Poirot's Allies Poirot's Allies Poirot's Allies Poirot's Allies Before being reunited in 2013's The Big Four, Poirot's recurring friends (the "group of three") were last seen in Evil Under the Sun (2001). Hercule Poirot, the Belgian private detective from Agatha Christie's creative mind, couldn't have had an illustrious career without the help of his allies. His associates include Captain Arthur Hastings (his first friend in his new country of England), Ariadne Oliver (a successful mystery writer), Chief Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard, Mr. Goby the informant, Dr. Stillingfleet, and many others. These "others" include policemen and theatrical agents. The pictures that accompany these entries come from the television series Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989-2013) that starred actor David Suchet. These physical appearances do not necessarily match the characters' descriptions in the books. The entries below list the novels and short stories in which the characters appear, and do not reflect any televised stories (that either starred David Suchet as Poirot or any of his other predecessors).

The supporting cast for the series of Poirot included Captain Hastings, Chief Inspector Japp, and Miss Lemon that spanned seasons 1-8 (1989-2002). This "group of three" returned in the final season in 2013. Again, it is important to note that their appearances on the show do not match those appearances in the books. That goes also for the character of George, Poirot's valet, who doesn't even appear on the show until season 10 (in 2006). Despite the "over and under-appearances" of these characters, they have added so much to the series of Poirot and are characters loved by fans around the world. Withourt further ado, here are the various associates of Poirot's through the years and books: Captain Arthur Hastings Arthur Hastings was played by actor Hugh Fraser in all the stories the character appeared in (on the series Agatha Christie's Poirot). This is from the adaptation of Dumb Witness (1996). Captain Arthur Hastings was Poirot's long-time friend and narrator of a few of Poirot's cases.

He appears in 26 short stories, but in only eight novels. He first appeared in 1916, recovering from wounds in WWI. There, he again met Poirot (they were known to each other before) at Styles Court and helped Poirot solve a murder. They also rented an apartment together while solving crimes. Hastings serves as narrator in all of the cases in which he appears. Hastings married a sweet young woman named Dulcie Duveen and they both moved to Argentina. Through the years, however, Hastings returned to London to visit his friend Poirot. Hastings also had 4 children, one of which is Judith, a research scientist living in England. It is not known how many years younger he was than Poirot, but he was old enough to be losing hair during his exploits during the 1930's. Appears in: "The Double Clue" Chief Inspector James Japp Philip Jackson portrayed Japp on the Poirot series. He is shown here in the 1992 version of One, Two, Buckle My Shoe. Japp was a member of Scotland Yard.

His association with Poirot dates back to 1904, when Poirot was with the Belgian police. They worked together on two unrecorded cases, the Abercrombie forgery case and on the Baron Altara case. They met again in 1916 during the Styles Court investigation (The Mysterious Affair at Styles, published in 1920). During the course of the stories in which he appears, Japp is promoted from Detective Inspector to Chief Inspector. In his final appearance on the Poirot television series, Japp tells Poirot that he was promoted to Assistant Commissioner. Captain Hastings described Japp as a "little, sharp, dark, ferret-faced man", not quite the appearance of Japp on the Poirot series. Japp was an ardent (amateur) botanist who also enjoyed English cooking. He had dreamed of living in the countryside after his retirement from police work. Appears in: "The Affair at the Victory Ball" "The Market Basing Mystery" Felicity Lemon On Poirot, the secretary Miss Lemon was played by Pauline Moran.

She introduces her sister to Poirot, as seen here, in the adaptation of the novel Hickory Dickory Dock (1995). Felicity Lemon was Hercule Poirot's secretary, and before that, was employed as Mr. Parker Pyne's. She was described as "unbelievably ugly and incredibly efficient" and looked as though "a lot of bones [were] flung together at random". She was extremely useful to Poirot as being the perfect secretary with hopes of creating the perfect filing system. Her passion for order matched that of Poirot himself. Miss Lemon had a sister who managed a youth hostel in Hickory Dickory Dock. Appears in: The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (1960) "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" Ariadne Oliver Mrs. Oliver first appeared for Agatha Christie's Poirot in the adaptation of the novel Cards on the Table (2006). She was portrayed by Zoe Wanamaker, whom appeared in all adaptations of the Poirot novels that featured the character. Ariadne Oliver is a successful detective novelist that has worked side by side with Hercule Poirot.

