The Agatha Christie Hour Collection [DVD]

Judging by the plethora of requests that relentlessly appeared on various Google sites, for lovers of Agatha Christie the release of this set could not come quickly enough. This BBC series from 1982 is comprised of ten, one hour dramas based upon a selection of Christie's lesser known short stories. Poirot and Miss Marple make way for a range of characters that appear in only a single story, the one exception being Parker Pyne, who features in two episodes here. Videotape was the film medium used throughout but, whilst this can often tend to cheapen a production, the quality is high.
A veritable who's who of television actors, many of whom have featured in other Christie presentations, will be all too familiar to viewers of British programs of this era and beyond - Maurice Denham, Peter Jones, Linda Robson (Birds of a Feather), John Nettles (Midsomer Murders), William Gaunt (The Champions), Amanda Redman (New Tricks), Stephanie Cole (Waiting for God, Doc Martin) - the list goes on, ensuring a presentation of consistent, quality acting and enjoyable performances.
One minor criticism from a purely personal point of view would be the lack of the heavier, more dramatic stories that Christie wrote, which in this presentation are rather outnumbered by the more lightweight, sometimes frivolous offerings - think Tommy & Tuppence as a close analogy. Whilst these are undoubtedly highly entertaining, there are enough of the grittier episodes to leave this viewer, at least, wishing for more. That aside, there is no doubt that any Christie fan would be delighted to add this set to their collection. Such a pity that only one series was made...Would it be asking too much for the BBC to consider delving into other Christie material that has yet to make it to our screens? Hopefully not.
For the record the titles are: The Case of the Middle Aged Wife, In a Glass Darkly, The Girl in a Train, The Fourth Man, Magnolia Blossom, The Case of the Discontented Soldier, The Mystery of the Blue Jar, The Red Signal, Jane in Search of a Job and The Manhood of Edward Robinson.
Stephen Wright

I find this DVD set to be of good quality in every respect. I don't have any problem with the picture or sound quality like the other reviewer has unfortunately had. It is videotaped (like many other UK tv series of the time) but the picture and sound quality are fine for the period in which it was made. In fact some of the episodes look very fresh and clear indeed (if you don't mind the old fashioned 'look' of videotape which is very different to film).

The production values in the episodes themselves are amazing. For example in the first episode (Magnolia Blossom) some of the action is set in a large inner city 'mansion'. This home is created entirely in the studio including a garden and gazebo and office and dining room and large multi-levelled hall. The set created for this house is really very beautifully detailed and seems to have been built so that it can be filmed from any angle. It is also beautifully lit and has scenes set in the daytime and night time. Part of the pleasure of this leisurely series is noticing this kind of great attention to period detail, as well as the props, costumes and music etc. I find that this quality extends over the entire series.

There are also some very recognisable and talented actors appearing in this series giving performances that indicate that they are enjoying what they are doing and taking it seriously (i.e. not hamming it up like it could be tempting to do with material that is at times a little 'melodramatic'). It is wonderful to get to see adaptations of some of Agatha Christie's short stories that do not feature her more well known characters, but that fans of her writing may have enjoyed reading over the years.

Despite the episodes being adapted from stories that may seem quaint and seemingly old fashioned at times to some people, there is a good variety of the types of short stories that Agatha Christie wrote and in my memory of the original source material they seem to try and be pretty accurate. To me the fact that it can be a bit old-fashioned is not to it's detriment anyway - in fact it is part of why I like it!

The variety in genres in this anthology series extends from 'mystery' to 'romance' to 'semi-paranormal', but the 'sting in the tail' that is one of the delights of Agatha Christie's writing (i.e. sharp social comment and cunningly clever twists and turns in the plots) is evident in all of these stories. I hope that other viewers who like Agatha Christie's writing enjoy this series as much as I am doing viewing this DVD set after remembering it from so many years ago.

