Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (Agatha Christie's Marple episode)

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? is the fourth episode of the fourth series of Agatha Christie's Marple. It was broadcast on ITV by Granada Television on 24 June 2009. The screenplay was written by Patrick Barlow and the episode was directed by Nicholas Renton. It was an adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel of the same name although the original did not feature Miss Marple.

Synopsis
While visiting her friend Marjorie Attfield, Miss Marple learns that her son Bobby had recently found a body, identified as a Mr. Pritchard, on the cliff side. He's received a letter asking him to appear at the enquiry but it seems to be a wild goose chase meant to keep him away from the real enquiry taking place elsewhere. Now accompanied by a friend, Frankie Derwent, they trace the dead man to nearby Castle Savage, home to a dysfunctional family with great deal of money. The family patriarch, Jack Savage, had died not long ago and the dead man had some connection to the Savages. But what is the key to solving the mystery of Pritchard's last words to Bobby as he lay dying: "Why didn't they ask Evans?"

Comparison with the original story
(may contain spoilers - click on expand to read) Why Didn't They Ask Evans? was not originally a Miss Marple book, and was almost completely rewritten.
 * Miss Marple is portrayed as a friend of Bobby's Mother (Bobby's father does not appear) and joins the investigation masquerading as Frankie's governess.
 * The time period of the book is shifted from the early 1930s to the late 1950s to match time timeframe used by the rest of the ITV Marple series.
 * The main premise of the original novel--a fake will made by an impersonator and witness by people unfamiliar with the real person--is retained but the details of the will and the motives are different.
 * New characters are added or morphed. Minor characters of Leo Cayman, Amelia Cayman, Badger Beadon, Henry Bassington-ffrench, Vicar Jones and Dr Thomas are omitted.
 * The Savages and Bassington-ffrench families are merged. Most of the main characters are now part of the Savage family tree. Bassington is only a false name assumed by Roger.
 * Sylvia is now Sylvia Savage, wife of the late Jack Savage (John in the original). Thomas Bassington-ffrench is a small boy in the novel, but in the film, he is a cold and introverted teenager. He is also renamed Tom Savage. He has a sister Dorothy who does not appear in the original novel. Most of the action now takes place at Castle Savage, the Savage family home (equivalent to Merroway Court in the original), including the fake will making that was done at Tudor Cottage in the original.
 * Sylvia becomes a drug addict in this version, her fixes supplied by Dr Nicholson who as in the original novel, has Moira as his wife.
 * New characters and subplots are introduced. There is Wilson the butler, Commander Peters and Claude Evans. Claude Evans, portrayed as an orchid-grower and a friend of The Savages, is murdered to throw Bobby, Frankie, and Miss Marple off the track.
 * Bobby does not find the body of Carstairs whilst playing golf; he is taking a walk across the cliff, and the attempt on his life is by a car attempting to run him down while riding a bicycle rather than a poisoned beer.
 * Alan Carstairs has his name changed John Carstairs. He leaves a lot more clues about what he was doing then in the original. Besides asking "Why didn't they ask Evans?", he abandoned parked car has a map with Castle Savage ringed. There is a hotel key. Bobby finds more information by going to the hotel and searching his things. The all important photo of Moira is found in his journal in the hotel room and not in his pocket.
 * Roger's role in the household is changed: Instead of being Sylvia's brother-in-law, he is the resident piano teacher at Castle Savage, and since the Caymans are deleted, and there is no photograph for him to take from Carstair's body, he is not present when the body is discovered.
 * The murdering couple is the same but motive for the murders is changed. Roger and Moira are revealed to be brother and sister, children of Sylvia from her first marriage, to Jack Savage's brother George. Jack and Sylvia began an affair while the brothers were living in China shortly before the beginning of World War II, and Jack had his brother, a vocal opponent of the Japanese, murdered. As the war intensified, John returned to England with Sylvia but forced her to leave her children behind, where Roger was placed in an orphanage and Moira, it is implied, was used as a comfort girl by the Japanese army. The motive is more to punish Jack and Sylvia than for money or title. In faking Jack's will, the estate is left to an orphanage in China. The denouement is changed; Moira and Roger are interrupted in an attempt to kill Sylvia by injecting her with poison but are surprised by the other residents in the house. In the struggle, Roger is shot by Tom and Moira is killed by Wilson with the poison she meant for Sylvia.
 * The unique feature in this adaptation is that there are two Evans. The presence of Claude Evans served as misdirection whereas the real Evans of interest is still the maid Florrie Evans.
 * The contents of the fake will are differnt: here the estate is left to an orphanage in China.

Cast
Uncredited Mentioned
 * Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple
 * Sean Biggerstaff as Bobby Attfield
 * David Buchanan as John Carstairs
 * Siwan Morris as Florrie
 * Helen Lederer as Marjorie Attfield
 * Georgia Moffett as Frankie Derwent
 * Samantha Bond as Sylvia Savage
 * Richard Briers as Wilson
 * Freddie Fox as Tom Savage
 * Rik Mayall as Alec Nicholson
 * Hannah Murray as Dorothy Savage
 * Rafe Spall as Roger Bassington
 * Natalie Dormer as Moira Nicholson
 * Warren Clarke as Commander Peter Peters
 * Mark Williams as Claude Evans
 * Basher Savage as Young George Savage
 * Sarah Ridgeway as Young Sylvia
 * Rupert Savage as Young Jack Savage
 * Aaron King as Butler (uncredited)
 * Chris Mansfield as Wilson the Butler - Younger (uncredited)
 * Mr Snape
 * G. Sparks
 * T. Wilkins
 * Mr Manning
 * Roberts

Tropes and Themes

 * Wills and testaments

Filming Locations

 * Loseley Park, Guildford - Castle Savage scenes
 * Shrubs Wood, Chalfont St. Giles - Nicholson's clinic on the grounds of Castle Savage