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One of the most critically divisive Agatha Christie adaptations of all time is heading to a new streaming home.

2017's Murder on the Orient Express is officially set to join the Paramount+ streaming library in barely one week. Murder on the Orient Express will be available for streaming on Paramount+ beginning on Sept. 1.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh from a screenplay by Michael Green, which itself was adapted from Agatha Christie's 1934 novel of the same name, Murder on the Orient Express stars Branagh as the famed detective Hercule Poirot. The film features a star-studded ensemble cast including Tom Bateman, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gadd, Derek Jacobi, Daisy Ridley,...

The BBC is officially developing a whole new kind of Agatha Christie mystery series.

Per Deadline, BBC is set to bring Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, G.K Chesterton, and other famous mystery writers to life in the upcoming series - The Detection Club. The series is reportedly set to be a mystery-of-the-week show revolving around its core cast of fictionalized versions of Christie, Sayers, and Chesterton as they put their deduction skills to use solving actual crimes rather than writing about fictional murders. The series will be produced by BBC Studios Drama Productions, although no details regarding casting or specific crew members have been released.

The very real Detection Club was formed back in 1930, and consisted of members such as Christie, Sayers, Chesterton (the club's first president), John Rhode, Jessie Louisa Rickard, Henry Wade, and Baroness Orczy. The club regularly meets for dinners during which they discuss both the technical...

The unrivaled Queen of the murder mystery, Agatha Christie, has had many of her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections receive the adaptation treatment, often at the hands of the BBC. Now, in an unsurprising yet exciting announcement cited via Radio Times, Christie is having another of her mysteries adapted by the Beeb, namely her 1967 novel Endless Night, which has received a three-part series order. The adaptation is already placed in the capable and experienced hands of The Sixth Commandment's Sarah Phelps, who has already made five separate Christie-based shows for the BBC, including And Then There Were None, The Witness for the Prosecution, and Ordeal by Innocence. Excited about her involvement, Phelps said in a statement:

"One of Agatha Christie’s last novels, this is a chilling story of love, sex, deceit and death, of how far we’ll go to get our heart's desire and what we...

A sun-soaked tale full of beautiful rich people doing terrible things, including a transgressive sexual act that’s got the tabloids foaming at the mouth. On paper, BritBox import “Towards Zero” sounds like another salacious drama to ride on the coattails of “The White Lotus.” Yet it stems, in fact, from the bygone era of cozy crime fiction where the only stiff appendage was the upper lip.

Indeed, following the likes of “And Then There Were None,” “The Pale Horse,” and “Ordeal by Innocence,” the 1930s tale is the latest Agatha Christie whodunit to get a semi-contemporary spin. And just like her predecessor, period drama queen Sarah Phelps, screenwriter Rachel Bennette gives the purists plenty to scream blue murder over.

“BBC viewers left stunned by ‘filthy’ X-rated scene,” was a typical conservative media headline after the three-part series premiered in the UK last month. “Is ‘Towards Zero’ the raciest Agatha Christie ever?...

Everyone loves a gripping whodunit, and it sounds like 20th Century Studios do too, with boss Steve Asbell revealing that several movies based on the work of seminal author Agatha Christie are now in the works. Discussing the slate of upcoming projects with THR, which includes a sequel to Alien: Romulus, a pair of Predator movies, and a new Planet of the Apes outing, Abell revealed that there are currently three Agatha Christie projects now in development.

More, yes. We have, And Then There Were None. We have Witness for the Prosecution. Were doing Miss Marple. Theres a bunch of other titles that were working on. We have very close relationship with the estate.

To offer some details on the projects and what theyre all about, "And Then There Were None" was first published way, way back in 1939 and centers on 10 strangers who are invited to Soldier Island, an isolated rock near the Devon coast.

What makes a great courtroom thriller? A mesmerizing and clever plot that draws viewers in immediately. Three-dimensional characters that keep you guessing if they are the guilty party and twists and turns that leave audiences gasping and gob smacked.

Justine Triet’s dazzling French thriller “Anatomy of a Fall” has all the qualities and then some that make it a classic of the genre. Since winning the Palme D’or last May, “Anatomy of a Fall” has continued its winning ways receiving several critics’ honors, as well as two Golden Globes, a Critics Choice honor and seven BAFTA nominations including best film, best director, screenplay and best actress for Sandra Huller’s powerhouse performance. One can’t forget that Messi, the border collie ,who plays the family pet Snoop, received the Palm Dog at Cannes.