The middle-aged writer of detective stories is broad-shouldered and has "rebellious" gray hair. Ariadne Oliver is known for her love of apples and her strong belief in woman's intuition. She is also the creator of the Finnish detective Sven Hjerson, of whom she has a great dislike. Most of the books she appears in have been with Poirot. For more on Mrs. Oliver at HPC, simply go here . Appears in: Parker Pyne Investigates (1934), non-Poirot "The Case of the Discontented Soldier" "The Case of the Rich Woman" George Poirot's valet, George, first appears in the TV adaptation of Taken at the Flood (2006). He is shown here in 2008's Third Girl. George appears in seven episodes of Agatha Christie's Poirot. George (sometimes referred to as Georges) is Poirot's valet, or gentleman's gentleman. He came into the employ of Poirot sometime after Captain Hastings had left for Argentina (after Murder on the Links). Prior to being Poirot's valet, he served for Lord Edward Frampton.

George remained the Belgian's valet until the last novel, Curtain. Poirot utilized George as a source of knowledge of the English aristocracy and was described as a "delicate social recorder". George was also an expert at being a "social snob". Poirot always appreciated the thorough accuracy of George's descriptions he used on people. George was described as having a deferential manner and it was said that communication was sometimes involved with difficulties between him and his employer. Appears in: The Under Dog and Other Stories (1951) "The Under Dog" Superintendent Bert Spence Poirot's friend, formerly of Scotland Yard, served in the Kilchester Police. He was described as having a large red face and a man "keen on roses". He first appears in Mrs. McGinty's Dead, enlisting Poirot's help in clearing the murder charge of a James Bentley, Mrs. McGinty's lodger. By the time Hallowe'en Party is published, Spence is retired and lives with his sister Elspeth. Spence proves to be of help in this case, as well as Poirot's penultimate story of murder/suicide, Elephants Can Remember.

He is not the same Spence who appears in the Poirot novel Taken at the Flood. Appears in: Elephants Can Remember (1972) Mr. Satterthwaite He was the small, snobbish, social butterfly who was an associate of the enigmatic Harley Quin and friend of Poirot's. He was already known to readers of Agatha Christie's stories as an "agent and pawn" of Quin from the short stories that featured them. When Satterthwaite appeared in Three Act Tragedy, he was a weekend guest of Sir Charles Cartwright when the local reverend was poisoned. Satterthwaite assists Poirot in the investigation and learns more (as does the reader) about Poirot's personality. In the short story, "Dead Man's Mirror", Satterthwaite is reacquainted with the Belgian sleuth once again. Appears in: Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories (1991) "The Harlequin Tea Set", non-Poirot Superintendent Battle Battle was a member of Scotland Yard who had a expressionless face and powerful physique. His cases tended to be that of crimes related to politics or international diplomacy.

In the five novels that feature him, only one is a Poirot story. Battle does not appear in the television adaptation of Cards on the Table starring David Suchet. Instead, the character is replaced by a Superintendent Jim Wheeler. For more information on Superintendent Battle, visit this article on HPC. Appears in: The Secret of Chimneys (1925), non-Poirot The Seven Dials Mystery (1929), non-Poirot Cards on the Table (1936) Murder is Easy (1939), non-Poirot Towards Zero (1944), non-Poirot Colonel Race Colonel Race joins Poirot on a case in the TV adaptation of Death on the Nile, with David Suchet as Poirot. Race is played by James Fox. Race was a member of the British Secret Service, "usually to be found in one of the outposts of the Empire where trouble was brewing". This tall man with a bronzed face appeared in only four stories, two of the them featuring Hercule Poirot. His character appeared in the Poirot series' adaptation of Death on the Nile (2004).

