

Hercule Poirot, "Ah, chief inspector. You have been thinking again. I have warned you of this before." Chief Inspector Japp, "Oh, well."

Chief Inspector Japp, "You've seen a ghost or something, Poirot?" Hercule Poirot, "Chief inspector, I might just have done precisely that."

Chief Inspector Japp, "Very violent sort of blokes, these Africans." Hercule Poirot, "Europeans do not figure too badly in the arts of violence, Chief Inspector."

Chief Inspector Japp, "Ah, but it gives you the creeps - this place, doesn't it?" Hercule Poirot, "You are too sensitive, mon ami." Japp, "That's true."

Murder rates soar on holidays.

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 20 August 2008]

This is one of the better feature-length episodes. There's nothing soppy about it, as there is likely to be in so many other Christmas tales. That's not Dame Agatha's style, nor Poirot's. (Nor Conan-Doyle's Sherlock Holmes for that matter -- the blue carbuncle.) No syrupy little kids either. Thank heavens for small favors.

David Suchet is Hercule Poirot, of course. He and Inspector Japp are required to spend a few days in a Shropshire mansion trying to unravel a mystery in which a dessicated old thief has been murdered and his diamonds disappeared. The wheelchair-bound geezer is Vernon Dobtcheff who almost steals the show with his villainy, looking as he does from some angles like a malignant Sir John Gielgud, without the savory inflections.

He's a spiteful old bastard. He hates the family members he invited to his lodgings, and they hate him. "It is not difficult to see why, M'sieur," remarks Poirot.

The murder seems impossible. The room was locked, the furniture wrecked although the old chap was in no condition to put up a struggle. Did he somehow kills himself and try to make it look like murder? He's certainly capable of it.

Sasha Behar stands out too, as Dobtcheff's Spanish granddaughter. She speaks English with a Spanish accent. Not New World Spanish, but Spanish Spanish. Philip Jackson is Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard. Of Poirot's two usual sidekicks I think I prefer Hugh Fraser as Captain Hastings. Jackson looks too much like a dour Scot. Fraser, as Hastings, is gawky and comic, friendlier if no more helpful.

I am, how you say, happy to note that I twigged to the identity of the killer at about the same time Poirot did, in the gag shop, connecting the false mustache with the portrait. In the morgue I was even able to sketch in roughly the history and motive of the murderer and his or her accomplice. The actual details of the murder itself managed to squeeze past me, since I did not note on the wall of the shop, nor had I ever heard of, the Dying Pig. I don't claim that my little gray cells are any more numerous or dendritic than Hercule Poirot's, only that the mustache, the portrait, and the claimant to the family fortune came out of "The Hound of the Baskervilles." In fact I've begun to worry a bit lately about my little gray cells, which I believe are coming to resemble the results of a serious mistake I once made in a high school chemistry class.

This is one of Christie's better mysteries, if only because a viewer is able to keep the characters straight, and because of the blessed absence of mawkish children at Christmas time.

Poirot's Christmas is less than merry

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 18 July 2014]

Poor Poirot. There's no heat in his apartment, and it's not being fixed until after Christmas. Then this old man, Simon Lee, calls him and says he needs Poirot at his country home over Christmas, though he's not given an explanation as to why. Poirot has one question: Do you have heat? He's on his way.

Simon Lee is a perfectly awful man. In the beginning of the episode, we see an incident which took place 40 years earlier in South Africa, when Lee and his partner find diamonds. Lee kills his partner but is injured and is taken in by a woman who is disfigured by a port wine stain on her face. It's obvious she falls for him, but one night she discovers that he's disappeared.

Lee hasn't changed much. He has summoned his family to his home and he wants Poirot to watch them. "For what?" asks Poirot. "You'll know when you see it," Lee answers. What Poirot sees later is Lee's murdered body which was in a locked room.

The whole family makes up the list of suspects. Two sons, one of whom hasn't been around for years, a granddaughter, Pilar, the child of Lee's late daughter, and two daughters-in-law.

Soon, a local detective and Inspector Japp turn up.

I understand this is not a faithful adaptation of the book, and one reviewer here said he was glad Agatha Christie wasn't alive to see her work changed. Once the estate gets its money, it's obvious that they don't care what anyone does to the stories. If Christie were alive, I imagine things would be different.

I enjoyed this one, but that's because I don't remember the book.

Wildly unpredictable but unevenly paced Poirot mystery

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 5 March 2008]

The owner of a mining company, a rich old man with a guilty past, gets murdered in his own room, a few days before Christmas. The suspects: every member of his large family that had been assembled on the same house for the holidays. But there is another guest in the house - Hercule Poirot.