Huller plays a bisexual woman with a troubled marriage and a young blind son. When...

In December 2022, the critically acclaimed, mega-successful stage musical based on Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s book Matilda came to cinemas translated into a punchy, inventive feature film. Written by playwright and screenwriter Dennis Kelly with songs and lyrics by comedian and writer Tim Minchin (Upright), the musical – like the book – is a terrific blend of poignancy and rebellious satire.

Famously adapted for a 1996 American feature film starring writer Mara Wilson in the title role, Matilda is the story of an extraordinary young girl born into a neglectful family who are unable to see, or appreciate her uniqueness. Matilda Wormwood isn’t just an academic genius, and when she goes up against the cruel, child-hating headmistress Miss Trunchbull, she uses her powers to right a generational wrong.

The new film retains the original musical’s anarchic heart, chiefly by retaining its director Matthew Warchus, who pulled the whole thing together...

Karen Thrussell has joined “A Very British Scandal” producer Blueprint Television as head of television. She will oversee the development and production of all series.

Thrussell replaces Dominic Treadwell-Collins, who now runs Happy Prince, a new drama label under ITV Studios. She joins from Mammoth Screen, where she executive produced five seasons of BAFTA winning series “Poldark” and the Sarah Phelps Agatha Christie adaptations “And Then There Were None,” “Ordeal by Innocence” and “The Witness for the Prosecution” for BBC One.

Blueprint Television is a sister company to Graham Broadbent and Pete Czernin’s Blueprint Pictures. Blueprint Television also produced Emmy and BAFTA winning series “A Very English Scandal” (2018), starring Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw. “A Very British Scandal,” starring Claire Foy and Paul Bettany was broadcast on BBC One in the U.K. in Dec. 2021 and will be released on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S., Canada, Australia...

Author Jackie Collins’ bestselling novel Lovers & Gamblers is to be reworked for TV by Sarah Phelps, the writer of a host of BBC Agatha Christie adaptations.

Lovers & Gamblers is also being exec produced by Phelps alongside The Bureau producer Federation UK’s Polly Williams and Arielle Gottlieb. eOne is onboard as co-producer.

The drama is adapted from the New York Times bestselling 1977 novel of the same name, which examines the harrowing void of greed and complex ideas around self determination, success, fame, independence and intimacy.

“Lovers & Gamblers is a searing scabrous masterpiece,” said Phelps, who has also adapted Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, The Witness for the Prosecution, Ordeal by Innocence, The ABC Murders and The Pale Horse for BBC1 and Amazon as part of a seven-show deal.

“Jackie Collins was ahead of her time, her unflinching eye trained mercilessly on the filthy machinations of politics and...

From Pig starring Nicolas Cage, Writer/Director Michael Sarnoski and Writer/Producer Vanessa Block join Josh and Joe to discuss the movies that inspired them during the creation of their film.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Nobody (2021)

Infested (2002)

The Big Chill (1983)

A History of Violence (2005)

Pig (2021)

Mandy (2018)

John Wick (2014)

The Testimony (2015)

No Country For Old Men (2007) [Both] – John Badham’s trailer commentary

The Maltese Falcon (1941) – John Landis’s trailer commentary

Blood Simple (1984) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review, Dennis Cozzaliio’s review

Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

Raising Arizona (1987)

Moonstruck (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary

Joe (2013)

Witness For The Prosecution (1957) [Vanessa Block] – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary

Easter Parade (1948)

Titanic (1997)

Never Been Kissed (1999)

Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) – John Landis’s trailer commentary

McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review

The Crow (1994)

Jurassic Park (1993)

Midnight Cowboy (1969) [Michael Sarnoski] – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion...

Cast also includes Rafe Spall, Tom Hughes, Stephen Rea, Valerie Pachner, Toby Jones and more

Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer are starring on “The English,” a high-octane epic Western series at Amazon, BBC One, which has just begun production in Spain.

Set in the mythic mid-American landscape in the year of 1890, “The English” follows Cornelia Locke (Blunt), an Englishwoman who arrives into the new and wild landscape of the West to wreak revenge on the man she sees as responsible for the death of her son. Upon meeting Eli Whipp (Spencer), an ex-cavalry scout and member of the Pawnee Nation by birth, they join together and discover a shared history that must be defeated at all costs, if either of them is to survive.

“The English” is written and directed by Hugo Blick and consists of six, hourlong episodes.

Along with Blunt and Spencer, the cast for the Western includes Rafe Spall (“The Salisbury Poisonings,...

