Agatha Christie’s Poiroit was an LWT (and later ITV) produced period crime drama which starred David Suchet as the famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. It ran from 1989 to 2013, putting out 13 seasons containing 70 episodes, by the end having adapted every major work which Agatha Christie wrote featuring the detective.
Nine years after the final episode aired (and it’s very final; Poirot dies at the end), the show still holds up beautifully in every way. The acting, the classic Christie mysteries, the pitch-perfect period aesthetics, it’s a show that audiences can return to over and over, like thumbing through an old paperback. Let’s take a look at why it’s had such a lasting effect.
First and Foremost, David Suchet as Poirot
David Suchet is a method actor, and he was able to inhabit the role of Poirot perfectly. Christie’s family had actually seen him perform before and suggested that he might be right for the role, and Suchet threw himself into preparations in much the same way Hercule himself would have: he read nearly every text in which the detective appeared, ending up with pages upon pages of notes. He ended up carrying around a detailed list of Poirot’s foibles, likes and dislikes, as a constant reminder.
Physically, Suchet is also spot-on. In The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Poirot is described thus: “He was hardly more than five feet four inches, but carried himself with great dignity. His head was exactly the shape of an egg, and he always perched it a little on one side.” Add his signature mustache, a Belgian accent which to his fury is often mistaken for French, and exquisitely tailored suits, and Suchet becomes Poirot so entirely that it’s a little difficult to see him in any other role. He captures the little Belgian’s character so completely, from his fussy fastidiousness and sharp, dry humor to his persistent genius. You can practically see the little gray cells at work.
Of course, he is far from the only actor to have taken on the role of Poirot, but he managed to outdo Kenneth Branagh, Peter Ustinov, John Malkovich, Albert Finney, and more.
Authentic Art Deco Locations
Florin Court in Smithfield, London, stood in as Poirot’s home base, Whitehaven Mansions, and both the interior and exterior were used in filming. It was built in 1936 and is now a Grade II listed building. It was the use of original Art Deco architecture and interior decor that so firmly set viewers down into the time period. Hundreds of locations around London were used, from pubs and tearooms to hotels and factories, with lavish period-appropriate country homes called in for Poirot’s many weekend excursions (which, more often than not, resulted in someone being murdered.). The final episode was shot at Greenway Estate, which had been Agatha Christie’s own home.
A Stellar Supporting Cast
Seasons 1-8 feature Philip Jackson as the grumpy Inspector Japp from Scotland Yard, always one step behind Poirot’s little gray cells, Hugh Fraser as the bumbling, endearing Captain Hastings; and Pauline Moran (who missed season four) as Poirot’s indefatigable secretary Miss Lemon. The three provide excellent foils for Poirot’s genius, mostly to highlight it, but every once in a while one of them will come up with a key clue. And of course they are always helpful when Poirot wants to gather all the suspects at the end, so he can explain how any one of them might have committed the crime.
Later seasons saw the departure of the three co-stars (a number of changes were made when the production company changed, resulting in an overall darker tone to the series), replaced with Zoe Wanamaker as a fiery crime novelist and David Yelland as Poirot’s trusty valet.
Familiar Faces as Guest Stars
The world of British television is obviously a smaller one than the American, and thus you will see familiar faces in the cast fairly often. Poirot is a veritable who’s who of English acting aristocracy, featuring appearances from Christopher Eccleston ("One, Two, Buckle My Shoe"), Lesley Manville ("Cards on the Table"), Damian Lewis ("Hickory Dickory Dock"), Emily Blunt ("Death on the Nile"), Michael Fassbender ("After the Funeral"), Jeremy Northam ("Dead Man's Mirror"), Polly Walker ("Peril at End House"), Phyllida Law ("Hallowe'en Party"), and many more. Eagle-eyed viewers will also note that a number of actors appeared in multiple roles over the course of the show.
The Spirit of the Text
Christie’s family in particular were fond of Suchet’s performance as the beloved detective, even though Christie herself lost a bit of affection for Poirot over the years, but it’s the sort of thing that can come of being tied to one’s work. Luckily for us, Christie put her public’s wishes before her own, and kept writing Poirot stories for many years. It’s a shame she never got to see the brilliant show made about one of her most famous detectives, because it has kept audiences entertained in much the way her stories did: with intricate mysteries set among the upper classes of England, whether they were robberies, disappearances, or murders (they were usually murders).
Really, it’s the combination of all of the above that made Agatha Christie’s Poirot such a delight to watch. If you haven’t watched it yet, you just might have a new favorite detective on your hands.