More Poirot & Marple on ITV1

Separate announcements today have revealed that 5 more Poirots and 3 more Marples are on their way.

From The Telegraph:

Five new films, based on a mixture of novels and short stories, will go into production next year.

Suchet said: ''I'm more than delighted to be reprising my role as Poirot. It's been my life's ambition to bring this amazing canon of works to completion on ITV.

The new films include Curtain, which is Poirot's last case and sees the detective, immobilised with arthritis, call on his old friend Captain Hastings to help him as they return to the scene of their first ever case to try to prevent another murder.

And in an ITV press release:

ITV is delighted to announce that acclaimed stage and television actress Julia McKenzie will return to her role as Miss Marple.

Three Marple films including Caribbean Mystery have been commissioned from ITV Studios and Agatha Christie Ltd.

A Caribbean Mystery will be the first film to be shot during the summer of 2012 with two further films Endless Night and The Seven Dials Mystery produced during the autumn of 2012.

It's Going to be Murder on 6 September

Get the recorder ready as there's likely to be a clash on 6 September between:

ITV: Julia McKenzie in Marple: A Pocketful of Rye at 8pm

and

BBC3: And Then There Were None Harper's Island (time TBC)

Reminder about Harper's Island:

Brand new to BBC Three, Harper's Island brings murder and mystery to the channel. The series pushes the boundaries of traditional television with frightening, tense and exciting drama that will keep the viewer riveted.

A secluded island off the coast of Seattle is the scene for a week-long wedding celebration attended by a group of family and friends. But amidst the festivities, a murderer begins claiming victims one by one, transforming the occasion into a terrifying struggle for survival.

Over 13 episodes, Harper's Island will unravel a twisted tale of murder and revenge as these wedding guests – each with their own motives, fears and desires – attempt to find the killer (or killers) before they strike again .

Marple book covers with Julia McKenzie

I spotted these new editions with Julia McKenzie on the cover in Borders yesterday. According to Wikipedia, the four new episodes of Marple will be shown in the US in July: A Pocketful of Rye (5 July), Murder is Easy (12 July), They Do it With Mirrors (19 July) and Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (26 July). No UK transmission dates have been announced yet. As usual the casts are fabulous. (eg Helen Baxendale, Rupert Graves, Matthew Macfadyen and Prunella Scales in A Pocketful of Rye.) The Region 1 DVD will be available on 4 August.

TV Shows - win some (Foyle's War), lose some (Wire in the Blood)

A press release from ITV has good news and bad news. Wire in the Blood is out but Foyle's War is in, plus details of more Poirot (including Murder on the Orient Express) and Marple. From The Stage:

ITV has commissioned a new series of Doc Martin and three more episodes of Foyle’s War.

The broadcaster’s decision to recommission the dramas follows the news that another long-running favourite, Wire in the Blood, has been axed, and that doubt hangs over the future of popular series Heartbeat.

In its announcement today, ITV said Foyle’s War, created by Anthony Horowitz and starring Michael Kitchen, will return with three new episodes, while Martin Clunes will reprise his role as Doc Martin in a new eight-part series to be filmed in Cornwall.

Elsewhere, ITV director of drama Laura Mackie has also commissioned eight new Agatha Christie films, including Murder on the Orient Express. This will star David Suchet as Hercule Poirot, and will run alongside three other Poirot dramas.

At the same time, Julia McKenzie - who later this year will make her first appearance as Jane Marple - will begin production on four new Marple films.

Joan Collins to be in Marple

From Digital Spy:

Joan Collins is to star in the next hour-long episode of Miss Marple.

The 75-year-old will play Ruth Van Rydock alongside Julia McKenzie, who took on the role of the famous detective last year.

Collins's appearance in They Do It With Mirrors is reportedly a dream come true.

"It has always been Joan's dream to star in Miss Marple... She is one of the main characters and has some great scenes," a source is quoted as saying.

Marple news - 'Why Didn't They Ask Evans?'

From Digital Spy:

Veteran actor Richard Briers and Bottom's Rik Mayall are to join Julia McKenzie in the third instalment of the latest Agatha Christie's Marple series.

'Why Didn't They Ask Evans?' follows the mystery sparked when a dying man utters the words of the episode's title in his last moments. Penned by Patrick Barlow, the two-hour film sees Miss Marple on the hunt for clues once again.

Harry Potter stars Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley) and Sean Biggerstaff (Oliver Wood) also appear in the drama. They are joined by Rafe Spall (He Kills Coppers), Warren Clarke (Dalziel and Pascoe), Samantha Bond (James Bond) and Helen Lederer (Absolutely Fabulous).