Unfortunately, Race does not appear in 2006's adaptation of Cards on the Table; a Secret Service character named Colonel Hughes (created for the episode) takes his place. To read more on Colonel Race, click on this article . Appears in: The Man in the Brown Suit (1924), non-Poirot Cards on the Table (1936) Death on the Nile (1937) Sparkling Cyanide (1945), non-Poirot Joseph Aarons Aarons was an expert in the theatre. He was a vital resource to Poirot in the Belgian detective's early years in England. The theatrical agent Aarons boasted once to Poirot and Hastings, "There's not much about the profession I don't know." Not only did Aarons know theatre, but the people in that world and the rumors surrounding them. Appears in: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) Mr. Goby A long-time friend of Poirot's, Goby himself was a private investigator who specialized in information--and obtaining it quickly. Few employed him because he was very expensive for his services.

He was described in After the Funeral as "small and spare and shrunken. He had always been refreshingly nondescript in appearance and he was now so nondescript as practically not to be there at all." When he speaks to someone, he doesn't look at the person. Goby became more talkative as the years went by, rambling on instead of being focused on the subject of his investigations. He assisted Poirot later after having been hired by the American millionaire Rufus Van Aldin in The Mystery of the Blue Train. The character of Mr. Goby does not appear on screen in any adaptation of the works listed below. Appears in: Elephants Can Remember (1972) Edward Catchpool Edward Catchpool is a policeman for Scotland Yard, having been created by author Sophie Hannah in two authorized Poirot novels. He had been with the Yard for two years and a policeman for five. He is an umarried young man of thirty-two who enjoys crossword puzzles and, in fact, fills his free time by creating one himself. He resides in a London lodging house owned by a Mrs. Blanche Unsworth.

It is there that he meets Hercule Poirot as Poirot takes a room for himself to rest from his labors. Catchpool narrates their investigation of three murders at London's Bloxham Hotel. A short time later he is reunited with Poirot in the town of Clonakilty in the Irish Free State, as a guest of a wealthy writer. The writer's secretary is murdered and it is up to Poirot and Catchpool to identify the killer. Appears in: Dr. John Stillingfleet Dr. Stillingfleet, as he appears on the TV adaptation of the short story "The Dream". He was a doctor of "thirty-odd with red hair and a rather attractively ugly face." He called upon Poirot's help in the Benedict Farley suicide case in the short story "The Dream". In the novel Third Girl, the doctor saved Norma Restarick's life from oncoming traffic. Upon Poirot's request, he helped her recover from the illegal drugs in her system. The long-legged doctor later married Norma and moved to Australia to start a new practice there.

He confessed once, "I'm just interested in people." Appears in: The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories (1939) "The Dream" Colin Lamb Colin appears as "Colin Race", the son of Colonel Race, in the TV adaptation of The Clocks (aired in 2011). Colin Lamb was a marine biologist helping the Sercret Service when he meets a young woman who finds a dead body. He narrates half the novel The Clocks, giving his own point-of-view of the police proceedings in the investigation of three murders while describing his own adventures into espionage. Apart from being friends with Poirot, he was also acquainted with the mystery novelist Ariadne Oliver. It is hinted in the novel that his father might've been Superintendent Battle, but it is up to the reader to decide. It was Poirot that Colin contacts to help assist him and Detective Inspector Hardcastle in investigating the murder of a Mr. Curry. What is inexplicable, however, is that in the television version of The Clocks, Colin's last name is Race and his father is Colonel Race, seen in the adaptation of Death on the Nile.

Appears in: The Clocks (1963) Monsieur Bouc Bouc appeared in the TV adaptation of the famous novel Murder on the Orient Express, which aired in 2010. Belgian director of la Compagnie Internationale des Wagons Lits, he had a long-standing friendship with Hercule Poirot, dating from the time Poirot was the star of the Belgian police force. He hired Poirot to investigate the murder of Samuel Edward Ratchett, one of the passengers aboard the Orient Express. He was with Poirot in the solving of the crime from beginning to end. Appears in: Murder on the Orient Express (1934) Dr. Burton Burton was a friend of Poirot's and a Fellow of All Soul's. He was a "plump, untidy" man who knew nothing of neatness--he had tobacco ash always covering him. The white-haired doctor wondered why Poirot's mother would choose such a first name as "Hercule". He laughed at the thought of Poirot retiring and growing vegetable marrows. "Yours aren't the Labors of Hercules," said the doctor.

