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Changes: Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (1980)

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{{Infobox TV or Film
  
{{Infobox TV or Film
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|title1= Why Didn't They Ask Evans
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|title1= Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
 
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|produced_by:=
 
|produced_by:=
 
|written_by:=
 
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|adapted_from:= [[Why Didn't They Ask Evans]]
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|adapted_from:= [[Why Didn't They Ask Evans?]]
 
|series:=
  
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|season:=
 
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|preceded_by: = LWT: their first film
 
|preceded_by: = LWT: their first film
 
|followed_by: = LWT:<br />[[The Seven Dials Mystery (1981)]]
  
|followed_by: = LWT:<br />[[The Seven Dials Mystery (1981)]]
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}}'''Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?''' was a 3-hour long feature film made by [[LWT|London Weekend Television]] in 1979
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}}'''Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?''' was a 3-hour long feature film made by [[LWT|London Weekend Television]] in 1979 and first broadcast on 30 March 1980. It was directed by John Davies and [[Tony Wharmby]] and produced by Tony Wharmby and [[Jack Williams]]. It was an adaptation of the Christie [[Why Didn't They Ask Evans?|novel of the same name]].
   
  +
''Evans'' marked a return of Christie adaptations to television. Christie had been wary of the medium because of a number of poorly made productions in the 1940s and 1950s. With her death in 1976, her daughter [[Rosalind Hicks]], relaxed this restriction, resulting in a steady stream of small-screen adaptations from the 1980s onwards. After ''Evans'', Annis and Warwick came back together again to portray Tommy and Tuppence in ''[[The Secret Adversary (1983)|The Secret Adversary]]'' and ''[[Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime]]'', also adapted and produced by LWT. ''Evans'' was also significant in featuring [[Joan Hickson]], who would go on to portray [[Miss Marple]].
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in 1980 and transmitted on Sunday, March 30, 1980. It was directed by John Davies and [[Tony Wharmby]]. The producers were Tony Wharmby and [[Jack Williams]].
  
   
  +
==Synopsis==
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Before this production, there had been relatively few adaptations of Christie’s work on the small screen as it was a medium she disliked and she had not been impressed with previous efforts, in particular a transmission of ''[[And Then There Were None]]'' on August 20, 1949, when several noticeable errors went out live (including one of the 'corpses' standing up and walking off set in full view of the cameras). By the 1960’s she emphatically refused to grant television rights to her works. After her death in 1976, her estate, principally managed by her daughter [[Rosalind Hicks]], relaxed this ruling and ''Why Didn't They Ask Evans?'' was the first major production that resulted. ''Evans'' attracted large audiences and satisfactory reviews, but more importantly, it demonstrated to television executives that Christie’s work could be successful for the small screen given the right budgets, stars and attention to detail – ''[[Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime]]'', ''[[Miss Marple (TV series)|Miss Marple]]'' with [[Joan Hickson]] (who had a minor role in ''Evans''), ''[[Agatha Christie's Poirot]]'' with [[David Suchet]] and ''[[Agatha Christie's Marple|Marple]]'' with [[Geraldine McEwan]], until her retirement, and later with [[Julia McKenzie]], can all trace their style and successes back to this 1980 adaptation.
  
   
  +
==Comparison with original story==
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Given a generous budget of one million pounds - a large sum for the time - it had an all-star cast and a three-month shooting and videotaping schedule. Problems were encountered during the 1979 ITV strike which lasted three months and led to replacement production personnel when the strike ended, including a second director. The original intention was that the 180-minute teleplay would be transmitted as a three-part "mini-serial" but [[ITV]] then decided to show it as a three-hour special with maximum publicity, especially for [[Francesca Annis]] in the role of Frankie (Annis was a major name in UK television at the time, having played the title role in ''Lillie'', the story of Lillie Langtry, two years before).
  
  ⚫
The production was extremely faithful to the plot and dialogue of the book. Only two notable changes were made. The first is the recognition in the isolated cottage that Dr. Nicholson is Roger Bassington-ffrench in disguise. In the novel, it is Bobby who recognizes the deception as the man's ear-lobes are different from those of the doctor whom he had glimpsed previously. In the adaptation, Frankie witnesses one of Nicholson's patients attacking him in the sanatorium when his face is badly scratched. In the cottage, she realizes the scratches have disappeared. The second change comes at the end when, instead of writing to Frankie from South America, Roger lures her to a deserted Merroway Court, makes much the same confession as appears in the book's letter and tells her he loves her, asking her to join him. When she refuses, he locks her in a room of the house (to be freed by Bobby the next day) but doesn't harm her as he makes his escape abroad. Presumably, this change was made as the exposition of the long letter would not have worked on television.
−  
⚫
The production was extremely faithful to the plot and dialogue of the book. Only two notable changes were made. The first is the recognition in the isolated cottage that Dr. Nicholson is Roger Bassington-ffrench in disguise. In the novel, it is Bobby who recognizes the deception as the man's ear-lobes are different from those of the doctor whom he had glimpsed previously. In the adaptation, Frankie witnesses one of Nicholson's patients attacking him in the sanatorium when his face is badly scratched. In the cottage, she realizes the scratches have disappeared. The second change comes at the end when, instead of writing to Frankie from South America, Roger lures her to a deserted Merroway Court, makes much the same confession as appears in the book's letter and tells her he loves her, asking her to join him. When she refuses, he locks her in a room of the house (to be freed by Bobby the next day) but doesn't harm her as he makes his escape abroad. Presumably, this change was made as the exposition of the long letter would not have worked on television. The production was first screened on US television as part of ''Mobil Showcase'' on May 21, 1981, introduced by [[Peter Ustinov]].
  
