Min Guo Da Zhen Tan (民国大侦探, Checkmate) is a 2022 Chinese television series. The series is based on the works of Agatha Christie.[1][2] Directed by Zhang Weike, the series was first released in August 2022 on the Chinese streaming platform iQIYI. As planned, there will be a total of 24 45-minute episodes, comprising adaptations of 8 Christie Poirot stories woven into a single story arc, with roughly 3 episodes covering the events in each story.
The Chinese title of the series "民国大侦探" translates directly as "Great Detective of the Republic (of China)". However, English publicity materials released for the series carry the title "Checkmate".
Synopsis[]
The series is set in China in the 1910s and 1920s. The lead investigator is Situ Yan, a young lawyer who has just been dismissed from his job as a prosecutor because he refuses to compromise on his principles. In the first 3 episodes he journeys north on a luxury train (the Orient Express) to Harbin in the north of China to take on a new job. A murder takes place on the train and Situ teams up with Luo Shaochuan, a police detective, and Kim Kai-ming, a journalist, to solve the crime. Other partners join the team in subsequent episodes.
Agatha Christie stories featured in the series[]
| Title | Adapted from |
|---|---|
| 东方快车谋杀案 (Murder on the Orient Express) | Murder on the Orient Express |
| 首富庄园谋杀案 (Murder in the Manor of the Richest Man) | The Murder of Roger Ackroyd |
| 女校闹鬼惊魂案 (The Case of the Haunted Girls School) | Cat Among the Pigeons |
| 炸酱意面投毒案 (The Case of the Poisoned “Zha Zhiang” Noodles) | One, Two, Buckle My Shoe |
| 豪门出轨情杀案 (Infidelity and Murder in the Wealthy Family) | Five Little Pigs |
| 日本领事绑架案 (The Kidnapped Japanese Consul) | The Kidnapped Prime Minister |
| 雪夜连环杀人案 (The Winter Nights Serial Murders) | Three Act Tragedy |
| 双面恋人失踪案 (The Disappearance of the Lover with Two Faces) | Curtain |