In France, the limited series started this week on Canal +.
Initially published in 1934, Why Didn't They Ask Evans? was first adapted as a three-hour special aired in March 1980 by London Weekend Television. This version starred James Warwick as Bobby Jones and Francesca Annis as Lady Frances "Frankie" Derwent, the book's daring amateur sleuth duo. Later, the actors played Tommy & Tuppence Beresford, another pair of detectives created by Agatha Christie, in The Secret Adversary and the subsequent series Partners in Crime (both for LWT in 1983). Why Didn't They Ask Evans? was also turned into an episode of Agatha Christie's Marple (2011) and the French period detective series Les petits meurtres d'Agatha Christie did it as Pourquoi pas Martin? in 2013.
Will Poulter (Dopesick, The
Revenant) and Lucy Boynton (The Ipcress File,
Bohemian Rhapsody) lead an excellent cast as the
perfect Bobby and Frankie in this new 3 x one-hour adaptation (1),
written and directed by actor Hugh Laurie (The Night
Manager, House M.D.) for Britbox. Wales
in the 1930s. Bobby Jones, a young ex-Navy officer, works as a caddy
at a seaside golf club. While accompanying his friend Dr. Alwyn
Thomas on the course, Bobby discovers a man who fell off a cliff
and joins him just in time to hear his last words: « Why didn't they
ask Evans? » Searching for an identification in his pockets, he only
finds the photograph of a young woman, a pen and a fish shaped
key ring. Jones talks about the incident to his childhood friend,
Lady Frances "Frankie" Derwent, who's back from London. For
them it's the beginning of an adventure filled with mystery and
danger.
Why Didn't They Ask Evans? has everything viewers expect from an adaptation of the work of Agatha Christie like a "typical" village with its church, a vicar, vintage cars, a fete, morphia, a pub... Though Hugh Laurie makes some (welcome) changes, he shows his passion for the source material and even appears as Dr. James Nicholson. Laurie's pals Emma Thompson and Jim Broadbent have a short but funny participation as Frankie's parents, Lady & Lord Marcham. "Badger" Beadon, a friend of Bobby Jones in the book, becomes Ralph "Knocker" Beadon and he's wonderfully played by Jonathan Jules (Small Axe). Joshua James, who plays Dr. George Arbuthnot, was alongside Lucy Boynton in The Ipcress File. Benedict Wolf is the Marchams' impressive butler Hari Singh. Bobby, Frankie and their little gang give Why Didn't They Ask Evans? the flavour of a "Famous Five for grown-ups".
Seen in Instinct
and Lovesick, Daniel Ings plays an interesting
Roger Bassington-ffrench ("with two small f's").
With Nicholas Asbury as the terrifying Mr. Angel, Maeve
Dermody (Moira Nicholson), Conleth Hill (Dr.
Thomas), Alistair Petrie (Rev. Richard Jones),
Morwenna Banks (Amelia Cayman), Patrick Barlow
(Wilfred Bragge), Miles Jupp (Henry
Bassington-ffrench), Amy Nuttall (Sylvia
Bassington-ffrench), Paul Whitehouse (Askew), etc.
Produced by Mammoth Screen — the company behind several
adaptations of Agatha Christie — with Agatha Christie
Productions for Britbox. Claire Jones is the producer.
Andrew Wood is the co-producer. Hugh Laurie, James
Prichard, Damien Timmer and Helen Ziegler exec
produce. Gina Kronk, Jonathan Karas and Emily Powers
exec produce for Britbox. Music by Harry Escott
(Roadkill).
The Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge, is directed by Sarah MacDonald. Michael Stephens-Jones is the organist. Cinematography by John de Borman AFC BSC. Editing by Ian Farr. Production designed by Humphrey Jaeger. Costumes designed by Laura Smith, assisted by Tracey Cliffe and Laura Johnson. Michelle Barrett is the costume supervisor. The absolutely amazing title sequence was made by Huge Designs (Around the world in 80 days). International distribution by Endeavor Content, except for UK, Ireland and the Americas.
(1) Canal + has a 4 x 45-minute version.
https://www.agathachristie.com/en
https://crimereads.com/why-didnt-they-ask-evans/
https://www.everythingzoomer.com/arts-entertainment/2022/04/13/hugh-laurie-on-adapting-the-comic-spirit-of-agatha-christies-why-didnt-they-ask-evans-for-the-small-screen/
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