Tudors star Natalie Dormer, Doctor Who's Georgia Moffett and Skins actress Hannah Murray complete the cast.

McEwan's unseen Marple episodes - news

From Digital Spy:

Stars including Richard E. Grant, Alan Davies and Amanda Burton are to appear in the final two Miss Marple dramas with Geraldine McEwan.

ITV has released details of Nemesis and Towards Zero, the last instalments filmed with McEwan before her retirement.

Nemesis, which will air in August, sees Miss Marple sent on a coach tour in a message from a recently deceased man named Mr Rafiel. Stars will include Grant, Johnny Briggs, Burton and Will Mellor.

Towards Zero, in which Marple investigates a murder at a sexually-charged party held by an aristocrat, features Dame Eileen Atkins, Tom Baker, Julie Graham and Paul Nicholls.

Julia McKenzie will take up the role of Miss Marple in a new series next year.

The ITV press release has further cast details and an episode guide. (Towards Zero also stars Tom Baker...)

NB Towards Zero was filmed in Salcombe.

Marple cast news - A Pocket Full of Rye

Julia McKenzie will make her debut in A Pocket Full of Rye and as usual for Agatha Christie productions a hoard of well known actors will be joining her including Rupert Graves, Matthew McFadyen, Helen Baxendale, Wendy Richard and Ralf Little. From Yahoo:

A Pocket Full of Rye will see Miss Marple trying to solve her most compelling case yet.

Wealthy businessman Rex Fortescue (Kenneth Craham) collapses after his breakfast, poisoned by an extract from yew berries. A pocketful of rye is found in his jacket. Nobody seems too upset, as Rex was universally disliked as a tyrant, especially by his children.

Inspector Neele (McFadyen) is despatched to the house to investigate. Maid Gladys who was trained by Miss Marple, is acting strangely, and writes to her former employer for help. Yet the call for help has come too late: Rex's glamorous and cheating young wife also falls foul of the poisoner. And Gladys is found strangled, a peg on her nose.

The case appears to be echoing the children's rhyme 'Sing A Song of Sixpence'. The question is: who will be next?

Graves and McFadyen appeared together in last year's Death at the Funeral, (along with Keeley Hawes from Ashes to Ashes):

The new Miss Marple is announced

After regenerating, Miss Marple will now look like Julia McKenzie:


From the Granada International website:

ITV today announced that Julia McKenzie has taken over the iconic role of Miss Marple. Julia will begin filming A Pocketful Of Rye at the end of this month.

Geraldine McEwan, the last actress to take on the nation's favourite spinster sleuth, retired last month after three hugely successful series. The hugely popular Emmy Award nominated ITV films have been sold to over 100 territories worldwide and peaked in the ratings at 10 million viewers.

Star of stage and screen, Julia McKenzie most recently appeared in Cranford as Mrs Forrester and the critically acclaimed Notes On A Scandal. Earlier credits include Fresh Fields, Bright Young Things and Blott On The Landscape. On stage Julia recently starred in The Philadelphia Story at the Old Vic, and has many award wins and nominations to her name, both on Broadway and in the West End. She won an Olivier for her performance as Mrs Lovett in the National Theatre production of Sweeney Todd.

Julia McKenzie said: "I'm very excited but also slightly daunted by the enormous responsibility that comes with taking on such an iconic role. Just about everybody in the world knows about Miss Marple and has an opinion of what she should be like, so I'm under no illusions about the size of the task ahead. And I suppose I'll have to remind myself how to knit!"

Read the rest of the press release here.

Geraldine McEwan giving up Marple

The BBC reports that:

Miss Marple star Geraldine McEwan has announced she is leaving the ITV crime drama, after more than three years playing the amateur detective.

The 75-year-old actress joined the show, based on Agatha Christie's crime novels, in 2003.

"It has been a marvellous experience to inhabit this role for the last few years," she said.

McEwan was the sixth actress to portray the character. Producers are now looking for her successor.

"It's been an absolute pleasure to work on Miss Marple since 2003, and I leave with fond memories." said McEwan.

Since making her debut as Miss Marple in The Body In The Library, McEwan has made 12 more films. Two of them will be broadcast later this year.

and from Digital Spy:

Mathew Prichard, the grandson of Agatha Christie and the chairman of Agatha Christie Ltd, described McEwan as a "wonderful Miss Marple", saying: "I think she brought a humanity and playfulness to the role that worked beautifully in the context of the new approach we adopted for this ITV series.

"We will miss her - but are looking forward to seeing what new aspects of Jane Marple's character our new Miss Marple might be able to explore."

ITV and Marple rights owner Chorion will begin the search for an actress to take over the role next week.