Les petits meurtres d'Agatha Christie

First, for the answer to expectations. Because it is a real smart serie. Preserving the spirit of Agatha Christie, giving a seductive chain of stories and beautiful performances.And proposing an interesting humor and few clever used taboos. Commisaires and women. Cases and wise manner to solve them. Especially, the French flavor gives seduction to each episode. The result - almost fascinating, surrely charming.

I guess this series was made following the success of "Petits meurtres en famille", which is, the best movie version of Hercule Poirot's Christmas I've ever seen. To lead the investigation, instead of Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple, we have here Commissaire Jean Larosière (Antoine Duléry - who I think looks like Robert De Niro) and his subordinate Inspector Lampion (Marius Colucci), who shows a homosexual tendency. In Petits meurtres en famille, Larosière - Lampion remind me of funny detective couple in Les 4 as, where the subordinate shows high respect to his idiot superior; but in this series, Commissaire Larosière is not that stupid anymore and he really does his share in solving the cases. The relation between the 2 is like father - son and each cannot live without the other.

British series based on Agatha Christie books are too faithful and we can see how the characters come alive like how they have been written. This French version is more free in the adaptation and therefore more interesting to watch.

I watched a few episodes with Superintendent Larosière and the young Inspector Lampion, set in the Thirties , and some other episodes featuring Commissaire Swan Laurence and reporter AliceAvril in the Fifties. All of them bring a fresh approach to Agata Christie's stories, a touch of comedy and a glance at the society of the time, but let me say that the earlier episodes are far more intriguing than the later ones. My rating for this series would have been a 8 or even 9 for the Larosière and Lampion duo, but a 6 for Laurence and Avril. This series definitely makes a case for having per-season ratings for TV shows on IMDb.

The other reviews say it all. I am a longtime Christie fan and love these humorous, clever, modern adaptations. Yes, some artistic liberties have been taken, but all the better to set it apart from other versions. See this link for the complete list of episodes. You'll see that Set 1 only includes 7 of the 29 already produced episodes. Neither does Set 1 contain the first 7 episodes, but skips down the list. I can hardly wait to see what comes next, but it appears that Set 1 is the only version released in the US. S'il vous plaît, hurry with subsequent sets!

This show sets the perfect mood for intrigue, mystery and entertainment.

Agatha Christie's works have inspired many iterations on film, although "the usual suspects" are most often repeated (Death on the Nile, etc.). So, it's not just "new" stories that are presented here, but the crimes are solved by a new set of characters who bring lots of playful dynamic to the mix.

Of the 1950's episodes - while the first two seasons very well establish the era and tone, the series really hits its stride in seasons 3 & 4. With increased confidence, everyone brings more layered nuance to the storytelling.

Overall, the production values are extremely well delivered. A special shout out to set dressers, costume and make-up. And the soundtrack engages with suspense and mischief, and perfectly balances the actors' and editors' comedic timing.

Of the performers, my personal favorite is Elodie Frenck as the divine Marlene. She's sexy, funny, the perfect blend of subtlety and charm, and occasional well-placed gaucherie, making this character irresistibly adorable.

Well cast, the other actors bring dynamic energy to their roles in unique ways.

J'adore!