Murder in Mesopotamia 

While Poirot is on holiday in Iraq, the wife of the head scientist at an archaeological dig confides to him that she is the target of threatening letters.

Director:

Tom Clegg

Writers:

Agatha Christie (based on the novel by), Clive Exton (dramatized by)

Stars:

David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, Ron Berglas

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot
Hugh Fraser	...	Hastings
Ron Berglas	...	Dr. Leidner
Barbara Barnes	...	Mrs. Leidner
Dinah Stabb	...	Anne Johnson
Georgina Sowerby	...	Amy Leatheran
Jeremy Turner-Welch	...	Bill Coleman
Pandora Clifford	...	Sheila Maitland
Christopher Hunter	...	Father Lavigny
Christopher Bowen	...	Richard Carey
Iain Mitchell	...	Superintendent Maitland
Alexi Kaye Campbell	...	Joseph Mercado
Deborah Poplett	...	Mrs. Mercado
Kamel Touati	...	Squat Man
Hichem Rostom	...	Hotel Receptionist (as Hichem Rostrom)

Storyline

While accompanying his friend Hastings to a dig in Iraq, Hercule Poirot becomes involved in the murder of an archaeologist's wife. The victim, Mrs. Leidner, had been receiving threatening letters signed by her first husband, who was known to have been killed in a train wreck. Did he survive? Was it his younger brother who was avenging his memory? Did Miss Johnson get rid of her rival for her employer's affections? Did Richard Carey kill the woman he publically announces that he hates? Is the French priest really who he pretends to be? And how many deaths will occur before Poirot unmasks the murderer?

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Plot Keywords:

letter | threatening letter | iraq | hercule poirot | suspect | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Arabic

Release Date:

8 July 2001 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Bray Film Studios, Windsor, Berkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carnival Film & Television,A&E Television Networks,Chorion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min 100 min (14 episodes)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The vehicle in which Poirot arrives at the start of the show is a 1926 Citroën 10 HP "Conduite Intérieure"

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Goofs

When in the Bagdad hotel Superintendent Maitland and Poirot enter the room with the "dead" body of Joseph Mercado, you can see the actor of Mercado just open his left eye preparing the subsequent close shot of his face.

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Quotes

Bill Coleman: [after going over a bump while driving his jeep at high speed through the desert] Whoops!
Hercule Poirot: [groaning with discomfort] Unh!
Bill Coleman: That was a good one!
Hastings: [with annoyance] We don't have to get there in five minutes, you know!
Bill Coleman: That's half the fun. You're growing old, Ucle Arthur.
Hercule Poirot: Mr. Coleman, I myself have aged ten years since entering this auto mobile.

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Crazy Credits

Thanks to the Archeological Site of Oudhna.

User Reviews

Murder in Mesopotamia??

Worst adaptation ever! If screenwriters have such wonderful ideas about how Christie should have written her stories, they are more than welcome to write their own books! This story was nicely narrated by a nurse and Poirot was supposed to enter the scene a little bit later. Hastings did not appear in the original. I gather that all the unfortunate changes of this adaptation are for viewers to "enjoy" the duo. If you consider the narrative structure of the original, the changes were quite important, and they totally failed to capture the novel's atmosphere . Really, this show changing the endings, the new adaptations of Miss Marple doing the same thing and even the Poirot and Marple manga!!! I guess the grandson has to bleed the copyrights dry before they expire...