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Now that the campy ITV Marple series is well into its stride it is time to reflect on whether the BBC Miss Marple programmes were as good as we thought. Judged by this outing there is no contest.

Alan Plater's witty script, while faithful to Christie's convoluted plotting, adds colour and shading to the proceedings and clips along at a nice pace. The actors certainly rise to the occasion; Joan Hickson is on top form, her interpretation of an inquisitive old lady from a 1950s country village is totally believable; Renee Asherson's character is rather irritating and the actress reflects this in her performance; Ursula Howells is quite brilliant, making a complex personality convincing; and there is good support from Samantha Bond, Joan Sims, Ralph Michael and a somewhat underused Sylvia Syms.

Unconvincing portmanteau comedy. Sim & Rutherford once again spin gold out of garbage, while the rest of the cast, notably Jimmy Edwards & Ronald Shiner, are defeated by a badly written screenplay. The Scotsman section, with James Copeland, is a good example of a poor performance meeting an inadequate script to produce unmistakable rubbish. Watching these innocents is not bliss!

This film must have seemed a breakthrough in realism in its time, but over fifty years later it has become quaint. It points to a police force that is kindly and compassionate, but more knowledgeable modern audiences may challenge that position. It is certainly a cosy view of the world, with the constables rehearsing their male voice choir in between shifts, and a sympathetic Jack Warner - the bobby on the beat - handing out sage advice to the public at large. Thankfully Dirk Bogarde is on hand to shatter this urban paradise, with an edgy performance as a young criminal.

This is the sort of film that becomes propaganda for the good old days which actually never did exist.