Nearly 35 years later and after repeated viewings this is still a brilliant, timeless drama, Joan Hickson's performances as Miss Marple in all of the series are just perfect, but this one is the pick of the bunch. You get the usual suspense, red herrings, twists and turns you expect from Agatha Christie but this particular story also has a strong emotional dimension. Wonderful escapism to watch over and over again, the BBC at it's best.
After watching Nemesis many times I finally decided to read my first Agatha Christie novel! I always thought Christie was the perfect source for screen entertainment and I restricted myself to TV and fiilms which I loved.
(Some slight spoilers here) Of course I enjoyed the book but not as much as I expected, it does meander at times with a few irrelevant characters. Staying 90% faithful and maintaining the essence of the book a number of small changes were made by the BBC which actually improved the story, particularly having Michael never charged with the murder whereas in the book he is in jail, convicted on rather dubious circumstantial evidence. The first death in the modern day story benefits from being changed to a more believable incident. Liz Fraser's incredible performance in the memorable scene as Nora's mother doesn't appear in the book, another excellent choice. Miss Temple doesn't send a letter to Clotilde in the book and this works well in this production, similarly the addition of Jane's visit to Verity's uncared for grave. For some reason the Archdeacon arrives from Australia in this production, in the book he lives within 60 miles!
A few of the irrelevant characters on the tour are sensibly written out by the BBC but the one questionable change is the addition of Jane's Godson Lionel, she needed someone to help and share her thoughts (there is no Inspector Slack or equivalent here) but a more expanded role for Professor Wanstead would have worked better. Overall a great story, well told with excellent performances.
After watching Nemesis many times I finally decided to read my first Agatha Christie novel! I always thought Christie was the perfect source for screen entertainment and I restricted myself to TV and fiilms which I loved.
(Some slight spoilers here) Of course I enjoyed the book but not as much as I expected, it does meander at times with a few irrelevant characters. Staying 90% faithful and maintaining the essence of the book a number of small changes were made by the BBC which actually improved the story, particularly having Michael never charged with the murder whereas in the book he is in jail, convicted on rather dubious circumstantial evidence. The first death in the modern day story benefits from being changed to a more believable incident. Liz Fraser's incredible performance in the memorable scene as Nora's mother doesn't appear in the book, another excellent choice. Miss Temple doesn't send a letter to Clotilde in the book and this works well in this production, similarly the addition of Jane's visit to Verity's uncared for grave. For some reason the Archdeacon arrives from Australia in this production, in the book he lives within 60 miles!
A few of the irrelevant characters on the tour are sensibly written out by the BBC but the one questionable change is the addition of Jane's Godson Lionel, she needed someone to help and share her thoughts (there is no Inspector Slack or equivalent here) but a more expanded role for Professor Wanstead would have worked better. Overall a great story, well told with excellent performances.