‘Everything is the story,’ says screenwriter Sarah Phelps. That’s why the stage directions in her scripts are so finely detailed. ‘The story isn’t just what comes out of people’s mouths, the story is what’s in the room.’

‘How high are the ceilings? Are the windows large or small? What does the air smell of? Is it cold? Is everything always slightly damp? Is there enough food on the table? Is there a fly buzzing somewhere? What can you see out of the window? Can you hear traffic? Can you hear your next-door neighbours? Is there a dog that barks incessantly?’

Without that detail, Phelps tells Den of Geek, she’d just be putting dialogue into a vacuum. Mood, weather, smell, hair, costume… it all forms the fabric of a script. But there’s more. All five of her BBC One Agatha Christie dramas are also connected through symbolic details.

‘You ordinary bitch!’ snarls Sarah Phelps, ‘put your cheap knickers on and get out of my house!’ The interview hasn’t taken a strange turn; she’s laughing down the phone, quoting along with memorable lines from her BBC One Agatha Christie adaptations.

‘Oh, it brings me so much joy. It’s like The Witness for the Prosecution’s Romaine screaming in court ‘You fucking men! You fucking men!’ and then hissing at Mayhew like a cat!’ One of Phelps’ friends downloaded Andrea Riseborough’s hiss in that scene to use as her text message alert. ‘I get such a thrill out of it.’

Phelps’ screenwriting is built on thrill. There’s the all-out thrill of the story she’s telling plus the tiny power-jolts of thrill she injects into dialogue. It’s for us, but also, for her. ‘I’m the audience, me.’ If she’s laughing or crying while writing,...

Acorn TV, AMC Network’s British programming focused streamer, is to launch in the U.K. at the end of the month.

Launching on April 29 with dramas such as ITV’s “Foyle’s War” and the BBC’s “Keeping Faith” as well as the British-produced Acorn TV original “Queens of Mystery,” the service will charge £4.99 ($6.20) per month in the U.K. or £49.99 ($62) a year.

Acorn TV claims more than one million paid subscribers in the U.S., where it offers dramas, mysteries and comedies from the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Scandinavia.

Acorn TV is offering a 30-day free trial for a limited time, and will be available on devices such as Roku, Fire TV, Android, Apple mobile and Apple TV, and says it is coming soon to Amazon Channels and Apple TV Channels.

The streamer is pushing into an increasingly competitive U.K. Svod market, which has seen launches by BritBox,...

BBC One, Victoria outfit Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited are teaming up on The Pale Horse, a TV drama adaptation of the titular Agatha Christie novel first published in 1961.

Sarah Phelps (The Witness For The Prosecution) has scripted the two-part drama which has Amazon Prime Video on board as U.S. co-production partner and Endeavor Content aboard to handle international sales.

In the novel, a mysterious list of names is found in the shoe of a dead woman, and one of those named, Mark Easterbrook, begins an investigation into how and why his name came to be there. He is drawn to The Pale Horse, the home of a trio of rumoured witches in the small village of Much Deeping. Word has it that the witches can do away with wealthy relatives using dark arts, but as the bodies mount up, Easterbrook is certain there has to be a rational explanation.

Kim Cattrall is set to lead the cast of Filthy Rich. The Sex and the City alumna also will serve as a producer on Fox’s soapy drama pilot from The Help writer-director Tate Taylor, Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox TV.

Written and to be directed by Taylor based on the New Zealand series, Filthy Rich is described as a larger-than-life Southern gothic dramedy that revolves around two strong, sharp women who will go to any length to protect their loved ones and get their due. When the wealthy CEO of the world’s largest Christian network dies in a plane crash, his wife and adult children are stunned to discover he has grown, illegitimate kids who are also in his will. When the steel azalea matriarch of the family tries to pay them to go away, these newly legitimized heirs have very different ideas and insist on not...

Toby Jones is on this year’s Emmy ballot for his BAFTA-winning performance in the low-key comedy “Detectorists” as a would-be treasure hunter. Thanks to Acorn TV, the third and final season of this hit Britcom is eligible for Emmy consideration. The Us-based streaming service co-produced the last six episodes of this delightful slice-of-life created by “The Office” star Mackenzie Crook. He wrote and directed every episode and stars as the archaeologist Andy who spends his free time with his pal Lance (Toby Jones) in search of buried treasure.

Jones was delighted to have won his first BAFTA for a show so close to his heart. “This is just the most wonderful, chilled out job ever,” he readily admitted. And he loves that his career takes him from this intimate television project to the likes of the upcoming “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” in which he has a key role.

