By which I mean that "Les Petits Meurtres D'Agatha Christie" is really two separate and distinct series in one. But the same basic concept holds throughout: Take Agatha Christie stories and adapt them into French, keeping some of the framework of the original story while adding new characters and elements to a greater or lesser degree. Throw in a soupçon of comedy as well, and voilà! While some Christie fans may balk at such liberties being taken with her work, others (like me) will enjoy the presentation for exactly what it is: a sort of Christie hybrid, done with delightful French humor and élan, that succeeds (mostly) on its own terms.
Each episode is roughly 90 minutes, allowing ample time for both plot and character development, but a noteworthy aspect of these adaptations is that neither of Christie's most famous detective protagonists appears in them. Don't expect Jane Marple or Hercule Poirot to show up, even if they were in the original story - they won't, nor will any sort of French doppelgängers. The creative team instead opted to come up with their own completely original sleuths.
The two incarnations of the show are both set in France, but in different time periods. The first takes place in the 1930's, and the principal regular characters are policemen: Commissaire Jean Larosière, played by Antoine Dulery, and Inspecteur Emile Lampion, played by Marius Colucci. Larosière is somewhat larger than life: passionate about women, food and poetry, with a rather flamboyant and mercurial personality. He is also an excellent and very experienced detective. Lampion, by contrast, is younger, a bit of an introvert, an admirer of his boss but also more modern in his thinking and capable of making his own contributions to the cases. And, he happens to be gay, which is handled well as a character element - it isn't over-emphasized but neither is it ignored, and the perceptions and ramifications of it are portrayed appropriately for the era rather than with a p.c. 21st century sensibility.
Both characters are uniquely conceived and fully fleshed-out creations, and are very engaging. Their relationship evolves as the series progresses, and Dulery and Colucci are really superb in their roles, with Colucci my especial favorite. IMO this first incarnation is much the better portion of the series, though disappointingly it only comprises 11 episodes.
When Dulery and Colucci decided not to continue with the show, the creators did a complete revamp, setting the second incarnation in the late 1950's or early 1960's (it's a bit unclear which). The principal characters are now Commissaire Swan Laurence (who names their kid "Swan"?), played by Samuel Labarthe; his secretary Marlène, played by Elodie Frenck; and reporter Alice Avril, played by Blandine Bellavoir.
These episodes - there are 27 in all - do not work quite as well as the first set IMO. The premise is awkward: it requires that Avril, who works for the newspaper La Voix Du Nord ("The Voice Of the North"), be somehow centrally involved in each case that Laurence investigates. This is problematic because Laurence hates Avril's guts and doesn't want her around. And so they wind up conducting separate inquiries (Laurence officially, Avril surreptitiously) and occasionally trading information, which creates a split focus that often dissipates the forward momentum of the plot. The banter between the two characters can get excessively mean-spirited at times, and their one-note oil-and-water relationship becomes tiresome. Avril's availability to take on ongoing "undercover" jobs at the drop of a hat, despite apparently having a full-time position at her newspaper, is a gimmick which stretches credibility. The cases themselves are not as absorbing as the Larosière/Lampion stories, and the motivations and logic behind the crimes are not as well thought out. The later episodes also tend to emphasize comedy over mystery and to give more weight to the personal lives of the regular characters, to the overall detriment of the show.
The actors cannot be faulted though. Elodie Frenck is wonderful as the sweet-natured Marlène, with her Marilyn Monroe-esque platinum coif and red lipstick - she is a scene stealer. Samuel Labarthe is terrific as the misanthropic and misogynistic Laurence: he really commits to the character's arrogance and doesn't try to make him likable, but he still manages to give him a great deal of nuance and depth, and I actually find him very funny as well (I was not at all familiar with Labarthe's work but I am now a bona-fide fan). Blandine Bellavoir is also an excellent actress, but here she is saddled with playing an often-annoying character who never quite feels organic to the show (it strikes me that Avril could be removed from many of these plots and with a minimal re-shuffling of elements, the stories would be tighter). Dominique Tricard and Cyril Gueï are fun to watch in their small but colorful recurring roles of police superintendent and medical examiner, and late casting addition Marie Berto as Officer Arlette Carmouille is also a plus - too bad she shows up just as the series is heading into its final episodes.
It must be said that the production values in both of these incarnations cannot be faulted - the show looks absolutely stunning, with exquisitely detailed set decoration and costumes (and cars!), all captured in style by the gorgeous photography. Stephane Moucha's music, including the memorable title theme, is outstanding. The humor in the writing, of which there is quite a bit, is also very enjoyable, and the overall direction is top-notch. I give the series a 9 star rating, but that is really for the Larosière/Lampion episodes, which I think are first-rate. The Laurence/Avril episodes are more around a 7 star rating, I'd say - but still, I'd recommend the show as a whole. And in fact, a new third incarnation, set in the 1970's, has begun being filmed. It has not aired in the US yet, but I will be very curious to check it out.
