Agatha Christie's Marple

The adventures of Miss Jane Marple, an elderly spinster living in the quiet little village of St Mary Mead. During her many visits to friends and relatives in other villages, Miss Marple often stumbles upon mysterious murders which she helps solve. Although the police are sometimes reluctant to accept Miss Marple's help, her reputation and unparalleled powers of observation eventually win them over.

Agatha Christie's Marple (2004-2013) is a British period whodunit series created for ITV1, adapted from the novels of Agatha Christie. Across six seasons and twenty-three feature-length episodes of roughly eighty-eight minutes each, the series follows Miss Jane Marple, an elderly spinster played by Julia McKenzie in early episodes and Geraldine McEwan in the later ones. Living in the quiet English village of St Mary Mead, she is a keen observer of human nature who stumbles upon murders during her visits to friends and relatives in neighboring villages. Her engine is simple and satisfying: a crime that official investigators misread, a skeptical police force that resists her help, and Marple's patient attention to gossip, manners and small inconsistencies that eventually wins them over. Emilia Fox appears as Joanna Burton in a recurring role, and a roster of guest actors including Benedict Cumberbatch and Russell Tovey fills the investigations. Each story is self-contained, a case-of-the-week format built around classic country-house suspicion and village secrets. The tone is genteel, witty and wry, with a warm surface over darker human motives. Set in mid-century rural England, the series suits viewers who enjoy the cozy precision of Midsomer Murders, Father Brown and Murder, She Wrote.

Audiences broadly rate the series as a positive, well-crafted take on Christie's village mysteries, with strong period detail and warm lead performances.

• Father Browncozy village murder mystery, amateur sleuth solving crimes through observation
• Midsomer Murdersgentle English detective mystery, period setting, case of the week format
• Murder, She Wroteelderly amateur sleuth with sharp observational powers, whodunit structure
• Poirotperiod whodunit adapted from classic crime fiction, literate and polished tone

Release Date

2004-12-12

Episode runtime

88 min

Rating

7.9 / 10 (152)

What is Agatha Christie's Marple about?

An elderly spinster sleuth in a quiet English village uncovers murders wherever her travels take her.

What is Agatha Christie's Marple like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Agatha Christie's Marple as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Agatha Christie's Marple violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Agatha Christie's Marple as mild.

What did critics think of Agatha Christie's Marple?

Audiences broadly rate the series as a positive, well-crafted take on Christie's village mysteries, with strong period detail and warm lead performances.

Which shows are like Agatha Christie's Marple?

Shows with a similar feel include Father Brown, Midsomer Murders, Murder, She Wrote, and Poirot.

How long is Agatha Christie's Marple?

Agatha Christie's Marple: 6 seasons, 23 episodes.

Is Agatha Christie's Marple still running?

No, Agatha Christie's Marple has ended.

Where can I watch Agatha Christie's Marple?

In United States, Agatha Christie's Marple streams on Hulu, Britbox Apple TV channel, PBS, Acorn TV, BritBox, PBS Masterpiece Amazon Channel, AcornTV Amazon Channel, BritBox Amazon Channel, Spectrum On Demand, Acorn TV Apple TV channel, KQED, WETA+, Thirteen.