"Yours are labors of love." Appears in: The Labors of Hercules (1947) Lucien Bex Bex appeared in the TV adaptation of the novel Murder on the Links (1996). Bex was the police official in charge of the Renauld case. Hastings describes Bex as a "short stout man with a huge mustache". He had worked with Poirot in Ostend (Belgium) when Poirot was a member of the police force there. It was Bex who introduced Poirot and Hastings to Giraud, the famous detective from the Paris Surete, Poirot's rival in the Renauld case. In the television adaptation, he is seemingly unknown to Hercule Poirot (unlike the novel). Appears in: Murder on the Links (1923) Achille Poirot An invention of Hercule Poirot's, Achille was Hercule's twin brother. Hercule describes his brother is "not nearly so handsome. And wears no mustaches." Achille's power of deduction and reasoning is equal to that of his brother.

Achille "appears" at the climax of The Big Four to lend assistance to Hercule and Captain Hastings, only to disappear "to the land of myths." Curiously, although Achille was something of fiction (as if Hercule weren't real enough!), Achille is mentioned in the foreward of the short story collection The Labors of Hercules. Dr. Burton, a friend of Hercule's, ponders about Madame Poirot's choice of names for her sons. Burton talks as if Achille actually existed. Some fans of Agatha Christie believe Achille did exist and Hercule was just bluffing. The existence of Achille Poirot is left to the reader to decide. Appears in: All original content © 2016, Hercule Poirot Central. This site is not endorsed by Agatha Christie Ltd. or the Acorn Media Group. Agatha Christie's Poirot (TV Series 1989–2013) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends.

Error on Amazon Video ON DISC From England to Egypt, accompanied by his elegant and trustworthy sidekicks, the intelligent yet eccentrically-refined Belgian detective Hercule Poirot pits his wits against a collection of first class deceptions. Stars: An ailing Poirot returns to Styles with Hastings nearly three decades after solving their first mystery there in order to prevent a serial killer from claiming more victims. 8.7 Poirot receives taunting letters from a serial killer who appears to choose his victims and crime scenes alphabetically. 8.5 Lucy Crale enlists Poirot to investigate the 14-year-old murder in which her mother was hanged for poisoning her artist father. 8.4 Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence.

a list of 43 titles created 18 Sep 2012 a list of 23 titles created 17 Apr 2014 a list of 38 titles created 13 Apr 2015 a list of 48 titles created 6 months ago a list of 35 images created 3 months ago Title: Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989–2013) 8.6/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 6 wins & 16 nominations. See more awards » Videos Agatha Christie's Marple (TV Series 2004) Crime | Drama | Mystery An elderly spinster living in the village of St Mary Mead helps her friends and relatives solve mysterious murders. Stars: Geraldine McEwan, Julia McKenzie, Stephen Churchett Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson solve the mysteries of copper beeches, a Greek interpreter, the Norwood builder, a resident patient, the red-headed league, and one final problem.

Stars: Jeremy Brett, David Burke, Rosalie Williams Midsomer Murders (TV Series 1997) Crime | Drama | Mystery A veteran DCI and his young sergeant investigate murders around the regional community of Midsomer County. Stars: John Nettles, Jane Wymark, Barry Jackson 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.4/10 X As WW2 rages around the world, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front as he investigates crimes on the south coast of England. Later series sees the retired detective working as an MI5 agent operating in the aftermath of the war. Stars: Michael Kitchen, Honeysuckle Weeks, Anthony Howell Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson solve the mysteries of the devil's foot, Silver Blaze, Wisteria Lodge and the Bruce-Partington Plans. Stars: Jeremy Brett, Edward Hardwicke, Rosalie Williams Los Angeles homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo uses his humble ways and ingenuous demeanor to winkle out even the most well-concealed of crimes.

