Miss Marple: Sleeping Murder

The 1980s adaptations starring Joan Hickson are on the slow side by modern standards. This was in fact the last golden age of television before it was ruined by too many channels and the advent of the MTV attention span -- which has sadly affected us all, I fear. This version is lovingly crafted with delightful period details.

Although, in its slowness, this version fails to build up the various suspects as sufficiently menacing, it is a good version which keeps quite faithful to the book. Geraldine Alexander is excellent as Gwenda and to my ears does a super New Zealand accent. John Moulder-Brown is a let-down as her unconvincing animatronic husband, beautifully dressed in the gent's outfitters styles of the period, but far too mannered in his perfect elocution. Joan Hickson does her stuff very well as usual.

It is interesting (if depressing) to compare this with the travesty version starring Geraldine McEwan, where the plot has been mangled -- and garbled -- beyond recognition.

Giles and his beautiful wife Gwenda return to the UK to settle and build a life. Whilst driving through the sleepy village of Dilmouth, they spot house which Gwenda falls in love with, the couple quickly snap it up. Gwenda has a sense of déjà vu and memories of the house begin to return, small things at first, but one memory is too much to bare, murder!

Sleeping Murder is one of my favorite Agatha Christie novels; it has some really dark elements to it, and it's very captivating with real-life and intriguing characters. I think the production team did an excellent job making it; the characters seem like real people, and nobody is too over the top; the story is not too way out.

There are several scenes that stand out. Firstly, the Duchess of Malfi play, Jacobean drama, is particularly heavy, but those words 'cover her face, mine eyes dazzle; she died young' have such an impact. Gwenda's reaction is wonderfully sincere, and the whole staging of the scene is brilliant. The unveiling of the murderer scene is also brilliant-so creepy and sinister.

It's such a good production, it is very well made. There is lots of tension; they succeeded in creating a definite sense of unease, and the music is really spot on; it fits perfectly. The English countryside looks so beautiful too.

The acting, as always, is spot on; not a single weak link in the chain. Joan Hickson is, as always, bang on the money. John Bennett, Frederick Treves and John Moulder Brown are all great, but I've always thought that Geraldine Alexander brings something extra, her performance is so sincere.

It's a wonderful production, a must for any fan of murder mysteries. Plus there's the added bonus of seeing Jane Marple play the hero.

9/10.

'Sleeping Murder' keeps rolling around on afternoon BBC television, and I have been drawn into the story twice so far. I don't like Miss Marple, so perhaps that is why I find this a decent story - I can't compare it to the books, and the world's oldest detective only crops up every now and again to explain the plot to the newlywed couple. I love the idea of Gwenda subconsciously buying a house from her past, and the details she uncovers, such as the pattern of the wallpaper in the cupboard and the steps in the garden. The history in the house, and the subsequent family tree research, had me hooked. The 'whodunnit' wasn't exactly taxing - just look for the most dubious character, battling with a bad case of pantomime villain - but the unravelling of the clues kept me interested (just about - at times this felt like an epic, instead of an installment of a detective series). The setting, period detail, and characters were all evocative of a storybook version of an era gone by. Perfect Sunday afternoon fodder.

Gwenda and her husband have moved to a country home in Britain. She grew up in New Zealand and is surprised that she remembers some of the sights in and around her new British home. Well, it turns out she was born and lived in Britain but was sent to New Zealand to live following a family tragedy. But what exactly that family tragedy was and why she was sent away, she has no idea and Miss Marple offers her help. But someone does NOT want the past to be dug up and this could mean danger for Gwenda.

I thought this was a weaker episode of the Miss Marple shows considering so much was told through conversations and flashbacks...an awful lot of it. This tended to make for a more passive episode experience. Still, it was interesting and is worth seeing...as are all the Marple shows.

Sleeping Murder is one of my favourite Agatha Christie books, I will warn you though I find it very creepy. As an adaptation, this version is surprisingly faithful, much more faithful than the Geraldine McEwan adaptation; that started off well but was ruined by some unnecessary plot changes. This 1987 adaptation looks wonderful, with some beautiful photography and lovely scenery and costumes without being too fancy. A number of scenes gave me nightmares when I first saw it, especially the ending. The book had real nervous edge and left some really haunting imagery inside your head, and the adaptation did very well in that aspect. The script is good, the pace isn't that slow, the music was haunting and beautiful and the acting was solid. Joan Hickson as usual is terrific in the title role, and Geraldine Alexander, like Sophia Myles in the recent version, was entirely captivating as Gwenda. Frederick Treves despite the shaky Scottish accent is quite effective as Kennedy, but John Moulder-Brown is rather wooden as Giles. All in all, a very effective adaptation of an excellent book. 9/10 Bethany Cox