This article is about the ITV series. For the fictional character, see Miss Marple. For the 1980s BBC series starring Joan Hickson, see Miss Marple (TV series).
Agatha Christie's Marple (or simply Marple) is a British ITVtelevision programme loosely based on books and short stories by British crime novelist Agatha Christie. The title character was played by Geraldine McEwan from the first to the third series, until her retirement from the role, and by Julia McKenzie from the fourth series onwards. Unlike the counterpart TV series Agatha Christie's Poirot, the show took many liberties with Christie’s works, most notably adding Miss Marple’s character to the adaptations of novels in which she never appeared. Following the conclusion of the sixth series, the BBC acquired the rights for the production of Agatha Christie adaptations, suggesting that ITV would be unable to make a seventh series of Marple.[1][2]
Agatha Christie's Marple follows the adventures of Miss Jane Marple, an elderly spinster living in the quiet little village of St. Mary Mead. During her many visits to friends and relatives in other villages (and sometimes when simply being at home), Miss Marple often stumbles upon or hears about mysterious murders, which she helps solve. Although the police are sometimes reluctant to accept Miss Marple's help, her reputation and unparalleled powers of observation eventually win them over.
During her adventures, Miss Marple is aided by close friends, relatives, or other allies that she meets, which include Tommy and Tuppence (protagonists of another series of Christie novels).[citation needed]
The only character to appear in every episode is Miss Marple herself, played by Geraldine McEwan through series 3 and by Julia McKenzie from series 4 onwards.[3][4]
A few other characters appear in more than one episode, although they are not always played by the same actor. Exceptions are Joanna Lumley, who plays Mrs Dolly Bantry in The Body in the Library and The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side,[5] and Stephen Churchett, who appears as the coroner in four episodes.
Dr Haydock appears in three episodes, but is played by three actors: Robin Soans in The Body in the Library, Robert Powell in The Murder at the Vicarage and Neil Stuke in The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side. Jason Rafiel, an old friend of Marple's, was voiced by Herbert Lom (who also made an on-screen appearance as Mr Dufosse in The Murder at the Vicarage) in Nemesis and played by Antony Sher in A Caribbean Mystery.
Each series consists of four feature-length episodes, except series six which has only three episodes. The first six episodes were all adaptations of Miss Marple novels by Christie. Subsequent episodes were derived from works featuring Miss Marple and Christie novels that did not feature the character. The title of the series removes the word Miss from Miss Marple, to match the title of Agatha Christie's Poirot series.[6]
Across the twenty-three adaptations, many changes have been made from the source material.
The Body in the Library introduces a lesbian affair and changes the identity of one of the killers.
The Murder at the Vicarage removes or changes some minor characters and manufactures Miss Marple's early life.
4.50 from Paddington removes one character's death and simplifies the killer's motive.
A Murder Is Announced changes some of the characters and makes an implied lesbian relationship an explicit one.
Sleeping Murder changes the killer's motive, some characters backstory, inserts a central romantic relationship, and sideplot involving a travelling band of singers.
The Moving Finger changes the time period and some character backstory, including the addition of a suicide attempt by the narrating character and two other characters in a gay relationship; otherwise, it is largely faithful to the source material.
By the Pricking of My Thumbs inserts Miss Marple into what was originally a Tommy and Tuppence novel, and therefore changes many plot elements, including Tommy and Tuppence's relationship, adding characters, subplots, and changing the time period.
The Sittaford Mystery is very loosely based on the novel (which does not feature Miss Marple) and changes the identity of the killer.
At Bertram's Hotel is only loosely based on the novel, changing many elements of the plot, characters and time period.
Ordeal by Innocence includes significant changes to the characters, adding Marple into the story.
Towards Zero inserts Miss Marple into the story and changes some characters, but is largely true to the original novel.
Nemesis is only loosely based on the novel, and changes characters and setting.
A Pocket Full of Rye is a faithful adaptation of the novel, with only minor changes to the way characters are described.
Murder Is Easy is very loosely based on the novel which does not feature Miss Marple, also changing the murderer's motive.
Why Didn't They Ask Evans? is only loosely based on the novel, which does not feature Miss Marple, changing the plot and characters.
The Pale Horse is very loosely based on the novel which does not feature Miss Marple.
The Secret of Chimneys is very loosely based on the novel which does not feature Miss Marple, although it uses story elements from The Herb of Death. It also changes the killer's identity.
The Blue Geranium is greatly embellished from the original short story.
Agatha Christie's Marple was originally aired in the United States on PBS within the anthology series Mystery!, where it is presented as Agatha Christie's "Miss Marple", before airing on the anthology series Masterpiece Theatre.[9] The series is broadcast to the whole of Canada on CBC and in French on Radio-Canada. In Australia, Agatha Christie's Marple airs on ABC1.
Marple is also being broadcast on ATV World in Hong Kong, on EBS and MegaTV in South Korea and on CCTV-8 in China. China, however, refused to show The Body in the Library and Murder Is Easy, due to the involvement of a lesbian and an incestuous relationship respectively. Why Didn't They Ask Evans? was extensively edited, due to the involvement of War-period China.
In Norway, the series has been airing on state broadcaster NRK1 as "Miss Marple". In Sweden, Marple airs on TV4, the biggest commercial TV station. In Poland, the series airs on Ale Kino+. In the Czech Republic it is broadcast under the title Slečna Marplová, Czech for "Miss Marple".
In Brazil, the series airs on HBO Brasil. In the Netherlands it is broadcast on BBC First.
In 2005, Geraldine McEwan was nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film for her performance in Series 1.[11] The series was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Program, in 2005.[12] In 2006, series composer, Dominik Scherrer was the winner of a Gold Medal at the New York Festivals for TV Programming & Promotion - Craft: Program - Best Original Music/Lyrics, as well as receiving an Ivor Novello Award nomination for Best Television Soundtrack, in 2011.[13] The series was Inducted into the Online Film & Television Association – Television Hall of Fame: Productions, in 2014.[14]
Home media
In the United States, Agatha Christie's Marple was made available on DVD from Acorn Media, where the entire series is available in individual sets, and a set containing the first three series. The series has been released in it’s entirety, in both individual and complete sets, in the UK, via ITV DVD, and in Australia, originally from ABC DVD, then Roadshow Entertainment. The series will, for the first time, receive a Blu-ray release, consisting of the first three series in a limited edition set from ViaVision in Australia, in 2024. In Germany, the DVDs were distributed by Polyband/WVG in individual sets, a complete limited edition set, followed by a complete standard edition set.
^Series 1–5 were re-released individually on 3 April 2013 in a new style off DVD artwork.[15] The same artwork used for the premiere release of Series 6 (2014).
^Series 1 was originally released in the four episodes over four individual dvds. They were all re-released in 2007 within a slip box.
^In addition to the 2020 limited edition set, the complete series was re-released in a standard edition set on 26 March 2021.[50]
^"Marple: The Complete Series 1". musicmagpie.co.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2024. (DVD listed on website as Series 1, but set actually contains both Series 1 & 2)