For anyone (like me) who hasn't read the Agatha Christie book adapted here, this must be one of THE most unpredictable stories Miss Christie ever wrote - and that's saying something! Your jaw may well drop to the floor when the murderer is revealed. Still, this episode is not 100% satisfying. The pacing seems uneven: too slow during the investigation process, and then too rushed during the revelations (we don't get enough scenes of Poirot piecing everything together). Two supporting actors stand out: Vernon Dobtcheff, who is so creepy as the old man you can see why everyone would want him dead, and Sasha Behar as the lively Spanish girl (with the sexy accent to boot - very good job for an English actress). (**1/2)

Impeccable English grammar

[210west · 9/10 · 3 April 2021]

A beautifully photographed, impressively atmospheric production. The usual lavish art direction really helps in a Christmas story like this, with its handsome country house, charming English village, quaint village pub, etc. (as well as a striking bit of art representing the backyards of some Welsh row houses). Like several commenters, I too missed the presence of Captain Hastings and Miss Lemon but was otherwise content.

I notice that one dour commenter, back in 2013, revealed his ignorance by complaining that the characters in the drama displayed poor grammar because they treated singular nouns like "family" as if they were plural. (And he actually thinks that Poirot would have disapproved!) He's got it precisely backwards. Unlike Americans, the British generally treat singular nouns like plurals if they're collective (e.g., "team"). British sportscasters say things like "Leeds are fighting for every point," business writers report that "Bentley have popularised their brand," and I've even heard Brits say things like "The government are planning a new white paper." In fact, in the 1985 movie "Dreamchild," a hard-boiled New York City newspaper editor - if memory serves - says something like "The Sun are trying to scoop us," which gave away, if you didn't know it already, that screenwriter Dennis Potter was British; a genuine New Yorker would have said "is."

Tyrannical patriarch invites his relatives over for Christmas...

[Doylenf · 7/10 · 25 August 2010]

Entertaining Hercule Poirot story with David SUCHET as the famous Belgain detective and PHILIP JACKSON as Inspector Jaff.

There are many familiar ingredients in this tale, including that of a tyrannical patriarch who snarls at everyone (VERNON DOBTCHEFF) while guarding his diamond collection and taunting them about signing a new Will. Unfortunately, after inviting Poirot to join the Christmas gathering, he's murdered in a locked room and therein begins the investigation into members of the household--all of whom hate the bitter old man.

It's the revelation of the locked room murder that's the weakest element in the story, based on the highly improbable staging of the event. But still, there's enough tension and mystery to keep Christie fans entertained--and the Christmas setting in the countryside makes this a visually appealing treat.

Good work by all concerned, especially SASHA BEHAR as a mysterious Spanish woman who is concealing her true identity. Humorous banter between Poirot and Hastings over quickly bought Christmas presents gives the ending the sort of lift it needs. VERNON DOBTCHEFF is chilling as the cantankerous, wealthy old man in the sort of role George Macready would have played to polished perfection on the big screen if this had been made in the '40s.

Why Oh Why?

[mattymatterson · 1/10 · 22 January 2009]

Why on earth would one murder a great Agatha Christie novel like one of her doomed characters? This take on the book is ridiculous to say the least. Three major Characters have been dropped, interesting integral characters. Some characters have been added for no real reason. The most disturbing part is that complete scenes and stories that were never in the original book have been made up without use. I say, if one wanted to write a mystery screenplay then write an original one, don't mess with a classic. As a stand alone mystery this may be a good movie, but as a recreation of Agatha Christie's brilliant novel it's a complete disaster. I am rather glad Christie is not alive to see one of her works crucified in such a manner.

S6E01: Hercule Poirot's Christmas: Generally good festive episode despite some weaker aspects

[bob the moo · 25 October 2014]

When Hercule Poirot's central heating goes out just at the start of the Christmas holidays, he happily accepts employment over the period from the wealthy but tyrannical head of his family, Simon Lee. The assignment is perhaps not totally clear, however when Mr Lee is found murdered and some diamonds missing, Poirot finds himself with a familiar, but typically unconventional murder case.

The downside of catching up with shows on boxset style watching, is that you find yourself frequently celebrating Halloween, Thansgiving, Christmas and other holidays outside of the context of the time of year. So it was with this Christmas edition of Poirot, where the festivities of a family Christmas are rather spoilt by a brutally violent and noisy murder; not that the tense family circle and domineering patriarch of Lee really was ever going to produce a relaxing holiday season anyway. As an episode, I didn't find that it was particularly festive and was a lot less fun than I would expected it to be – a feeling I know which is due to the characters being mostly quite mean spirited, but still, for Christmas one expected a bit more of a light touch. That aside though, the story is pretty good with a nice mystery even if it does have some things wrong with it.

