Modern writers who think they know better are just hubristic. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy Let alone the fact that a crisp and clever whodunit has been turned into a 'modern' TV drama, gloomy and bleak, with absolutely no character in it that you could describe as halfway sympathetic, the people who are responsible for this script actually went so far as to CHANGE the identity of the murderer! I would recommend The moving finger or The body in the library over this one. This one wasn't. I have been a fan of Agatha Christie from a very young age (10). Ordeal by Innocence seemed rather a brave choice to go with following the previous adaptations, particularly when you take into account that ITV made it back in 2007, and Geraldine McEwan popped up as Marple. - all in the interests of padding out the thin plot to stretch over three episodes. Also the actors were pretty decent, I really hated a good few of them (as we were meant to). This is ( as many people have pointed out ) not an actual Miss Marple book, instead they have taken another book and included Miss Marple in the story. Another interesting entry in the Miss Marple series, taken from an Agatha Christie novel that did not include the elderly sleuth as part of the plot. If she wanted to include so much open sex descriptions and conversation about it, she would. Overall its not bad but lacks that real understated Christie class. most replies r negative to my surprise ,i waned to read them to know if other viewers enjoyed it as i did , i think it was good i will report a quick summery to any of u who is about to watch. The black sheep of the Argyll family resurfaces to deny accusations of killing the matriarch, which initiates the gang's hunt to finding the true murderer. It's the sound of Agatha Christie turning in her grave! I don't even mind messing with the plot as long as it is done well, this story was not written as a Marple mystery but they managed to insert her quite well, *spoiler warning* the one thing that I can't understand is why was Gwenda killed? Slow as a glacier, terrible lighting and awful direction and more bad things, The opening sequence was mesmerising and atmospheric, The acting was good in the main (shame about the direction and pace), It was a long dramatisation and so served to pass the time, The sets and props were wrong in so many ways, The music was, as so often with BBC productions, over-loud and intrusive, The direction was turgid and made the characters even more unpalatable (and, dare it be said, boring) than even the script had rendered them, The plot wasn't Agatha Christie's 'Ordeal by Innocence' (so why bill it as such? The show was boring and slow moving and the ending was quite predictable and unsatisfying. All in all this is probably the worst of the new Marples that I have seen which is a shame as I like a lot of the actors in it. "Ordeal by Innocence" falls into the badly done category. It simply has gone downhill fast in this iteration of the Miss Marple series. But I especially enjoy the new Miss Marple portrayed by Geraldine McEwan. The build-up to Rachael's character was unconvincing, we know she is resented but it could have been much more strongly depicted with more focused writing. This plot twist just doesn't make sense, Kirsten had managed to get the whole household suspicious of her, so much so that her fiancé had asked her to leave the house, so why kill her? Enjoy the show. Of course a few "F" words to make it edgy. Other than that, it might have been ok if they just did something different with different characters unrelated to Christie's novel. | Sarah Phelps doesn't understand Agatha Christie's work. However, I failed to notice this when watching and found the ending satisfying at the time. A series gets an Average Tomatometer when at least 50 percent of its seasons have a score. Hester got on my nerves and Julian Rhind Tutt comes across as too awkward and heavy on nervous mannerisms, even for Calgary Also on the other hand, the adaptation is spoilt by poor pacing(the final solution is much too rushed and the middle really does plod), a weak script and a lack of coherence in the storytelling or suspense. 'Ordeal By Innocence' may not be one of her very best works, but it is an expertly crafted work with an ending that one does not expect. It's high time the BBC stopped treating the work of the Queen of Crime in this way; millions of fans will be put off, and it's highly unfair to young viewers who aren't very familiar with Agatha's oeuvre - they might think that she actually WROTE trash like this. I find Ms. McEwan's portrayal of the aging sleuth to be above reproach and I give her top marks. A darker adaptation of an A.C. work. Also helping elevate are a stellar cast, Geraldine McEwan is above decent as Miss Marple, and Jane Seymour is suitably nasty as the victim, while Juliet Stevenson, Denis Lawson, Burn Gorman and especially Alison Steadman turn in great work. I thoroughly disliked every single character. It is nothing like Christie, more TOWIE meets Stephen King. Since I felt this, I didn't give 2 hoots what happened to them. I don't like this modern adaptations of Agatha Christie's novels. It's an absolute flop. Agatha Christie's writing apparently isn't good enough! "it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing". I don't mind making changes if they make sense but this one didn't. Who are we to say otherwise? Political preferences or social concepts are introduced because, I GUESS, they can. Pompous,pretentious,tiring. These so-called Miss Marple mysteries are entertaining to a point, but when the writing is even sloppier than usual, it's a problem. I gave three instead of one star because some of the actors were giving the script a mighty try. In fact, there is so much genre writers who have used it profoundly. Don't have an account? Nevertheless, the ORDEAL BY INNOCENCE screenwriter has done an admirable job of making it appear like the old lady was indeed a