See...

Kim Cattrall has joined the cast of the upcoming CBS All Access series “Tell Me a Story.”

The series takes the world’s most beloved fairy tales and reimagines them as a dark and twisted psychological thriller. Set in modern-day New York City, the first season of the serialized drama interweaves “The Three Little Pigs,” “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Hansel and Gretel” into an tale of love, loss, greed, revenge, and murder

Cattrall will play Colleen, an unlikely and very nontraditional grandmother. When her son moves back home, bringing with him a troubled teenager, Kayla, this former chorus girl is going to have to grow up finally and take on the parental duties to protect her family against a very dark and sinister threat. She joins previously announced cast member Billy Magnussen.

This is Cattrall’s first starring role in a U.S. television series since “Sex and the City.

Exclusive: Former Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall is set for a lead role opposite Billy Magnussen in CBS All Access’ straight-to-series psychological thriller Tell Me a Story, from Kevin Williamson and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment.

Written by Williamson, Tell Me a Story takes the world’s most beloved fairy tales and reimagines them as a dark and twisted psychological thriller. Set in modern day New York City, the first season of this serialized drama interweaves “The Three Little Pigs,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” and “Hansel and Gretel” into an epic and subversive tale of love, loss, greed, revenge and murder.

In her first U.S. television series starring role since HBO’s Sex and the City, Cattrall will play Colleen, an unlikely and very non-traditional grandmother. When her son moves back home, bringing with him a troubled teenager, Kayla, this former chorus girl is going to have...

This Week in Home VideoPlus 20 more new releases to watch at home this week on Blu-ray/DVD.

Welcome to this week in home video! Click the title to buy a Blu-ray/DVD from Amazon and help support Fsr in the process!

Pick of the WeekCatfight

What is it? Two old college friends cross paths as adults and beat the ever-loving crap out of each other.

Why see it? Onur Tukel’s latest is also his best thanks in part to the lead performances by Sandra Oh and Anne Heche. They do a good job of manipulating our sympathies and concerns ensuring that our loyalties shift from act to act. Themes of female friendships, class distinctions, and redemption run through alongside a satirical look at modern life, and there’s a terrifically wicked streak throughout. Funny, smart, and brutal are all apt descriptors for this cynical look at our violent selves.

[Blu-ray/DVD extras: Commentaries, featurette, deleted scenes]

Catfight...

Acorn TV, the Emmy-nominated purveyor of some of the best British shows out there, is climbing in bed with Evelyn Waugh.

The streaming service announced Tuesday morning that it has acquired “Decline and Fall,” a three-part adaptation of the late author’s first novel. The limited series stars Eva Longoria, “Poirot’s” David Suchet and comedian Jack Whitehall.

Read More: Niche Streaming Site Acorn TV Lands Emmy Nomination for ‘Poirot’

Set in the late 1920s, “Decline and Fall” stars Whitehall as modest theology student Paul Pennyfeather, who finds his life upended when he’s expelled from Oxford University, having fallen victim to a prank by the privileged Bollinger Club gets him in trouble for indecent exposure. Unfortunately, that act means that Paul has defaulted on the conditions of his inheritance and therefore must take a job teaching at Llanabba, a school in Wales run by Dr. Fagan (Suchet).

There, he...

Update, Writethru: Netflix’s epic period series The Crown leads the BAFTA TV Awards nominations with five, receiving four mentions in the acting categories and one for Best Drama Series this morning. That showing was largely expected. But in a surprise today, the BBC’s Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning adaptation of John Le Carré’s The Night Manager was a near shut-out. It squeaked in one nomination, for Tom Hollander’s creepy-yet-tragic factotum Corky, in Best Supporting Actor. The series does have six BAFTA Craft Awards nominations, but many expected more love for the Tom Hiddleston/Hugh Laurie/Olivia Colman-starrer. BAFTA favorite Colman did pick up a mention this morning, however, as Best Actress in a Comedy for BBC Three’s Fleabag.

For The Crown, Claire Foy was nominated in Leading Actress, Vanessa Kirby in Supporting Actress and John Lithgow and Jared Harris in Supporting Actor. Joining the series...

Gurinder Chadha indie gets backing; Series Mania launches in Australia.

Freemantle backs Gurinder Chadha’s Bend It TV

British production company FreemantleMedia has taken a 25% stake in Bend It Like Beckham and Viceroy’s House director Gurinder Chadha’s UK indie Bend It TV, which focuses on scripted content.