Stars: Peter Falk, Mike Lally, John Finnegan Set in the 1960s, the show follows Endeavour Morse in his early years as a police constable. Working alongside his senior partner DI Fred Thursday, Morse engages in a number of investigations around Oxford. Stars: Shaun Evans, Roger Allam, James Bradshaw Inspector Morse has an ear for music, a taste for beer and a nose for crime. He sets out with Sergeant Lewis to solve each intriguing case. Stars: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, James Grout After 25 years of playing Hercule Poirot, British actor David Suchet explores the enduring appeal of his most legendary character. Director: Chris Malone Set amongst the stunning gardens of Europe, Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme, two professional gardeners, find themselves drawn into solving mysterious crimes. Stars: Felicity Kendal, Pam Ferris, Ryan Philpott Holmes and Dr Watson solve the mysteries of the disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax, Thor Bridge, Shoscombe Old Place, the Boscombe Valley, an illustrious client and a creeping man.

Stars: Jeremy Brett, Edward Hardwicke, Rosalie Williams An unusual announcement in the newspaper leads the curious villagers to Miss Blacklock's home, where they become witnesses to a murder. Stars: Joan Hickson, Ursula Howells, Samantha Bond Edit Storyline This whodunit series based on Agatha Christie's crime novels and short stories, is named after its star sleuth, Hercule Poirot, a famous former Belgian policeman, who settled for good in London after the war, soon so famous as an infallible private detective that he becomes a society figure in his own right. In each episode Poirot gets to solve a crime mystery -mostly murder(s)- for a paying client or otherwise catching his attention, generally along with his faithful English sidekick Captain Hastings and/or his Scotland yard 'friendly rival' Detective Chief Inspector Japp. Written by KGF Vissers 18 January 1990 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Did You Know?

Trivia David Suchet would initially trim the top of his hair to appear more balding (in later years his hair had thinned naturally), except in Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1990), which chronicles Poirot's first case in England where he's supposed to be considerably younger. See more » Quotes Crazy Credits The opening credits has Poirot disembark at a train station and bow to the viewer. See more » Connections (United States) – See all my reviews What can be said about Mr Hercule. Is it his perfectly groom mustaches? His great and always neat suits? I will tell you...His use of the little gray cells(to poirot saying "use the gray cells" is saying use your brain and look at things from a different perspective. I have been, not only an Agatha Christie fan, but i just simply adore Poirot. He is brilliant and its fascinating the way he solves the crimes! Reading the books is good, but watching Mr. David suchet play the role in any poirot film is brilliant casting and he brings the character to life!

If any of you have read the books and have not seen any of them brought to life, i suggest watching any poirot film starring suchet, you will not be disappointed! Enjoy! 35 of 38 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Hercule Poirot - Characters - Agatha Christie Featured Hercule Poirot stories Why not make my detective a Belgian?...I could see him as a tidy little man, always arranging things, liking things in pairs, liking things square instead of round. And he should be brainy – he should have little grey cells of the mind. Agatha Christie - An Autobiography About Hercule Poirot The Beginning Hercule Poirot came into existence during World War I. Agatha Christie was working as a VAD in Torquay, and encountered on a daily basis Belgian refugees arriving in England from the continent. Searching for a detective for her first novel, she set upon the idea of creating a Belgian detective who had been "a former shining light of the Belgian police force", before being forced out of his country. Christie completed The Mysterious Affair at Styles in 1916, but it wasn’t published until four years later.

In the novel, Poirot is called upon by his old friend Lieutenant Hastings, who would come to be the Watson to Poirot's Holmes. Christie later wrote that Poirot's introduction to detective fiction was not at all how he himself would have liked. "Hercule Poirot first," he would have said, "and then a plot to display his remarkable talents to their best advantage." A Great Man Poirot would be the first to call himself a great man - he has never been known for his modesty - but with such success in his career, it is difficult to argue with him. He finishes each case with a dramatic dénouement, satisfying his own ego and confirming to all that he is truly "the greatest mind in Europe." His love of elegance, beauty, and precision, as well as his eccentric mannerisms are often ridiculed by the local bumbling policemen, but it is always Poirot who has the last word. My name is Hercule Poirot, and I am probably the greatest detective in the world. Hercule Poirot, The Mystery of the Blue Train Agatha Christie never imagined how popular Poirot would become, nor how many stories she would write about him.