Ten stories (2 per DVD disc) shown by Thames Television in 1982-3 (1984-5 in the USA) under the collective title 'The Agatha Christie Hour' (TACH). About 50 minutes, not an hour. as they were aired with ad breaks. Various directors. Adapted from tales by Christie in her short story collections. TACH comprises mainly romantic and/or mystery tales (which isn't to say there's no action adventure, or "running and jumping"), or psychic adventures; they're not murder whodunnits like Poirot or Miss Marple stories though there is at least one murder or possible murder. One or two, e.g. 'Jane In Search Of A Job' and 'The Mystery Of The Blue Jar' contain a main clue that shines for being clever and mundane, so reminding you that the brilliant Christie is the author. Time's not been good to some of the picture quality. These adaptions are generally well done, despite occasional over-acting by some, and mostly stick faithfully to Christie's original plots. One or two of her stories are very short and TACH has filled in the time with the characters moving about, arriving or leaving which is fine but sometimes slows the pace. Regarding costume, direction, scripts and production values, TACH isn't excessively outdated (anyway, set in Christie's time) and is worth seeing if only because it feels like the forerunner of the superb 'Agatha Christie's Poirot' series from 8th Jan.1989 (it had a higher budget than TACH). And of course, for devoted Christie fans it's lovely to see these short stories in dramatic form. Disc contents:

THE CASE OF THE MIDDLE-AGED WIFE
TACH's first episode. Mrs Packington (Gwen Watford) feels unhappy and ignored by her husband (Peter Jones) and answers a newspaper advert 'Are you unhappy?...' Parker Pyne (Maurice Denham) and his secretary Miss Lemon arrange to help her, with surprising consequences. From Christie's 'Parker Pyne Investigates' (1934). Gwen Watford played Dolly Bantry in the later version of "The Body In The Library" starring Joan Hickson as Miss Marple (1987).

IN A GLASS DARKLY
A man has a vision of a murder shortly before he realises he, victim and murderer are under one roof. Desmond Davis directs this competently - don't be put off by his notorious direction of the film version of Christie's "Ordeal By Innocence" (1984).

THE GIRL IN THE TRAIN
The adventures of George Rowland as he travels to a new life in Rowland's Castle (the pun later has amusing significance). After meeting mysterious strangers on the train, he gets caught up in their intrigue. Based on Christie's story in "The Listerdale Mystery" (1934).

THE FOURTH MAN
Four men on a train discuss the mysterious and tragic case of a young woman, Felice Bault, who died from mental illness. The often static nature of the men's conversation is interspersed with the often disturbing activity in flashbacks. Look out for a young John Nettles. Follows 'The Girl In The Train'; I wouldn't have put two stories featuring trains on the same DVD. Based on Christie's story in "The Hound Of Death" (1933).

MAGNOLIA BLOSSOM
Faithful to Christie, this production depicts an unusual love triangle and a woman's unusual anguished dilemma. This comes across as very like watching a play on stage rather than a tv show or film. It includes a large and beautiful country house set. Look out for a young-looking actor Jeremy Clyde. Appeared in "The Golden Ball and other stories" (1971).

THE CASE OF THE DISCONTENTED SOLDIER
Parker Pyne (Maurice Denham) diagnoses the reason for his client's unhappiness - a retired soldier (William Gaunt) finds his retirement life tame after an exciting career abroad. Mrs Ariadne Oliver, a friend of Pyne's (and, not mentioned here on screen, of Hercule Poirot), appears briefly. From Christie's collection "Parker Pyne Investigates" (1934).

THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUE JAR
While staying at a hotel, Jack Hartington gets increasingly worried when he hears a woman scream 'Murder!' every day during his early morning golf practice. Investigation connects it with a man plagued by dreams and a large blue jar, but a criminal plot is afoot even as Jack's uncle starts to unravel the mystery.

THE RED SIGNAL
Dermot West experiences a supernatural 'red signal' for danger which proves creepily correct, making him the suspect in a murder. Follows "The Mystery of the Blue Jar". I wouldn't have put two apparently supernatural stories complete with seances on the same DVD.

JANE IN SEARCH OF A JOB
Jane Cleveland (Elizabeth Garvie) desperately needs work. She applies for a mysterious job and finds herself caught up in apparent international intrigue. Although the plot's predictable in places, this is an enjoyable romp. Nice location contrasts such as Jane's small utilitarian flat and a rich country estate. Story first appeared in Christie's "The Listerdale Mystery" (1934). Garvie later played Ella Zielinsky in the version of Christie's "The Mirror Crack'd From Side To Side" starring Joan Hickson as Miss Marple (1992).

THE MANHOOD OF EDWARD ROBINSON
Unassertive Edward Robinson (Nicholas Farrell) impulsively buys a car, and is accidentally caught up in a mysterious adventure. Features some joyous motoring, sparkling jewellery, lovely evening gowns, and a ballroom. Story first appeared in Christie's "The Listerdale Mystery" (1934). Nicholas Farrell later played Donald Fraser in the version of Christie's "The ABC Murders" starring David Suchet as Poirot (1992).