Walter Presents grabs Studiocanal political thriller

Studiocanal has inked further deals on its political thriller series Baron Noir, including with Us based SVoD platform Walter Presents, which is a joint venture from Channel 4 and Global Series Network.

The 8x60 drama series was broadcast in France last year and a second season is now in development. The programme was recently acquired by Sony Channel for Germany where it will launch on April 6, as well as Sbs Australia and Amazon Prime in the UK.

Baron Noir

Series Mania launches in Australia

French TV festival Series Mania is launching an Australian incarnation in partnership with the Australian Centre for the...

Twelfth Night, Your Name and Ted come to theatres in our April Events list Twelfth Night, Your Name and Ted come to theatres in our April Events list Scott Goodyer3/30/2017 10:13:00 Am

April is here and we can almost feel that spring weather just around the corner. So we wanted to give you that extra bounce in your step with some great new monthly cinema events! Check out the list below of a few highlights: WWE Wrestlemania 33

The biggest event in WWE history, featuring Universal Champion Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar, WWE Champion Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton and much more, broadcast live to cinemas from Florida's Orlando Citrus Bowl. All this epic action is a must see on the big screen!

Show date: April 2nd

Twelfth Night National Theatre Live

Tamsin Greig is Malvolia in a new twist on Shakespeare’s classic comedy of mistaken identity. A ship is wrecked on the rocks.

Following his award-winning hit The Lunchbox, Ritesh Batra’s new film, The Sense of An Ending, releases exclusively in New York and Los Angeles this Friday, March 10, and nationwide next week on March 17.

Winning rave reviews, the film is also being acclaimed at film festivals. The Sense Of An Ending was honored at the Mostly British Film Festival in San Francisco with three awards including Jury Prize for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor for Jim Broadbent.

Based on the book by Julain Barnes, The Sense of An Ending was adapted for the screen by award-winning playwright Nick Payne and produced by David Thompson and Ed Rubin (Woman In Gold). The drama stars Academy Award® winner Jim Broadbent (Iris, Gangs of New York, Moulin Rouge!), Harriet Walter (Babel, Atonement, Sense and Sensibility), Michelle Dockery (Babel, Atonement, Sense and Sensibility), Emily Mortimer (Shutter Island, Hugo, Lars and the Real Girl...

Take a trip down memory lane with new photos from CBS Films’ The Sense Of An Ending starring Academy Award winner Jim Broadbent, Harriet Walter, Michelle Dockery, and Emily Mortimer, alongside Charlotte Rampling. The new drama, directed by Ritesh Batra (The Lunchbox, Netflix’s Our Souls At Night), opens in select theaters March 10.

Read Variety’s review from the Palm Springs Intl. Film Festival Here.

Starring Academy Award winner Jim Broadbent (Iris, Gangs of New York, Moulin Rouge!), Harriet Walter (Babel, Atonement, Sense and Sensibility), Michelle Dockery (Babel, Atonement, Sense and Sensibility), Emily Mortimer (Shutter Island, Hugo, Lars and the Real Girl), Billy Howle (The Witness for the Prosecution, Cider with Rosie, Glue), Joe Alwyn (Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, Higher Education, Keepers), Freya Mavor (The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun, Sunshine on Leith, Skins), Matthew Goode (The Imitation Game, Belle) and Charlotte Rampling (45 Years,...

Agatha Christie’s The Witness for the Prosecution, adapted from her short story, first opened on October 28, 1953, at London’s Winter Garden Theatre. It was a hit, called “genius” by one critic and praised for its many twists, its bold portrayal of women and its surprise ending. Witness was published in book from the following year and in 1957 was adapted as a film starring Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton and Tyrone Power. Two television iterations followed, one in the UK, the other the Us. Buy buckle your seat belts for the latest version on Acorn TV. Kim Cattrall and Toby Jones...read more...

It's not that Kim Cattrall isn't game for a third Sex and the City, but the actress -- known for her Golden Globe-winning role as Samantha Jones on the hit HBO dramedy -- is nearly 20 years older than she was when the show first premiered in 1998.

Now 60, Cattrall says her interests lie in projects about women her age that aren't being made. Since 2014, she’s been co-producing and starring in the HBO Canada drama Sensitive Skin, playing Davina Jackson, a 50-something woman who struggles with aging. Cattrall also plays Emily French, a glamorous, well-off widow exploring the emotional cost of being a middle-aged woman in BBC One’s adaptation of the Agatha Christie short story The Witness for the Prosecution, premiering in the U.S. Monday, Jan. 30 on Acorn TV.