He stars in 33 novels and 54 short stories, including some of Christie's most successful such as Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile . Poirot and Christie One of Christie’s later regrets was that Hercule Poirot began his literary life too mature: "the result is that my fictional detective is well over a hundred by now." And it is no secret that character and author did not always see eye to eye. “There are moments when I have felt: ‘Why-why-why did I ever invent this detestable, bombastic, tiresome little creature?’…. But now, I must confess it, Hercule Poirot has won. A reluctant affection has sprung up for him…” Agatha Christie’s introduction to the serialisation of Appointment With Death in the Daily Mail, 1938. Christie grew tired of Poirot's idiosyncrasies so much so that she wrote Curtain: Poirot's Last Case in the 1940s.

It was locked in a safe until 1974 when it was finally published, earning Poirot a well-deserved obituary in The New York Times; he is the only fictional character to have received such an honour. Playing Poirot The first actor to take on the role of the little Belgian was Charles Laughton in 1928 in the theatrical debut of Alibi. Austin Trevor was the first Poirot on screen in 1931, and went on to star in three films. There was Tony Randall in 1965 and Academy Award nominee Albert Finney in the all-star classic Murder on the Orient Express in 1974. The great Peter Ustinov, winner of two Academy Awards, played Poirot in six films and despite not physically resembling the character is still much loved worldwide. There was even a Japanese animé version of Poirot, broadcast in 2004. Perhaps, however, the actor most synonymous with Hercule Poirot is David Suchet, who first took on the role in 1989.

Christie never saw David Suchet's portrayal but her grandson, Mathew Prichard, thinks that she would have approved; Suchet balances “just enough of the irritation that we always associate with the perfectionist, to be convincing!” Suchet's final series finished filming in 2013 and marked 25 years of being Poirot. In 2017 Kenneth Branagh will take on the role of Hercule Poirot in a brand new film adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express . Friends and Partners Christie wrote in an article in 1938 that Hercule Poirot's favourite cases included The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Lord Edgware Dies , whereas he regards Three Act Tragedy as "one of his failures. Although most people do not agree with him." She concluded that while they have had their difficulties, "We are friends and partners. I am beholden to him financially. On the other hand he owes his very existence to me." A sentiment which Poirot himself would surely deny. Continuation Novels In 2014 bestselling author Sophie Hannah was authorised to write the first authorised Poirot continuation novel, The Monogram Murders .

Following the success of the novel, Sophie Hannah is back in 2016 with a brand new Poirot novel, Closed Casket . Did you know? Austin Trevor was the first to play Poirot on screen (1931, Alibi) Once famous, Agatha Christie refused to allow Poirot to appear on book jackets Christie thought Sad Cypress would have been a much better read without Poirot Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case was written in the 1940s and locked away until 1974 It took David Suchet almost exactly 25 years to film 70 Poirot stories Case Closed: Agatha Christie's Detective Poirot Solves His Last TV Mystery : NPR David Suchet plays Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie's Poirot. The last season premiers Aug. 25 on Acorn TV. /Courtesy of Acorn TV/ITV hide caption toggle caption /Courtesy of Acorn TV/ITV David Suchet plays Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie's Poirot. The last season premiers Aug. 25 on Acorn TV.

/Courtesy of Acorn TV/ITV Agatha Christie published her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, in 1920. It featured fussy Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, who proved the most popular of all her mystery-solving characters. Hercule made his final appearance in 1975, in the novel Curtain — and this month, nearly a century after he first appeared in print, the mystery series completes its lengthy run as a TV series, still starring David Suchet in the title role. But as the final episodes of television's Poirot provide closure, they are, for the moment, somewhat of a mystery themselves. In this case, though, it's not a whodunit. It's a where-are-they? That's because for the 13th and final season of Agatha Christie's Poirot, the show's producers and distributors have staged a sort of new-media bait and switch. Suchet began playing Poirot, with his waxed mustache and elegant walking stick, on the PBS Mystery! series way back in 1989.