The prologue was a mistake I think because it really only exists because it must relate to the impending murder, which then leads the viewer to the conclusion that those that have nothing to do with that time or event, must only be red-herrings; not only this, but it is a bit long for what it is trying to deliver. There are aspects of the plotting which don't work as well as others, in particular around the middle of the extended episode it did feel like the pace slowed or perhaps it was buying time, not too badly but still. Otherwise though it is a decently told story even if some of it were leaps beyond me, and I did have the feeling of it all being explained at the end, rather than me even being close to having most of it already in my head.

The cast are good. Suchet on good form as ever and sharing some funny moments with Jackson's Japp. This dynamic works but it did rather reinforce the absence of Fraser's Hastings, who I like and miss when he is not around for extended periods of time. The supporting cast are quite fun, in particular the simple but effective lead from Dobtcheff and also other roles from Behar for example. As usual the production has the good feel of the period in terms of clothes, set design and location, although the heavy use of internal shots and darkness didn't help the look of the episode particularly.

The end result is not one of my favorite of the series, nor one of the best, but it has a steady strength which puts it to the generally high standard set by this character.

Poirot saves Christmas

[safenoe · 8/10 · 6 November 2020]

Half the Scooby gang appear in this Christmas mystery. Poirot is joined by Japp, but unfortunately no Captain Hastings or Miss Lemon, as I guess they were probably away for the holidays. I was hoping they would make quick appearances at the end.

I like the calendar date appearing each day approaching Christmas.

One thing the episode didn't make clear was whether Poirot charges Christmas penalty rates for solving murders during the festive season.

Hard to believe this episode was broadcast 26 years ago, yet it endures for sure. If Poirot is ever rebooted, maybe Danny Dyer can play Poirot please. Ant can play Japp and Dec can be Hastings. Lisa Kudrow could play Miss Lemon.

Not a very merry Christmas chez Lee!

[Iain-215 · 8/10 · 17 May 2008]

One of Christie's few seasonal outings comes to attractive life in this Suchet Poirot outing. One of the earlier episodes, there is slightly more humour and of course Japp makes an appearance though Hastings and Miss Lemon are happily absent (they are not needed!). Atmospheric and well shot, there are one or two minor changes to the plot but nothing too serious. Given the undue prominence of the South Africa storyline, I'm surprised they cut out the character of Stephen Farr who would have muddied the waters still further but things still worked pretty well. It's a slightly preposterous plot of course - why would anyone stage such an elaborate murder? But this story is all about puzzle and is one of Christie's few attempts at this 'locked room' style.

As others have pointed out, stand out performances in a uniformly good cast are Vernon Dobtcheff as the dreadful old victim and Sasha Behar who is really quite perfect as Pilar - both these characters are EXACTLY as I imagined them! Why not a 10/10? Well, it was a little slow in places and the 'veiled lady' storyline was a bit unnecessary but otherwise, very good!

A creepy locked room mystery

[coltras35 · 9/10 · 16 July 2023]

It is Christmas Eve. The Lee family reunion is shattered by a deafening crash of furniture, followed by a high-pitched wailing scream. Upstairs, the tyrannical Simeon Lee lies dead, murdered. His uncut diamonds stolen...

Earlier, Poirot had received a call by Simeon Lee, who believed his life was threatened, to stay at his mansion, and ends up investigating the case: and there is no shortage of suspects, mainly the Lees - the outcasted Harry Lee, Albert Lee and his wife, George and his trophy wife Magdalene and Pillar, the dead codger's granddaughter. Or could it be someone out of the fold? What about the mystery old woman in black?

Hercule Poirot's Christmas ( which means murder and mayhem for him) is a well adapted episode, capturing the novel's creepy atmosphere, dodgy suspects and a truly despicable victim. The book is definitely one of Agatha's best - and features a more graphic death as she rose to the gauntlet thrown by critics who said her murder scenes are lacking gruesomeness- and it is mirrored well with striking clarity here. The acting is grand and the set-pieces are well done.

Another top notch dramatization of a classic mystery novel.

[jamesraeburn2003 · 8/10 · 6 September 2023]

Hercule Poirot is invited to spend Christmas at Gorston Hall in Shropshire by the elderly and tyrannical diamond mine owner Simeon Lee (played by Vernon Dobtcheff). He asks Poirot to protect him as he believes his life is in danger. It quickly becomes apparent to the detective that Lee is antagonistic towards his family and uses his wealth to control them. That night the household is disturbed by a blood curdling scream followed by an almighty crash coming from Lee's bedroom. His sons, Harry (played by Brian Gwaspari) and Alfred (played by Simon Roberts), break down the door and find him dead with his throat cut and the room trashed. Lee's priceless uncut diamonds have also been stolen from his safe. Poirot calls in his friend Chief Inspector Japp of the Yard who begins a murder inquiry alongside Superintendent Sugdan (played by Mike Tandy). Everyone in the household had a motive for murder: his sons, the wayward Harry, the mild-mannered and loyal Alfred and the Member of Parliament George Lee (played by Eric Carte) who was heavily dependent on his father for money. Did the wives of George and Alfred, Magdalene (played by Andree Bernard) and Lydia (played by Catherine Rabett), murder their father-in-law so their husbands would inherit his money and then they could have been free of him? Could his long lost niece, Pilar Estravados (played by Sasha Behar), have done it for his diamonds? Or, could the motive be revenge for something that Simeon had done decades before?

