AND THEN THERE WAS MORE...

According to Broadcast, the BBC is working on its next Agatha Christie adaptation.

  

Following the success of the three-part version of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None on BBC One in December, the corporation is developing an adaptation of her short story The Witness for the Prosecution with the same producer and screenwriter, Mammoth Screen and Sarah Phelps.

In 2014 the BBC announced it would be the new TV home of Agatha Christie in the UK for the 125th anniversary of her birth, thanks to a major deal with her estate. Their first commissions were the excellent Partners in Crime (regrettably axed) and the adaptation of And Then There Were None.

Last June, ITV acquired Mammoth Screen.

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/bbc-lines-up-latest-agatha-christie-adaptation/5098783.article?referrer=RSS&utm_

http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itv-acquires-poldark-producer-mammoth-screen

See also:

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2015/12/watched-this-week.html (Our opinion about And Then There Were None).
http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2015/07/agatha-christies-partners-in-crime-bbc.html (Our review of Partners in Crime).

BRITISH TV CHRISTMAS 2015-JANUARY 2016

Here is a non-exhaustive list of what I'll watch on Brit telly during this period. [Update - December 27, 2015] You'll find my very humble opinion about some (including Doctor Who!) here: http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2015/12/watched-this-week.html

- From Andy Pandy To Zebedee: The Golden Age of Children’s TV (BBC Four, Monday 21 Dec 2015). A documentary narrated by Nigel Planner. 

- Stick Man (BBC One, Friday 25 Dec 2015). Adapted from the children's book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Produced by Magic Light Pictures, the company who did the wonderful adaptations of The Gruffalo (2009), The Gruffalo's Child (2011) and Room on the Broom (2012). With the voices of Martin Freeman, Hugh Bonneville, Russell Tovey, Rob Brydon and Sally Hawkins. Jennifer Saunders narrates.

- Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas (BBC One, Saturday 26 Dec 2015). The first ever half-hour special for Aardman's beloved Shaun the Sheep.

- Dickensian (BBC One, Saturday 26 Dec 2015). This 20 x 30-minute drama (?!) brings together some of Charles Dickens's most iconic characters in 19th century London. Huge cast: Peter Firth, Pauline Collins, Stephen Rea, Caroline Quentin, Omid Djalili, Anton Lesser... We'll see if this production from Tony Jordan's Red Planet Pictures is as enjoyable as Lost in Austen (or not).

- And Then There Were None (BBC One, Saturday 26 Dec 2015). In 2014 the BBC announced it would be the new TV home of Agatha Christie in the UK for the 125th anniversary of her birth, thanks to a major deal with her estate. Their first commissions were the excellent Partners in Crime (starring David Walliams and Jessica Raine) and this adaptation of Christie's classic. The three-part serial, co-produced by Mammoth Screen, Agatha Christie Productions and A+E, is written by Sarah Phelps (Great Expectations) and directed by Craig Viveiros.

An ensemble cast includes Douglas Booth, Charles Dance, Burn Gorman, Anna Maxwell Martin, Sam Neill, Miranda Richardson, Aidan Turner, etc. Unfortunately, the Beeb axed Partners in Crime (1) so And Then There Were None should better be good. 

- Harry Price: Ghost Hunter (ITV, Sunday 27 Dec 2015). A TV movie about real-life "ghost hunter" and skeptic Harry Price, who investigated tales of the paranormal and supernatural. Adapted from Neil Spring's novel The Ghost Hunters by Jack Lothian (Doc Martin) for Bentley Productions, the prodco behind Midsomer Murders. Midsomer regular helmer Alex Pillai directs. Rafe Spall plays the title role.

- Stephen Fry: A Life on Screen (BBC Two, Tuesday 29 Dec 2015). A one-hour documentary celebrating the career of actor, comedian, author and broadcaster Stephen Fry.

- Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (BBC One, Friday 1 Jan 2016). It's no mystery that I'm not a fan of Sherlock but I rather liked His Last Vow (though the ending was self-indulgent) and this special looks interesting. [Update - January 1, 2016] Interesting indeed, if not fascinating. They couldn't help to drown an almost perfect hour in 30 minutes of nonsensical self-satisfaction.

