Although we thought Sarah Phelps' adaptation of Witness for the Prosecution was ghastly bad last year at BBC, we did absolutely adore And Then There Were None the year before it, so we are ready to give ORDEAL BY INNOCENCE her latest Agatha Christie project a go when it starts airing Easter Sunday at BBC. It was originally supposed to air at Christmas but it underwent a 12 day reshooting in order to replace Ed Westwick with Christian Cooke in 35 scenes in which he appears in the three part mini series. The reshooting wasn't easy as they had to book the ensemble cast again and shoot in winter instead of summer while also booking all the locations and costumes
Bill Nighy leads the cast as the victim's widower!
again too. They have also changed the ending from the one in Christie's novel for which they've got a special permission from Agatha Christie's estate.
DEATH IN FAMILY & MURDERER IS STILL AMONG THEM Wealthy philanthropist Rachel Argyll (Anna Chancellor) is murdered at her family estate Sunny Point. Her adopted son Jack Argyll (Anthony
Rachel's children and Alice Eve as their future stepmother
Boyle), a young delinquent, is arrested for her murder. He vehemently protests his innocence.
Eighteen months later, Dr Arthur Calgary (Luke
Christian Cooke was cast to replace Ed Westwick in 32 scenes
Treadaway), a
mysterious scientist, walks onto the velvety lawns of Sunny Point
claiming to have just returned from an expedition to the Arctic. Even
Poldark's Eleanor Tomlinson plays one of Rachel's daughters
more extraordinary is his claim to hold the alibi that can prove Jack’s
innocence. But Jack died in prison before the case could come to trial,
and the Argyll family is reluctant to dig up the secrets of the past.
Rachel’s widower
Matthew Goode is secretly attracted to his wife's sister in the series
Leo (Bill Nighy) is about to remarry his secretary Gwenda (Alice Eve) and none of Rachel’s other adopted children Mary (Eleanor Tomlinson), Mickey (Christian Cooke), Tina (Crystal Clarke) or Hester (Ella
Luke Treadaway returns from Arctic and brings mystery with him
Purnell), nor long standing housekeeper Kirsten (Morven Christie),
is willing to reopen that most horrendous chapter of their lives.
However, the shattering implications of Calgary’s story are too big to
avoid; if he is telling
Alice Eve plays Bill Nighy's secretary and future wife
the truth then the wrong person was arrested for
Rachel’s murder. And if Jack is innocent, then it must have been
somebody else at Sunny Point. Somebody still out there…Matthew Goode plays Mary's disabled husband Philip.
I do like a good mystery though I'm not sure if changing the ending is a good idea. Agatha Christie probably knew what she was doing when she wrote it.
they've changed it in And Then There Was None too, methinks. I did not like Witness for the Prosecution, though, it was very difficult to watch and poorly acted. I also did not like Kenneth Branagh Orient Express last year.
I agree that changing the ending probably isn't a good idea. I hate it when I love a story and someone comes and changes it to their own narrative. Leave things be for goodness sake!
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I do like a good mystery though I'm not sure if changing the ending is a good idea. Agatha Christie probably knew what she was doing when she wrote it.
ReplyDeletethey've changed it in And Then There Was None too, methinks. I did not like Witness for the Prosecution, though, it was very difficult to watch and poorly acted. I also did not like Kenneth Branagh Orient Express last year.
DeleteI agree that changing the ending probably isn't a good idea. I hate it when I love a story and someone comes and changes it to their own narrative. Leave things be for goodness sake!
ReplyDeletewe shall wait and see how they end it, Witness for the Prosecution had the stupidest of endings evah.
DeleteI grew up with my auntie's collection of Agatha Christie's novels! This one looks familiar indeed
ReplyDeletethey say it is one of her strangest stories
Delete