World Famous Comics: Agatha Christie's Marple: Series 2
Agatha Christie's Marple: Series 2
Starring: Geraldine McEwan, Chloe Pennington, Oliver Jordan, Anthony Andrews, Greta Scacchi Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC Label: Acorn Media Number of Discs: 4 Number of Items: 4 Region Code: 1 Release Date: August 29, 2006 Running Time: 372 minutes Theatrical Release Date: February 19, 2006
Four all-new, full-length mysteries bring you a Miss Marple like no other. Geraldine McEwan (Vanity Fair, The Magdalene Sisters) returns as the spinster sleuth, as shrewd and sagacious as ever. Breathing new life into Agatha Christie’s novels, these intricately plotted and thoroughly engaging whodunits feature the richly detailed settings, lush cinematography, and imaginative screenplays that won Series 1 overwhelming critical acclaim and an Emmy® nomination.
McEwan imbues Miss Marple with a kindly sparkle and sly wit that prove "irresistible," raves TV Guide. "Not your mother’s Miss Marple," says the Associated Press. Sterling supporting casts that include Anthony Andrews, Michael Brandon, James D’Arcy, Geraldine Chaplin, Timothy Dalton, Frances de la Tour, Sophia Myles, Ken Russell, and Greta Scacchi further enrich this 21st century celebration of Agatha Christie’s most beloved heroine.
Amazon.com: Granada Television and the PBS Mystery! series' Marple episodes continue to delight with such distinctive vitality, wit, and stylishness one may never again think of tea rooms in the English countryside as "quaint" settings. Geraldine McEwan (Vanity Fair) returns as Agatha Christie's Miss Jane Marple, elderly sleuth with a keenly discerning eye and sweet smile that takes the sting out of her blunt observations of friends and murder suspects alike. As with series 1, the quartet of mysteries in series 2, set shortly after World War II, are ensemble affairs filled out by such familiar faces as Timothy Dalton, Charles Dance, Greta Scacchi, Anthony Andrews, Patricia Hodge, and Imogen Stubbs. Rather than pound out a certain visual and tonal sameness over all four stories, each 90-minute episode seems to be approached as a stand-alone affair, giving writers, directors, and production teams a lot of leeway to give each story a unique stamp.
"Sleeping Murder" stars Sophia Myles as Gwenda Halliday, a young woman haunted by flashbacks of the memory of a killing she observed as a little girl in a stately British house. Problem is, Gwenda has only recently moved to Britain for the first time in her life, after growing up in India. Dawn French, Martin Kemp, and Geraldine Chaplin also star in the tale, which involves an old troupe of actors, a jewelry theft, and a very surprising conclusion. "By the Pricking of My Thumbs" concerns the disappearance of a doddering old woman who leaves behind a strange, spooky painting of a cottage in the woods, an unnerving figure lurking in the structure's window. Miss Marple is on the trail, but she allows the lonely, alcoholic wife (Scacchi) of a government investigator (Andrews) to take the lead—a boost to the younger woman's self-esteem.
The ambitious "The Moving Finger" is the most singular episode in sries 2, a cheeky--almost subversive--vision of a rosy, picture-postcard village whose tranquility is undone by a series of hateful letters mailed to individuals in the community. Miss Marple, observing the tragic effects of these missives on relationships and reputations, is practically in the background in this story, watching closely as a nihilistic young man (James D'Arcy) comes out of his cynical, alcohol-laced haze to investigate the source of so much misery. (Bonus: director Ken Russell appears as the local, red-cheeked vicar.) Finally, "The Sittaford Mystery" finds Timothy Dalton playing a likely prospect to become prime minister, until he's stabbed to death following a séance. Set in a rundown hotel during a severe winter storm, the episode co-stars James Murray, Rita Tushingham, and comic-actor-director Mel Smith, the latter as the late, great man's touchingly loyal, right-hand man. --Tom Keogh
Excellent Marple I have been a masterpiece / mystery theater fan for years, and find the Miss Marple series with Geraldine McEwan to be top notch. Excellent actors, sumptious costumes, and beautiful settings make for extremely entertaining viewing. Geraldine McEwan is marvelous, and is much better than Joan Hicks ever was! A perfectly lovely voice accompanies the very intelligent eyes!
Miss Marple Cute as a Button There are some negative reviews for this series but I definitely enjoyed it. Geraldine McEwan is adorable, reminding me of Helen Hayes. The stories have been adapted but the production values are excellent. There are name stars such as Timothy Dalton, Anthony Andrews, James D'Arcy and even Ken Russell! I like McEwan's interpretation of Marple and who could resist that tinkle in her eyes.
More stylish entertainment These new Miss Marples are great. This set is just as good as the first series, in particular "Sleeping Murder," which was my favorite of the lot. Stylish, fun mysteries which manage to be involving and entertaining at the same time. I would highly recommend this set, as well as the rest of the series.
Very Good They have made changes to Agatha Christie's books for this particular Miss Marple series. But I don't think the changes take away from the great quality of mystery storytelling involved in this complex character and the complex stories.
I think they did a good job of combining Miss Marple and Tommy & Tuppence in "By the Pricking of My Thumbs". I guess they could have made a separate movie or even done a separate series for the Tommy and Tuppence stories. But, truly, there weren't as many Marples or Tommy and Tuppence stories as there were Hercule Poirots. So for a successful and long-running series, they probably need to combine some of her stories. Agatha Christie herself even used plots more than once. Black Coffee and Affair at Styles had similarities. Plymoth Express and Blue Train are nearly the same story. I think having different versions and changing the stories up still pay tribute to the remarkable author and the characters she created. Also, some of the Miss Marples were short stories, not full books, as were some of the Hercule Poirots. So they probably needed to add details to their screenplays to make these movie-length features.
This set is really wonderful. By the Pricking of My Thumbs includes kidnapping, witches, fairytale, post-war, and many other factors. The moving finger is complex, well-acted, and suspenseful. The Sittaford Mystery has an Egyptian theme and about a hundred red herrings. The Sleeping Murder is my favorite and begins with haunting visions of the past, followed by a psychological thriller.
I received this box set for Christmas and have already watched each Marple twice. Regardless of any changes to the original stories, I think they are very entertaining. And Geraldine McEwan is absolutely adorable.
Also a good set:Agatha Christie's Marple Series 3
DVD sound quality For mystery fans and those who like England, these DVDs are great. My only qualm is that ( in common with the BBC remake of Pride and Prejudice) the background music is TOO LOUD!!!!! and it obscures the dialogue of the actors. Very annoying
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