Suchet has been playing the detective ever since — referring to himself in the third person, always referring to his brain power as his "little grey cells," and invariably holding court at the end of each episode to both solve and explain the mystery at hand. Article continues after sponsorship David Suchet has been playing Poirot since 1989. The actor has grown into the role, including perfecting the twinkle in his eye. Kieron McCarron /Courtesy of Acorn TV/ITV hide caption toggle caption Kieron McCarron /Courtesy of Acorn TV/ITV David Suchet has been playing Poirot since 1989. The actor has grown into the role, including perfecting the twinkle in his eye. Kieron McCarron /Courtesy of Acorn TV/ITV This year's final season of Poirot presents the last five of the 70 episodes produced for TV, a video canon covering virtually all of Christie's major Hercule Poirot novels and short stories. This season's last hurrah began, as usual, on PBS. But after two episodes were shown, the series vanished earlier this month.

The final three appear, beginning this week, not on broadcast TV, or even on cable — but on a streaming site called Acorn TV. Later this fall, the last three stories in the series will indeed show up on broadcast television, distributed to local public TV stations. But if you're impatient — especially if you're a loyal fan who has watched and enjoyed this series for a quarter century, enjoying it as I do as the TV equivalent of comfort food — the only way to get satisfaction, for now, is to seek out . What you'll get, once you get there, are these three stories, unspooled weekly. Elephants Can Remember, available now, features Zoe Wanamaker, making her sixth and final appearance as crime novelist Ariadne Oliver, Agatha Christie's thinly veiled version of herself. The Labors of Hercules has Hercule fighting depression after failing to catch a killer. And the final episode, called Curtain: Poirot's Last Case, is precisely that. It features the return of Hugh Fraser as Captain Arthur Hastings, who basically served as Dr. Watson to Poirot's Sherlock Holmes for the TV show's first eight seasons.

They reunite at the same estate, at Styles, where they solved their first case together — but this time both men are decades older, and Poirot is in a wheelchair, in ill health. But he still has enough fire to complain, when being steered on a stroll around the grounds, about the lodgings, the food, and even the way his old friend pushes Poirot's wheelchair. Poirot's Last Case ends like any other, with the detective patiently and proudly explaining the facts and exposing the murderer. The key difference, in this episode, is that he's doing it from beyond the grave. And if you think I should have prefaced that with some sort of 40-year-old spoiler alert, we have very different ideas about how long a mystery should be kept a secret. But since these are, absolutely, the last TV episodes featuring Suchet as Poirot, they do provide a satisfying conclusion to a very long-running viewing experience. The actor has grown into the role, sporting wrinkles to match the wisdom, and perfecting the twinkle in his eye whenever, as the detective himself would put it, Poirot has finally solved the case as only Poirot can.

And think of it: The actors of the current movie Boyhood have gotten lots of praise for filming and playing their roles over a 12-year period. David Suchet, as Hercule Poirot, has done the same thing for twice as long. He's done it so long, in fact, that he's ending his run on a medium that didn't even exist when he started. Wrap your little gray cells around that. David Bianculli is founder and editor of the website TV Worth Watching and teaches TV and film history at Rowan University in New Jersey. Facts and Trivia on Agatha Christie Facts and Trivia on Agatha Christie World Records Dame Agatha Christie is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the World's Bestselling Author. Her books have sold over 2 billion copies in 44 languages. Royalties are about $4 million per year. Agatha Christie is also one of the world's most prolific writers, or authoress (as she called herself). Agatha Christie's play The Mousetrap has the longest theatrical run, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It opened at the Ambassadors Theatre in London on November 25, 1952.

