Hercule Poirot

[Ruglen Jock]

Why do the characters of Captain Hastings and Miss Lemon appear only in the one-hour episodes of Poirot but not in the two-hour ones?

[Ethel]

Good question - I don't know the answer, but the whole production feels different. I don't like the new ones at all.

[brionon]

I prefer the one's with Hastings and Lemon. They add a lot to the programmes.

[osprey]

It all depends on the stories. The shorter stories tend to include either or both Miss Lemon and Captain Hastings whilst most of the longer stories omit them. However, seeing as ITV have butchered some of the stories so that they bear little resemblence to the original books ( The Murder of Roger Ayckroyd being the prime example where the final 15 - 20 minutes didn't appear in the book at all ) I cannot fathom any reason why they couldn't have included one or both of them in more stories.

[Ruglen Jock]

Thanks for your responses. Further to this subject, may I add that in my opinion the art deco graphics of the 1-hour episodes are superb, so redolent of the age and take me back to my childhood. Is there an award for this category? Those responsible would surely have been in line for one.

[Ethel]

David Suchet's Poirot haven't been true to the books from the start.
The books are set in the 1920s, whilst the series is set in 1936 and they do veer from the storyline somewhat.

Still one of my favourite tv series, with the exception of the latest episodes.

Similarly, I can't abide the newest series of Marple. Joan Hickson was perfect in my opinion.