Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime is a 1983 British television series based on the short stories of the same name by Agatha Christie. It was directed by John A. Davis and Tony Wharmby, and starred James Warwick and Francesca Annis in the leading roles of husband and wife sleuths Tommy and Prudence 'Tuppence' Beresford. Reece Dinsdale co-starred as Albert in all except episodes 3 and 5.
The series follows the adventures and exploits of the Beresfords, who have recently taken over the running of a detective agency based in London, and each episode features one of the stories from the book. Among these are a quest for missing jewels, the investigation of poltergeists and a story involving poisoned chocolates.
The series followed the short stories closely with two notable exceptions: First, the detective parodies, although alluded to on occasion, were for the most part dispensed with. Secondly, the story arc of the blue Russian letters and the search for the agent known as Number 16 were also dispensed with. For this reason three chapters (The Adventure of the Sinister Stranger, Blindman's Bluff and The Man Who Was No. 16) were not adapted.
The series' original run was immediately preceded by transmission on 9 October 1983 of the same production team's adaptation of Christie's second novel The Secret Adversary, which also starred Annis and Warwick in the same roles and which acted as an introduction for viewers to Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime.
The series ran for one season between 16 October 1983 and 14 January 1984 with ten episodes. It was poorly received at the time, but was later shown in the United States, where John Tribe, the series graphic designer, won an award at the 1985 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Graphic and Title Design in recognition of the programme's title sequence. As of 2007, the series is regularly aired in the UK on the digital channel ITV3. DVDs are available
Episode listing [edit]
| Title |
UK airdate |
Guest cast |
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The Secret Adversary
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9 October 1983
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The Affair of the Pink Pearl
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16 October 1983
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The House of Lurking Death
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23 October 1983
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The Sunningdale Mystery
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30 October 1983
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Denis Lill (as Hollaby Junior)
Jim Wiggins (as Ticket Collector)
Edwin Brown (as Hollaby Senior)
Terence Conoley (as Major Barnard) |
Denis Holmes (as Lecky)
Emily Moore (as Doris Evans)
Robin Parkinson (as Landlord)
Dorothea Phillips (as Waitress) |
Vivienne Ritchie (as Girl) |
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The Clergyman's Daughter
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6 November 1983
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Jane Booker (as Monica Deane)
Bill Dean (as Edmund Hove)
David Delve (as Percival Smart)
David Delve (as Dr O'Neil) |
Geoffrey Drew (as Norman Partridge)
Alan Jones (as Gerald Rush)
Elspeth MacNaughty (as Bella Hove) |
George Malpas (as Frank Mulberry)
Pam St. Clement (as Mrs Crockett)
Ben Stevens (as Cockwell) |
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Finessing the King
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27 November 1983
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The Ambassador's Boots
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4 December 1983
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The Man in the Mist
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11 December 1983
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Tim Brierly (as James Reilly)
Roger Kemp (as Inspector Jeavons)
Christopher Johnston (as PC Bamford)
Geoffrey Greenhill (as Police Sergeant)
Valerie Lilley (as Ellen) |
Constantine Gregory (as Bulger Escourt)
Patrick Marley (as Lord Leconbury)
Linda Marlowe (as Gilda Glenn)
Anne Stallybrass (as Dorothea Honeycott)
Paddy Ward (as Barman) |
Mark Farmer (as Page Boy) |
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The Unbreakable Alibi
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18 December 1983
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Ellis Dale (as Henri)
Michael Jayes (as Peter Le Marchant)
Preston Lockwood (as Head Waiter)
Tim Meats (as Montgomery Jones) |
Anna Nygh (as Una Drake)
Anna Nygh (as Vera Drake)
Gay Soper (as Hotel Receptionist)
Stephen Wale (as Car Park Attendant) |
Elaine Wells (as Chambermaid) |
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The Case of the Missing Lady
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1 January 1984
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Jonathan Newth (as Gabriel Stavansson)
Rowena Cooper (as Dr Irma Kleber)
Ewan Hooper (as Dr Horriston)
Elspeth March (as Lady Susan Clonray) |
Elizabeth Murray (as Hermione Leigh Gordon)
Tim Pearce (as Muldoon)
Mischa de la Motte (as Manservant) |
Susie Fairfax (as Girl in Shop) |
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The Crackler
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14 January 1984
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Shane Rimmer (as Hank Ryder)
Arthur Cox (as Inspector Marriott)
Carolle Rousseau (as Marguerite Laidlaw)
David Quilter (as Major Laidlaw) |
Christopher Scoular (as Captain James Faulkener)
Peter Godfrey (as Maybrick)
Lawrence Davidson (as Monsieur Héroulade) |
Terence Hillyer (as Chauffeur)
Stan Pretty (as Harry the Barman) |
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External links [edit]
