The stories are disjointed, with gaping holes in the plot. So when I heard of this new series only a few weeks ago via a TV trailer, I waited, hopeful for entertainment. It was only a few months ago that I was voicing to a friend that the tales were ripe for a new interpretation especially as the canon of Christie's Poirot & Marple stories have just been completed, leaving a void on our TVs. Oh where, oh where!, are Francesca Annis & James Warwick – the leads from the last TV adaptation, in the 1980s – when we need them?! That series had it all: charisma, believable baddies, zipping plots, credible flirtation, effervescent fun, lovely 1920s period moments, and STYLE. I gather Raine was in the 'Call The Midwife' before this well, that explains her flat interpretation of what should be a winning Agatha Christie character. And as for Jessica Raine: I had never seen the actress before, but she plays the role like she is in a safe, pleasant, 'feel-good' little evening drama like 'The Royal' or 'Heartbeat' concentrating upon her character being all cutesy twee 1950s prettiness rather than a real person. David Walliams seems lethargic almost to the point of depression. I think it was a case of miscasting, not just of the 2 actors individually, but as a pair. There is NO chemistry between the 2 leads. As this turgid new series is, simply, uninspired & uninspiring. The tag line to this series – rather than "Sometimes a marriage needs an adventure" – should more rightly be "Sometimes a VIEWER needs an adventure".
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