Towards Zero

I'll never understand why the main character of the book gets cut out of the televised version every time. Also, why is everything so dark? It's like it was filmed in the middle of the night with a filter.

It's a good try, but Kay is not the 23 year old redhead party girl from the book, and several other characters don't ring true either. I'm just hoping that they haven't changed the murderer too.

Although, I could see the story being updated to the modern day with Kay as a social media obsessed influencer and Audrey as an ex-supermodel.

I'm giving it 5 stars for effort, even though it misses for changing the story unnecessarily.

Enjoyable tosh I'd say. Love seeing the mega-rich come unstuck. Love Agatha Christie too so this was a must-see. Looks great, lovely photography.

Reviewer kristhebass mentions the Black barrister played by the excellent Clarke Peters, as if this was an anachronism. This reviewer may be interested to know (but probably won't want to know) that the first Black barrister to practice in the UK was in 1884. No, Agatha Christie probably didn't mention any character's ethnic background so basically anyone could be cast. It's not as if it's 'unhistorical' in this instance. Oh and I think the 'maid' is more of a lady's companion, as she quite clearly states in the first episode.

First the good news: wardrobe and locations are exquisite. The actors are very good, especially Anjelica Huston as the matriarch of a despicable family. Now for the bad stuff: why oh why add absolutely unnecessary characters into one of the finest plots Agatha Christie ever wrote. The dialogues are stilted and absolutely boring. The language, contrary to the setting, is much too modern and sometimes very crude. For the life of me, I don't understand the importance of a cunnilingus scene on the stairs. It just makes no sense. And last, but not least: it's way too long. The whole story could've been told in 90 minutes, it's much too thin for three hours.

Why do the writers always take a perfectly crafted plot from the queen of suspense and trample it to death?

The second instalment sees the situations at Gull's point escalate. After a danced through afternoon at the nearby pleasure hotel with multiple partner exchanges and another troublesome newcomer in the form of a former boyfriend, Lady Tressilian is most displeased with her house guests and threatens to change her will. The love triangle at the centre concludes in two people having intimate relations in the stairwell of the house in view of everyone else, a scene that I guess was supposed to be erotic, but ended up more awkward than enticing. Soon after we (finally) get our first murder. Inspector Leach, who has survived his suicide attempt and strikes up an unlikely friendship with Sylvia, investigates the death and soon finds that things might not be as easy as they seem at first glance.

It all continues to be very pretty and glamorous, but by now the changes from the book become glaringly obvious and not all are good ones. The addition of a couple characters are fine, but the original characters suffer a little. Audrey in particular appears little more than a pretty distraction here. It's unclear why Neville seems unable to stay away from her to the point that he betrays his wife right in front of her nose - or why Audrey seems to have her heart set on prying him away from Kay after insisting on the divorce. Both of their motives for this love triangle have been done away with, leaving the central relationships a little flat in result.

Neville Strange, a celebrated tennis player goes through a messy divorce with his wife Audrey, who has legitimate grounds after Neville had an affair with the glamorous Kay. Neville takes his new wife to visit his wealthy Aunt, Lady Tresillian, it just so happens that Audrey has been invited as well.

I was truly looking forward to this, as I do with any Agatha Christie adaptation, but in recent years it's been a case of approach with caution.

There are lots of changes, let's be clear, it's altered from the book, with several characters perhaps very different, that said the core essence is still here.

The best element has to be the visuals, it is a stunning looking production, an area where The BBC still thrives, expect stunning clothes, great sets, and as it's set at Burgh Island, expect a terrific location, one Agatha Christie fans will know very well.

The issue I had, the pacing, it is very slow to get going, it takes the best part of two episodes to see an actual murder, they spend an age introducing the characters and building the murder, heading Towards Zero.

I wish they'd put this on over Christmas, it may have added an extra bit of sparkle, putting it on at the start of March felt a little odd, this was a big production.

Not as bold as some of the more recent Agatha Christie adaptations, I don't think it held a candle to the stunning adaptation of And then there were none, in comparison it felt a little bit flat, but all in all it's a good adaptation, and the feel of the book is captured well.

Anjelica Huston steals it as Lady Tresillian, but there are good performances all round, Jack Farthing in particular was excellent.

7/10.