A dying man's enigmatic last words send vicar's son, Bobby Jones, and his socialite friend, Lady Frankie Derwent, on a crime-solving adventure.A dying man's enigmatic last words send vicar's son, Bobby Jones, and his socialite friend, Lady Frankie Derwent, on a crime-solving adventure.A dying man's enigmatic last words send vicar's son, Bobby Jones, and his socialite friend, Lady Frankie Derwent, on a crime-solving adventure.
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What a delightful piece of television entertainment! Tip-of-the-hat to Mr. Laurie for this witty, at times silly (but in a good way) and suspenseful storytelling packed in the technically nicely executed and well acted three part series.
I'm positive Mrs. Christie, knowing what I know about her and admiring her both as a writer and a woman of strong character, excellent sense of humour and great intellect, would love this adaptation of her work.
Again, hugely entertaining, never a dull moment, and, dare I say, quite a brilliantly romantic finale.
8 stars from me, which is as far as I am concerned very high - I gave 10 stars to only a handful of movies, and Only Fools And Horses.
I'm positive Mrs. Christie, knowing what I know about her and admiring her both as a writer and a woman of strong character, excellent sense of humour and great intellect, would love this adaptation of her work.
Again, hugely entertaining, never a dull moment, and, dare I say, quite a brilliantly romantic finale.
8 stars from me, which is as far as I am concerned very high - I gave 10 stars to only a handful of movies, and Only Fools And Horses.
Hugh Laurie has done a fabulous job deftly infusing humour into this script. The cinematography is delightful, with gorgeous costumes, lovely architecture and rugged scenery brought to life. A strong cadre of actors with the wonderful character of Frankie (Lucy Boynton) pulling all the strings, Boynton is in her element with this persona.
It is drawn out at some points, it would have benefited from shorter episodes, also some plot elements are overly contrived.
It is drawn out at some points, it would have benefited from shorter episodes, also some plot elements are overly contrived.
Compared to the initial reviews, it appears I'm in the minority. I thoroughly enjoyed the three episodes and binged them in one night. I found the whole thing fun, charming and a hoot. I loved all the performances as well as the lush locales and cinematography and the performances. Hugh Laurie's direction is smooth. Not everything adds up, but this isn't Agatha Christie's best story, and that's okay overall. There are always too many suspects and shoehorning for things to make sense in the plot. As long as you understand who did it and the basic why in the end, you're good. Just go along for the ride. Pay attention to the clues as they come and you can probably solve it before they do. Sure, there are tons of red herrings and subplots to nowhere that distract, but again, it's lesser Agatha Christie. What do people expect? It's only confusing if you let it overwhelm you. And it needn't. Enjoy!
This Agatha Christie story has a gripping, instant hook but a rather underwhelming resolution; by the time you finally learn who Evans is and why they didn't ask him, you may wish that you never wondered in the first place. Hugh Laurie aka Dr. House, who writes, directs and plays a supporting role, does not bring very much new to the table, apart from a flourish here and a photographic trick there, and Will Poulter is merely OK as Bobby Jones. But Lucy Boynton is magnetic as Frankie: beautiful, playful, witty (especially in the first of the three episodes), she really brings the character to life. On the basis of this performance, she totally deserves a regular spot in a possible future Agatha Christie series - one that, hopefully, will resolve its cases in fewer than 175 minutes. *** out of 4.
I have always loved Why Didn't They Ask Evans and I loved that this adaptation stuck more closely to the book. Yes, there were some changes but the heart was there.
Bobby and Frankie have held a place in my literary heart for years and they lived up to my expectations and hopes.
Is the mystery a bit confusing? Yes, it also was confusing in the book but it's a great ride, good fun and the characters, costumes and scenery make it a thoroughly enjoyable watch.
On a slightly related note, loved seeing the golf course and castle at Three Cliffs!!
Bobby and Frankie have held a place in my literary heart for years and they lived up to my expectations and hopes.
Is the mystery a bit confusing? Yes, it also was confusing in the book but it's a great ride, good fun and the characters, costumes and scenery make it a thoroughly enjoyable watch.
On a slightly related note, loved seeing the golf course and castle at Three Cliffs!!
Did you know
- TriviaThe character Frankie calls Bobby by the nickname "Steve," explaining that she has always thought of him that way for reasons she can't explain. In the original novel she only calls him Steve once, as part of the phrase, "I get you, Steve," which was a somewhat common saying at the time and can be seen in various novels from the early 20th century, including Dorothy L. Sayers' "The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club" from 1928, and the 1912 novel "Officer 666" by Augustin McHugh. The origin of this saying appears to be lost.
- Alternate versionsAlso aired in four parts (with each episode running ~43 minutes) in some countries.
- ConnectionsVersion of Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (1980)
- How many seasons does Why Didn't They Ask Evans? have?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
- Filming locations
- Three Cliffs Bay, Gower Peninsula, Wales, UK(Cliffs adjoining golf course)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime
- 58m
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1,90 : 1
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