Each episode is roughly 90 minutes, allowing ample time for both plot and character development, but a noteworthy aspect of these adaptations is that neither of Christie's most famous detective protagonists appears in them. Don't expect Jane Marple or Hercule Poirot to show up, even if they were in the original story - they won't, nor will any sort of French doppelgängers. The creative team instead opted to come up with their own completely original sleuths.
The two incarnations of the show are both set in France, but in different time periods. The first takes place in the 1930's, and the principal regular characters are policemen: Commissaire Jean Larosière, played by Antoine Dulery, and Inspecteur Emile Lampion, played by Marius Colucci. Larosière is somewhat larger than life: passionate about women, food and poetry, with a rather flamboyant and mercurial personality. He is also an excellent and very experienced detective. Lampion, by contrast, is younger, a bit of an introvert, an admirer of his boss but also more modern in his thinking and capable of making his own contributions to the cases. And, he happens to be gay, which is handled well as a character element - it isn't over-emphasized but neither is it ignored, and the perceptions and ramifications of it are portrayed appropriately for the era rather than with a p.c. 21st century sensibility.
Both characters are uniquely conceived and fully fleshed-out creations, and are very engaging. Their relationship evolves as the series progresses, and Dulery and Colucci are really superb in their roles, with Colucci my especial favorite. IMO this first incarnation is much the better portion of the series, though disappointingly it only comprises 11 episodes.
When Dulery and Colucci decided not to continue with the show, the creators did a complete revamp, setting the second incarnation in the late 1950's or early 1960's (it's a bit unclear which). The principal characters are now Commissaire Swan Laurence (who names their kid "Swan"?), played by Samuel Labarthe; his secretary Marlène, played by Elodie Frenck; and reporter Alice Avril, played by Blandine Bellavoir.
These episodes - there are 27 in all - do not work quite as well as the first set IMO. The premise is awkward: it requires that Avril, who works for the newspaper La Voix Du Nord ("The Voice Of the North"), be somehow centrally involved in each case that Laurence investigates. This is problematic because Laurence hates Avril's guts and doesn't want her around. And so they wind up conducting separate inquiries (Laurence officially, Avril surreptitiously) and occasionally trading information, which creates a split focus that often dissipates the forward momentum of the plot. The banter between the two characters can get excessively mean-spirited at times, and their one-note oil-and-water relationship becomes tiresome. Avril's availability to take on ongoing "undercover" jobs at the drop of a hat, despite apparently having a full-time position at her newspaper, is a gimmick which stretches credibility. The cases themselves are not as absorbing as the Larosière/Lampion stories, and the motivations and logic behind the crimes are not as well thought out. The later episodes also tend to emphasize comedy over mystery and to give more weight to the personal lives of the regular characters, to the overall detriment of the show.
The actors cannot be faulted though. Elodie Frenck is wonderful as the sweet-natured Marlène, with her Marilyn Monroe-esque platinum coif and red lipstick - she is a scene stealer. Samuel Labarthe is terrific as the misanthropic and misogynistic Laurence: he really commits to the character's arrogance and doesn't try to make him likable, but he still manages to give him a great deal of nuance and depth, and I actually find him very funny as well (I was not at all familiar with Labarthe's work but I am now a bona-fide fan). Blandine Bellavoir is also an excellent actress, but here she is saddled with playing an often-annoying character who never quite feels organic to the show (it strikes me that Avril could be removed from many of these plots and with a minimal re-shuffling of elements, the stories would be tighter). Dominique Tricard and Cyril Gueï are fun to watch in their small but colorful recurring roles of police superintendent and medical examiner, and late casting addition Marie Berto as Officer Arlette Carmouille is also a plus - too bad she shows up just as the series is heading into its final episodes.
It must be said that the production values in both of these incarnations cannot be faulted - the show looks absolutely stunning, with exquisitely detailed set decoration and costumes (and cars!), all captured in style by the gorgeous photography. Stephane Moucha's music, including the memorable title theme, is outstanding. The humor in the writing, of which there is quite a bit, is also very enjoyable, and the overall direction is top-notch. I give the series a 9 star rating, but that is really for the Larosière/Lampion episodes, which I think are first-rate. The Laurence/Avril episodes are more around a 7 star rating, I'd say - but still, I'd recommend the show as a whole. And in fact, a new third incarnation, set in the 1970's, has begun being filmed. It has not aired in the US yet, but I will be very curious to check it out.