Greenshaw's Folly

Episode aired Sep 21, 2014
1h 29min

7.6/10

S6.E2

Miss Marple aids a young mother and son by spiriting them away to the estate of an eccentric botanist, not knowing that it will soon become the scene of murder.Miss Marple aids a young mother and son by spiriting them away to the estate of an eccentric botanist, not knowing that it will soon become the scene of murder.Miss Marple aids a young mother and son by spiriting them away to the estate of an eccentric botanist, not knowing that it will soon become the scene of murder.Miss Marple aids a young mother and son by spiriting them away to the estate of an eccentric botanist, not knowing that it will soon become the scene of murder.Miss Marple aids a young mother and son by spiriting them away to the estate of an eccentric botanist, not knowing that it will soon become the scene of murder.

Director
- Sarah Harding
Writers
- Agatha Christie(short stories: "Greenshaw's Folly" & "The Thumb Mark of St Peter")
- Tim Whitnall(screenplay)
Stars

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

Kimberley Nixon and Bobby Smalldridge in Agatha Christie's Marple (2004)

Martin Compston in Agatha Christie's Marple (2004)

Bobby Smalldridge, as Archie Oxley from Marple- Greenshaw's Folly

Robert Glenister, John Gordon Sinclair, Julia McKenzie, Julia Sawalha, Martin Compston, Matt Willis, and Kimberley Nixon in Agatha Christie's Marple (2004)

Director
- Sarah Harding
Writers
- Agatha Christie(short stories: "Greenshaw's Folly" & "The Thumb Mark of St Peter")
- Tim Whitnall(screenplay)
All cast & crew

See production, box office, & company info

When old family friend Louisa Oxley visits Miss Marple one stormy night seeking help, Miss Marple decides to send her and her son, Archie, to safety at the labyrinthine estate of Greenshaw's Folly, owned by Miss Marple's good friend Katherine Greenshaw, an eccentric botanist and the last surviving Greenshaw. Louisa becomes Miss Greenshaw's secretary, and quickly attracts the attention of the gardener Alfred Pollock and actor Nat Fletcher. Things turn sinister when the Folly's faithful butler, Walter Cracken, is killed in what appears to be a tragic accident. Then a guest at the house, Horace Bindler, disappears without a trace. Miss Marple is convinced all is not well, and her suspicions are confirmed when Miss Greenshaw herself is brutally murdered. Suspects are everywhere, but none can imagine the secrets, both past and present, which Miss Marple uncovers. —shanty_sleuth

child abuse domestic abuse spousal abuse female murder victim butler 22 more

Genres
Parents guide

Trivia
The poisoning aspect of the case and the request of pilocarpine as an antidote was not based on "Greenshaw's Folly" (1956), but the short story "The Thumb Mark of St. Pete" (1928), where Jane Marple investigated the murder of her nephew-in-law Geoffrey Denman.

Goofs
The button found in the reporter's hand is reported to bear the fingerprint of Albert the gardener. However, during the summing up at the end of the program, the button is shown being placed in the reporter's hand by Mrs Creswell, which means that the button would also have the fingerprints of Mrs Cresswell on it.

Quotes
Miss Marple: I'd like you to do something for me.
Inspector Welch: And what would that be?
Miss Marple: A postmortem.
Inspector Welch: But you're still alive Miss. Marple. We generally reserve postmortems for dead people.
Miss Marple: [smiling at the comeback] Very good.
[She nods before continuing]

Top review

7/10

combo of two short stories

Miss Marple helps out an abused mother and son in "Greenshaw's Folly," from Season 6 of the Miss Marple series.

Louisa Oxley and her little boy, Archie, appear on Miss Marple's doorstep one night; Louisa is on the run from her abusive husband. Marple brings them to her friend, Katherine Greenshaw, who owns a huge estate, known as Greenshaw's Folly. Katherine is a botanist and needs the help of a secretary, so she hires Louisa.

Katherine's butler Walter is there, as well as her nephew, an actor, Nat Fletcher, and the gardener, Alfred, who takes a shine to both mother and son.

Walter falls and is killed; and then a guest at the house, Horace Bindler, disappears. Miss Marple, who is helping out at the orphanage, doesn't like the atmosphere and believes something is wrong. Then Miss Greenshaw herself meets with an untimely end.

There are secrets to be uncovered and plenty of suspicious characters in this adaptation of two Christie stories. The atmosphere is great, as is the acting. Julia McKenzie is an excellent Marple, and one of England's finest actresses, Fiona Shaw, plays Miss Greenshaw.

A couple of subplots could have been left out, but on the whole, it's an intriguing story and good episode.

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