This week I will be mostly watching.....
Miss Marple. Call me an old softy but I love watching Agatha Christie dramatisations on TV, specially in the winter and specially when you know it's going to be good. I was delighted to find out that Geraldine McEwan was going to be playing her in a new series on ITV1. My delight was increased when I found out the Jamie Theakston was also going to be in it.
Yeah, yeah, you heard right, Jamie Theakston, the guy who used to present Live and Kicking on Saturday morning kids TV with Zoe Ball. Used to go out with one of the All Saints. Used to get caught with his trousers down in brothels taking drugs. Yep that Jamie Theakston.
I shouldn't knock Theakston's acting talents. He's sort of become a younger version of Angus Deayton. He's been a bad boy in his time but against your better judgement you still find yourself liking the lanky bloke. (Look at his deadpan performance in Rock Profiles - where David Walliams and Matt Lucas were before they ruled the comedy roost with Little Britain).
Anyway I digress, back to Miss Marple. I never got into Joan Hickson as Miss Marple on the Beeb, even though she came with Christie's own seal of approval. She was just way, way too prim and starchy for me. McEwan is going to play Miss Marple brought into the 21st century.
"Miss" has been dropped from the title. So it's now Agatha Christie's Marple - very much like Agatha Christie's Poirot. McEwan has always had a twinkle in her eyes and this is going to be very much evident with the new series. In this week's opening episode she glances fondly at the picture of a young hunk, who we later find out was her married young lover. There's even a pair of lesbian murder suspects in a future episode.
In a press conference McEwan believes that the changes aren't disrespectful and hopefully won't upset too many die hard Miss Marple fans.
With a cast including James Fox, Joanna Lumley, Simon Callow, Ian Richardson, Jack Davenport, Tara Fitzgerald and even David Walliams (that man is everywhere at the moment), I'm sure we won't be disappointed.
Future episodes tantalise us with appearences from Sir Derek Jacobi, John Hannah, Jenny Agutter, Rob Brydon, Jane Asher and Herbert Lom.
Agatha Christie's Marple starts on Sunday 12th December on ITV1 at 9pm.