part of the original plot. On the first night there, a stranger, Dr Arthur Calgary, arrives and informs everyone that Jacko was clearly innocent as he was giving him a lift in his car at the exact time of the murder. ), and pop star Lisa Stansfield as Mary, the ONLY sympathetic offspring. Don't bother with this--read the book instead. Later, while on remand in prison, he is killed in a fight with another prisoner. You really can't deal with this sort of material by trying to pretend that it's something less contrived than it is; attempting to do so produces less a mystery, than a mess. Agatha Christie's country house murders are always hokum, but they can make for easy and entertaining Sunday-evening television. But I was disappointed after seeing this adaptation of Ordeal by Innocence-I do think that Sittaford Mystery, By the Pricking of My Thumbs and Nemesis were worse out of this set of Marple adaptations, but this is a long way from being the best. We are now into Season 3 of this series and any Christie purists still watching at this stage should know exactly what to expect - Christie 'spinning in her grave' is a very over used phrase! What have these reviewers been watching?? A cosy crime story, escapism, but with her good psychological observations. Just had to write a review, because I wish I had known how bad it was before spending 3 hours of my life watching this show... Only made it 40 minutes into Episode 1. All in all, only Steadman and Stansfield (and, initially, Seymour) are worth watching. One of the best episodes in my opinion and what's all this nonsense about the outcome not making sense? And could've it been more boring? One problem such adaptations always have is fitting in the huge quantity of exposition needed to explain the convoluted plotting; another is the typical absence of sympathtic characters, given the normal premise that just about everyone is a potential murderer. and thought some of it didn't make much sense. The story was muddled and unclear, not mysteriously unclear. If this hadn't been advertised as an Agatha Christie adaptation, I would have rated it a lot higher. No one who respects Christie's work would approve of these films. I particularly disliked Hester, a whiny daddy's girl who's revealed to have had a fling with sister Mary's husband--and still manages to treat HIM like the bad guy, as if it didn't take TWO to dance that tango. Average score: 6. To be 'refreshing,' a change has to be, you know, good. The Average Tomatometer is the sum of all season scores divided by the number of seasons with a Tomatometer. Overall, disappointing but not absolutely unwatchable, thanks to the production values and the cast. The basic message of this Agatha Christie story seems to be "Ignorance is Bliss". I find them new and fresh and proof that these stories, though based in a bygone era, can be reinterpreted in a newer age and with a bit more color. She really wants it to be "contemporary" and she fils it with so much sex that it only gets vulgar. Rewriting her stories (and solutions! It is sad to see writers take classic works and completely ruin the premise and foundation of it. But this adaptation of 'Ordeal By Innocence' doesn't seem to work at all. Season 1 Review: Ordeal by Innocence will fill your whodunit needs. And people are right, it does deviate from the book, and I was expecting that, but Gwenda's murder especially I felt was unnecessary. User Ratings External Reviews Instead we were left with an utterly absurd ending that felt like a massive slap in the face for having stuck through the previous three hours. I turn to her when I want a glimpse in to a different times, with different manners and customs. Nevertheless, the ORDEAL BY INNOCENCE screenwriter has done an admirable job of making it appear like the old lady was indeed a part of the original plot. That was all lost in this adaptation in favour of a plodding and predictable story that has very little resemblance to the novel. I also liked that they used a reverse of film and clock as not to confuse you in stating a look back in time. Only the characters remain. In terms of accuracy and bringing a book to life, this wins hands down. Not Agatha Christie.. influenced by Agatha Christie. Bill Nighy, as usual, plays Bill Nighy, badly. A mystery with twists and turns to the very end, supported by a fine cast. There were some inspired bits of casting: Jane Seymour as the ill-fated, hard-as-nails matriarch; Alison Steadman as Kirsten, the faithful maid (Yes, Shirley Valentine's gal-pal is now playing a middle-aged Swedish maid! With so many talented actors, beginning with McEwan, this should have been a very watchable and enjoyable entry. Evidently the writer thinks critics of her are 'b*****s' and will kick off at you if you dare criticise. The Most Unengaging, Unsympathetic Group of Trolls Ever! He told her to bring the money to him and we see her in the rowing boat coming back from taking the money to him. ), changing the characters, etc. In the 5-6 Marple episodes I've seen before this one, the changes are largely absurdist or tacky or both. Youll hate everyone and not really care what happens by the end of the first part. They should have pulled the plug on this unpleasant debacle long before Ed Westwick was replaced. It was good to see Jane Seymour again, even if it was a short amount of time. Terrible. This is a superb show. Ignore the Agatha Christie fanatics - they missed the show. Ridiculous interactions between characters and ludicrous dialog. All the pieces are here except for a story or some reasonable dialogue. She supplied the set-up and cast of characters, but it wasn't the same plot. ), The plot lacked subtlety, characterisation (just the usual BBC cardboard figures) and, ultimately, interest, It was way overlong, extended by a slow pace throughout, pointless bits of cinematography, overlong close-ups, pieces of graphic insertion wherever possible, etc.

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