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in: Agatha Christie's Poirot series 11 episodes, Mrs McGinty's Dead

Mrs McGinty's Dead (Agatha Christie's Poirot episode)

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Mrs McGinty's Dead is the first episode of series 11 of the ITV British television drama series Agatha Christie's Poirot. It was filmed in 2007 and first aired on 14 September 2008. Besides David Suchet as Hercule Poirot, the episode also featured Zoë Wanamaker in her second appearance as Ariadne Oliver (who first appeared in Cards on the Table) and Richard Hope as Superintendent Spence (who first appeared in Taken at the Flood). The feature-length episode is an adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Nick Dear, and the episode was directed by Ashley Pearce.

Synopsis[]

A pair of photographs are the only clues that Poirot has to solve the murder of Mrs McGinty, a village charwoman, and to prove the innocence of the victim's lodger.

Comparison with Original Novel[]

(may contain spoilers - click on expand to read)

Spoiler warning: A spoiler is announced! The following section contains details about the plot of Mrs McGinty's Dead and its adaptation.

The adaptation is fairly faithful to the novel, albeit with the deletion of several characters and a few small changes:

  • The Burches moved in to Abigail McGinty's cottage after her murder. As such, the Kiddle family is not featured.
  • The Sunday Comet article only talks about two women: Lily Gamboll and Eva Kane, instead of the original four.
  • The Wetherbys are not featured so there is no Dierdre Henderson as a potential love interest for Bentley. As such Maude Williams' affection for James Bentley is made more prominent. Maude does admit liking Bentley in the original novel but this is played up in the show. At the end of the story, Poirot pairs Bentley up with Maude. In the original he had decided to pair him up with Dierdre because Maude was too energetic for him.
  • Maude Williams also helps Poirot like in the novel. However, here she does not pose as a domestic help in the household of the Wetherbys. She pretends to be doing real estate surveys and while at the Carpenter's, discovers a picture of Eve Carpenter in her former occupation as an exotic dancer.
  • Dr Rendell is not suspected of having murdered his wife. Here Poirot hears rumours that he once performed euthanasia on a number of terminally ill patients. However Poirot found that he did not appear to benefit financially from his actions and decides to leave the matter be.
  • It is Shelagh Rendell and not Dr Rendell whom Poirot suspects had pushed him under the oncoming train at the station.
  • The character of Edna is not featured. Instead, the witness who saw a woman entering Mrs Upward's house is now the postmistress Mrs Sweetiman. She is having an assignation but this is now with Joe Burch and not with Charlie Masters. For this purpose, she becomes Miss Sweetiman and not Mrs.
Spoilers end here.

Cast[]

Filming Locations[]

Gallery[]

Promotional Videos[]

See Also[]

References[]

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