- War and Peace (BBC One, Sunday 3 Jan 2016). Lavish six-part adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's book by Andrew Davies.  Made by BBC Cymru Wales, in association with The Weinstein Company, Lookout Point and BBC Worldwide. Starring Paul Dano, Lily James, James Norton, Gillian Anderson... Directed by Tom Harper. Really looking forward to it.

- Midsomer Murders (ITV, Wednesday 6 Jan 2016). The venerable detective drama returns with its 18th series (6 episodes). The previous series was both tired and tiresome except for A Vintage Murder, written by the talented Lisa Holdsworth. It was simply the best episode since Series 15.

- Death in Paradise (BBC One, Thursday 7 Jan 2016). The highly anticipated fifth series of the globally popular feel-good crime drama.

(1) http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-09-29/no-second-series-for-david-walliams-and-jessica-raine-agatha-christie-drama-partners-in-crime

http://www.thecustardtv.com/2015/12/the-christmas-tvweek-saturday-19th.html
http://insidemediatrack.com/set-spy/
http://danowen.blogspot.fr/2015/12/tv-picks-14-20-december-2015.html

See also:

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/dec/14/itv-harry-price-ghost-hunter-rafe-spall 

TÉLÉVISION DE RATTRAPAGE (FEBRUARY 2015)

A few words about things I couldn't review due to unforeseen circumstances.

- The Casual Vacancy - Episode One (BBC One): A 3 X 60 minute adaptation of the 2012 book by J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter) for the BBC and HBO. In a picture postcard English village, the death of a local councillor reveals in the most nasty way the conflicts between its inhabitants. 

As subtle as a hammer (with its heavy social satire) and moderately entertaining, The Casual Vacancy is basically an extended pre-credit sequence of Midsomer Murders. We wonder if the characters of this highly dispensable piece of television will all kill each other in the end of the third part. Adapted by Sarah Phelps (Great Expectations) and directed by Jonny Campbell. Starring Michael Gambon, Julia McKenzie, Keeley Hawes, Rufus Jones, Rory Kinnear, Emilia Fox, etc. 

- Midsomer Murders: A Vintage Murder (ITV): It seems everybody does Midsomer better than the worn-out detective drama these days, starting with the ever effective Death in Paradise. Thank God, the supremely talented writer Lisa Holdsworth (New Tricks) concluded a both tired and tiresome 17th series with this gem. The expectations were high because Miss Holdsworth previously killed Martine McCutcheon with a giant cheese in the episode Schooled in Murder (2013).

 A Vintage Murder is simply the best episode since series 15. Naoko Mori (Torchwood) is hilariously brilliant in a performance reminiscent of Patsy from Absolutely Fabulous. The guest cast includes Mark Bonnar, Lloyd Owen, Claire Bloom and Rosie Cavaliero. Directed by Nick Laughland.

Midsomer Murders is produced by Bentley Productions Ltd, an All3Media company, for ITV. 

- Bajo Sospecha - Episode One (Antena 3): The most interesting drama of February comes from Spain and it is produced by Bambú Producciones, the company behind Velvet and Grand Hotel (Gran Hotel), for Atresmedia Televisisión. 7-year old Alicia Vega disappears without a trace after her first communion. 10 days later, she's still missing and the police is convinced that the culprit is one of the guests at the ceremony or a member of the Vega family. 

Two undercover cops are sent to their village as husband and wife: maverick covert operations expert Victor Reyes (Yon González) and behaviour analyst Laura Cortés (Blanca Romero). Only Commissioner Casas (Lluís Homar) knows their true identities and their mission as they search answers amongst the secrets, lies and mysteries of the community.

Sold as "Broadchurch in Spain", Bajo Sospecha (10 x 75 minute episodes) is in fact the worthy successor to the beloved Grand Hotel, with which it shares not only three actors (González, Homar and Pedro Alonso as Alicia's father) but also some format similarities. There's even a nice nod to Gran Hotel in the premiere. It is not unreasonable to expect from this creation of Ramón Campos and Gema R. Neira (developed by them with Adolfo Valor) the amount of twists and turns we had through the corridors of the luxurious hotel of Cantaloa.

Bajo Sospecha is produced by Ramón Campos and Teresa Fernández-Valdés and distributed by Beta Films. The (superb) music is by Federico Jusid.