In a chat with Et, Cattrall opens up about taking on parts that "dispel" female convention, producing roles women that she says Hollywood isn't and the possibility...

Aliya Whiteley Dec 27, 2016

The Witness For The Prosecution tied together a great plot with satisfying character development in just two hours of screen time...

This review contains spoilers.

See related  Batman Forever: the case for and against Val Kilmer looks back on Batman Forever Joel Schumacher on Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, nipples Jim Carrey on Batman Forever: Tommy Lee Jones hated me

With all that good work done in establishing deep and believable characters in part one - each one with his/her own past and problems - part two of the new BBC adaptation of Agatha Christie's The Witness for the Prosecution cracked on with plot developments in a series of court scenes. Quiet, traumatised Leonard Vole (Billy Howle) was accused of the murder of his older lover, Mrs Emily French (Kim Cattrall). His lover Romaine Heilger (Andrea Riseborough) had decided to change from a witness...

Aliya Whiteley Dec 26, 2016

Sarah Phelps' latest Agatha Christie adaptation for the BBC is excellent in every respect...

This review contains spoilers.

See related Amazon Prime UK: what’s new in January 2017?

Adaptations of Agatha Christie novels have often made great seasonal viewing for me, with large star-studded casts in exotic locations teamed with my inability to remember who did it (even after repeated viewings) making for a comfortably glitzy and entertaining way to spend a couple of hours.

This new BBC version of The Witness For The Prosecution is nothing like those adaptations. But then, it isn't based on a Christie novel. The Witness For The Prosecution was a short story, first published in 1925 at the beginning of her career as a writer. Later Christie turned it into a stage play. And it has already been a film - a film that I love, directed by Billy Wilder and starring Charles Laughton,...

Louisa Mellor Dec 12, 2016

We’ve taken a pen to the UK Christmas TV and radio schedules and circled the shows we’re looking forward to. Add yours below!

Amid the cosy repeats, big movies and inescapable cranberry-stuffed cookery shows on TV this month are a few original gems. Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton’s Inside No. 9 festive special The Devil Of Christmas (Tuesday the 27th of December, 10pm, BBC Two) is top of our must-watch list. Hot on its heels is Yonderland’s family friendly Yonder Yuletide (Saturday the 24th of December, 6.30pm, Sky One). Another for families on Sky is the Christmas Day Jasper Fforde adaptation The Last Dragonslayer, while Channel 4 has the non-festive-but-essential-for-fans-of smart-sci-fi Humans series two finale (Sunday the 18th of December, 9pm).

See related James Cameron's Avatar: five years on Avatar review

Not to forget, of course, the Doctor Who Christmas Special, a brand-new series of Sherlock,...

Rob Leane Kayti Burt Jul 6, 2017

Bill Nighy, Catherine Keener and Alice Eve will appear in the BBC's next Agatha Christie adaptation, Ordeal Of Innocence...

Over the last couple of festive seasons, the BBC has brought us adaptations of two Agatha Christie novels - And Then There Were None and The Witness For The Prosecution - to great critical and ratings success.

See related Curb Your Enthusiasm: season 9 confirmed by HBO

CultBox revealed a while back that this tradition will continue in the years ahead, with the BBC planning to adapt six more Christie stories into TV dramas. The era of #peakTV certainly has its upsides.

Sarah Phelps — the screenwriter behind the last two — has adapted Ordeal By Innocence to be the 2017 Christie Christmas event. And today, the cast has been announced, with CultBox reporting the story.

Ordeal By Innocence will star Bill Nighy, Catherine Keener, Matthew Goode, Eleanor Tomlinson,...

Acorn Media Enterprises is continuing its move into originals, teaming with Blinder Films, Dcd Rights and RTÉ as the North American co-producing partner on Irish legal drama Striking Out. The series will premiere on Ireland’s RTÉ in early 2017 and make its U.S. debut on Acorn TV next year.

The four-part drama is eyed as a returnable and centers on the tumultuous professional and personal life of Dublin-based solicitor Tara (Moone Boy‘s Amy Huberman) and her fledgling law firm. Also starring are Rory Keenan (Peaky Blinders), Emmet Byrne, Fiona O’Shaughnessy (Utopia) and Neil Morrissey (The Night Manager).

When Tara discovers her fiancé and fellow solicitor Eric (Keenan) has been cheating with a colleague, she leaves him and their prestigious law firm to set up her own practice specializing in family and divorce law. Working alongside her new team, including mentor and friend Vincent (Morrissey) and tech guru and...