BBC One confirms seven new Agatha Christie dramas

BBC One has announced a new production deal with Agatha Christie Productions Ltd.

Seven new Agatha Christie adaptations will be produced over the next four years.

The first novel to be adapted is Ordeal By Innocence, with other titles confirmed so far including Death Comes As The End, a murder mystery set in Ancient Egypt, and The ABC Murders, a race against time to stop a serial killer who is operating across 1930s Britain.

Ordeal By Innocence will be written by Sarah Phelps (And Then There Were None).

Sarah Phelps — the screenwriter behind the last two — has adapted Ordeal By Innocence to be the 2017 Christie Christmas event. It will star Bill Nighy, Catherine Keener, Matthew Goode, Eleanor Tomlinson, Anthony Boyle, Ed Westwick, Luke Treadaway, Morven Christie, Crystal Clarke, Ella Purnell and Alice Eve.

And this synopsis has been shared by the BBC:

Christmas 1954. Wealthy philanthropist Rachel Argyll is murdered at her family estate Sunny Point. Her adopted son Jack Argyll, a young delinquent, is arrested for her murder. He vehemently protests his innocence.

Eighteen months later, Dr Arthur Calgary, a scientist, walks onto the velvety lawns of Sunny Point claiming to have just returned from an expedition to the Arctic. Even more extraordinary is his claim to hold the alibi that can prove Jack’s innocence. But Jack died in prison before the case could come to trial, and the Argyll family is reluctant to dig up the secrets of the past.

Rachel’s widower Leo is about to remarry his secretary Gwenda and none of Rachel’s other adopted children Mary, Mickey, Tina or Hester, nor longstanding housekeeper Kirsten, is willing to reopen that most horrendous chapter of their lives. However, the shattering implications of Calgary’s story are too big to avoid; if he is telling the truth then the wrong person was arrested for Rachel’s murder. And if Jack was not the killer, then it must have been somebody else at Sunny Point.

This is expected to be another three-part drama.

Other titles confirmed for adaptation include Death Comes As The End, a murder mystery set in Ancient Egypt, and The ABC Murders, a serial killer story set in 1930s Britain.

The BBC seems confident in its efforts to make itself the place to go for Agatha Christie adaptation. Director of BBC Content Charlotte Moore said of the upcoming Christie projects:

These new commissions continue BBC One’s special relationship as the home of Agatha Christie in the UK. Our combined creative ambition to reinvent Christie's novels for a modern audience promises to bring event television of the highest quality to a new generation enjoyed by fans old and new.

Hilary Strong, Chief Executive Officer, Agatha Christie Limited added:

What Sarah Phelps brought to And Then There Were None was a new way of interpreting Christie for a modern audience, and Agatha Christie Ltd is thrilled to be bringing this psychologically rich, visceral and contemporary sensibility to more classic Christie titles for a new generation of fans.

We'll keep you updated as more news comes to light...