Another high quality adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel from London Weekend Television. There are fine performances by a well -chosen cast, including Brian Gwaspari, Simon Roberts and Eric Carte as the murdered man's three contrasting sons. Andree Bernard and Catherine Rabett are also good in their roles as the wives of George and Alfred, Magdalene and Lydia. Sasha Behar is excellent as the plain speaking Pilar as is Vernon Dobtcheff as the murdered man. Mike Tandy is noteworthy as Superintendent Sugdan as is Olga Lowe as a mysterious South African lady called Stella who is present in the neighbourhood at the time of the murder. Is she a face from Simeon Lee's past and, if so, is she implicated in his murder? There is also a charming performance from the veteran British character actor John Horsley as the butler Tressilian. David Suchet is his usual impressive self as Poirot and he is ably supported by his regular co-star Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp. The film is atmospherically shot by Simon Kossoff complementing the excellent settings and location work, which combine to create an atmosphere of menace and the mysteriousness helped by Christopher Gunning's mood music. The dramatization by Clive Exton is excellent and the assured direction is by series regular Edward Bennett.

Hercule Poirot's Christmas

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 25 December 2017]

In the prologue we see Simeon Lee in South Africa. He kills his partner, goes off with the diamonds they found. He romances a woman with a stain on her face who treated his bullet wound and then leaves her.

Forty years later, Simeon Lee is an old embittered man. He has invited Poirot to spend Christmas in his house along with his family who he makes clear that he detests.

Simeon plans to change his will and tells Poirot that he fears something may happen to him. Later that evening a blood curdling scream is heard and Simeon is found dead inside his locked room.

A local superintendent who was nearby investigates the death, he is also happy for Poirot and Japp to help out.

This is a locked room mystery and rather well done. It is nice to see Clive Exton adapting this one, as he adapted most of the earlier episodes.

However the prologue rather gave the game away and I had a good sense who the killer might be. Despite the wonderful festive atmosphere conveyed with all that snow, it is another feature length episode that could had done with being tighter and shorter.

Poorly Done

[bob-lambert · 4/10 · 21 December 2013]

Not only is this not particularly true to the book, but the screenplay is badly done. These are wealthy and well educated people, yet the grammar in the script is poor. Family is a singular noun, so should always take a singular verb, yet repeatedly the script writers get this wrong. It isn't "Do the family know you're coming?", it's "Does the family know you're coming?". It isn't "My family hate me", it's "My family hates me".

This really isn't complicated, it's basic English grammar, and this quite simple error completely undermines the illusion about the family and its circumstances. It's also the sort of grammatical slip that Poirot would have spotted immediately...

Not True to Original Story

[RDOwens · 31 December 2012]

I just read Hercule Poirot's Christmas. Someone mentioned there had been a television version of the story. I looked at Netflix and sure enough, here it is.

There were many details changed from Agatha Christie's story to the small screen adaptation. Many of those were inconsequential, some for no reason at all, and others that were changed that affected the story. I would have much preferred a more authentic retelling of the story, which was good.

Why was Poirot in the house at the time of the murder? It is a ridiculous premise and one that would assuredly cause Ms. Christie to turn in her grave. Three main characters were omitted from the television reenactment. That removed the "love" story end of the tale. The planting of the case, the arrival of the diamonds altogether, and the attack cheapened the plot of this murder mystery. Those changes seem to me unneeded.

The omission of the characters could perhaps be explained away as financial if the addition of the "mother" at the end was not included. I suppose if one were not familiar with the original story this would pass as okay.

Festive fun

[francyndra · 30 March 2006]

Poirot's central heating is down, so he is attracted by the invitation to the mansion of millionaire Simeon Lee, where an act of brutality that takes place in the night makes Christmas a good deal less merry than usual. I was pleased to see that Japp makes an appearance in this episode, as Poirot normally explains the plot to him which makes the ins and outs understandable to his confused audience.

As always, there are red herrings galore, including a missing case of uncut diamonds concealed in the cabinet of the unfortunate Mr Lee.

Being a Christmas episode, there are several cheerful aspects in the story, including the present Japp gives to Poirot to round off a baffling yet highly entertaining festive treat.