It moved next door to the St. Martin's Theatre on March 25, 1974, not missing a single performance. It continues to this day. Imitating Agatha's Crimes There is a history of criminals copying crimes from Agatha's books (whether the criminals knew or not). There was a murder very similar to Murder on the Orient Express committed in West Germany in 1981. Two murders (one a series of murders) and an attempted murder copied the manner of murder in the Christie novel The Pale Horse. Life imitated Christie's art again in North Carolina in 1979, when a gruesome murder was discovered, similar to the one in the Miss Marple story Sleeping Murder. Sales, Investments, Planned Ideas Agatha Christie Ltd. was set up in 1955 to take care of the royalties on all works, plays, and movies after that date. It was reorganized in 1968 when a firm (Booker McConnell) bought a 51% holding on the company. It later extended its share to 64%, with Christie's daughter Rosalind and grandson Mathew part owners.

Agatha Christie had delegated the author's rights in Curtain to her daughter Rosalind. The rights of Sleeping Murder went to her husband Max Mallowan. There were plans to turn the Poirot novel Hickory Dickory Dock into a stage musical. It started in the early sixties with a script and some music already written. It was discussed that Peter Sellers would star as Poirot. The first draft was titled Death Beat and it was actually shown to Agatha Christie. Interest and support fell among the originators of the show, and it never evolved into another stage (no pun intended).

Here is a list of milestones in sales of first editions: 2,000--The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920) 5,000--The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) 10,000--Three-Act Tragedy (1935) 50,000--A Murder Is Announced (1950), the 50th Christie mystery book 150,000--Curtain (1975) Note: 3,000,000 copies of Murder on the Orient Express (published in 1934) were sold in 1974 alone when the Albert Finney film adaptation opened! Miscellaneous Trivia At one point in her successful career, Mrs. Christie actually owned eight different houses. Many of these houses were "used" as the houses in several of her novels, for example: Taken at the Flood, Dead Man's Folly, Five Little Pigs, A Pocket Full of Rye, Crooked House, among others. The setting (the house, pool, and paths) for The Hollow, was taken from Francis L.

Sullivan's house. Mr. Sullivan was the actor who portrayed Hercule Poirot in both plays Black Coffee and Peril at End House. The Miss Marple novel At Bertram's Hotel (1965) was subtitled: "Featuring Miss Marple, the original character as created by Agatha Christie." Explanation for this was that there were a series of four movies starring Margaret Rutherford as Jane Marple between 1961 and 1964. The last of these films was Murder Ahoy!, not based on any Christie work. To Agatha's delight, the film was a box office failure. Agatha had been already annoyed at the previous film which depicted Marple dancing the 'Twist' and riding a horse. Christie felt, obviously, that she could write better Agatha Christie plots than others (and certainly not have Marple commandeering a battleship in Murder Ahoy!). Said Christie, "I do, after all, have a little experience with plots, dialogue, and knowing what audiences like, you know." Charles Dickens was Agatha's favorite author; she remembered her mother reading Dickens' Bleak House to her as a small child.

She got together with MGM in writing a screen treatment of Bleak House so it could be made into a movie. A contract was signed, and Agatha completed a treatment of the Dickens novel. It was announced that production was to start on the film in the spring of 1962, but nothing ever came of it, and the project simply disappeared. There are two stories narrated by Poirot to Hastings, instead of Hastings to the reader. These stories are "The Lost Mine" and "The Chocolate Box," which retells the only failure of Poirot's career, in his days on the Belgian police force. The last case is a reminder to Poirot whenever he becomes too conceited. Both of these short stories appear in Poirot Investigates, and are excellent. In 1949, a journalist from the Sunday Times in London discovered that Mary Westmacott, then writer of 4 romantic novels, was the one and only Agatha Christie. Despite this revelation to the public, Christie published two more novels with the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. The third Westmacott was a critically acclaimed work and a tour de force.

That novel, Absent in the Spring (1944), has an interesting history of having been written in only three days! All original content © 2016, Hercule Poirot Central. This site is not endorsed by Agatha Christie Ltd. or the Acorn Media Group.

Question: In which book did Hercule Poirot first appear?
Answer: The Mysterious Affair At Styles