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In 1983, Annis and Warwick were teamed together again in ''[[The Secret Adversary (1983)|The Secret Adversary]]'' and ''[[Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime]]'', adapted and produced by the same team.
  
   
 
==Cast==
  
==Cast==
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*Rowland Davies as Dr. [[George Arbuthnot]]
  
*Rowland Davies as Dr. [[George Arbuthnot]]
 
*[[James Cossins]] as [[Henry Bassington-ffrench]]
  
*[[James Cossins]] as [[Henry Bassington-ffrench]]
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*Mitzi Rogers as Mrs. Cayman
 +
*Mitzi Rogers as [[Amelia Cayman|Mrs Cayman]]
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*John Pennington as Mr. Cayman
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*John Pennington as [[Leo Cayman|Mr Cayman]]
 
*[[Lynda La Plante|Lynda Marshal]] as [[Gladys Roberts|Mrs Roberts]]
  
*[[Lynda La Plante|Lynda Marshal]] as [[Gladys Roberts|Mrs Roberts]]
 
*[[Deddie Davies]] as Postmistress
  
*[[Deddie Davies]] as Postmistress
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*Frank Tregear as Mr Roberts
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*Frank Tregear as [[Roberts (Why Didn't They Ask Evans?)|Mr Roberts]]
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*John Horsley as Mr Spragg
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*John Horsley as [[Mr Spragge|Mr Spragg]]
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*Leon Sinden as Mr Owen
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*Leon Sinden as [[Mr Owen]]
 
*Elaine Wells as Nurse Fletcher
  
*Elaine Wells as Nurse Fletcher
 
*Annette Robertson as Julie
  
*Annette Robertson as Julie
 
*Eirik Barclay as [[Thomas Bassington-ffrench|Tommy Bassington-ffrench]]
  
*Eirik Barclay as [[Thomas Bassington-ffrench|Tommy Bassington-ffrench]]
 
*[[Raymond Francis]] as [[Lord Marchington|Earl of Marchington]]
  
*[[Raymond Francis]] as [[Lord Marchington|Earl of Marchington]]
  +
*Sally Grace as Nurse Villard
  +
*Christopher Cregan as Reeves (as Chris Cregan)
  +
*Michael Stainton as [[Thomas Askew|Mr Askew]]
  +
*Hugh Morton as Barker
  +
*Debbie Armstrong as Mary
  +
*Arnold Peters as Innkeeper
  +
*Norman Mitchell as Constable Browning
  +
*Artro Morris as Ticket Inspector
  +
*Terence Soall as Doctor
  +
*Kate David as Hotel Waitress
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*Penny Ryder as Cafe Waitress
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*Roy Boyd as [[Alan Carstairs]]
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*Mischa De La Motte as Ross
  +
*Colin Cunningham as Fred Pratt
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*Derek Hollis as P.C. Bunner
  +
*Nicholas Drake as Village pest
  +
*Nick Diprose as Lover (uncredited)
  +
*Charles Morgan as Coroner (uncredited)
  +
  +
==Filming locations==
  +
* Madoes, 55 High Street, Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, England, UK as ''the Swan Hotel''
  +
*St Mary's Church, High Street, Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, England, UK the Templeton's gardener is buried here
  +
*House next to Cuddington Post Office and Stores, Upper Church Street, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, UK as funeral parlour
  +
*Bethany, Upper Church Street, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, UK As offices of [[Wheeler & Owen]]
  +
*The Bernard Hall, Upper Church St, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, UK as the location of Pritchard's inquest
  +
*Saint Nicholas Church Cuddington, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, UK - Bobby's father is Vicar here
  +
*Tyringham Hall, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, UK - Frankie and Bobby keep watch
  +
*The Pitchings, Spurt Street, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, UK as The tea room
  +
*Wellfield House, Spurt Street, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, UK as the local hospital
  +
*Hall Barn, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England, UK as the Bassington-ffrench [[Merroway Court|residence]]
  +
*Tibby's Cottage, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, UK as the cottage of Rose Pratt
  +
*Arley railway station, Upper Arley, Worcestershire, England, UK
  +
*Castle Ashby, Northamptonshire, England, UK as Frankie Derwent's [[Derwent Castle|home]]
   
 
[[Category:Television adaptations]]
  
[[Category:Television adaptations]]
  +
[[Category:1980s adaptations]]
 
[[Category:London Weekend Television programmes]]
  
[[Category:London Weekend Television programmes]]

Revision as of 17:04, 16 February 2022

Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? was a 3-hour long feature film made by London Weekend Television in 1979 and first broadcast on 30 March 1980. It was directed by John Davies and Tony Wharmby and produced by Tony Wharmby and Jack Williams. It was an adaptation of the Christie novel of the same name.

Evans marked a return of Christie adaptations to television. Christie had been wary of the medium because of a number of poorly made productions in the 1940s and 1950s. With her death in 1976, her daughter Rosalind Hicks, relaxed this restriction, resulting in a steady stream of small-screen adaptations from the 1980s onwards. After Evans, Annis and Warwick came back together again to portray Tommy and Tuppence in The Secret Adversary and Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime, also adapted and produced by LWT. Evans was also significant in featuring Joan Hickson, who would go on to portray Miss Marple.

Synopsis

Comparison with original story

The production was extremely faithful to the plot and dialogue of the book. Only two notable changes were made. The first is the recognition in the isolated cottage that Dr. Nicholson is Roger Bassington-ffrench in disguise. In the novel, it is Bobby who recognizes the deception as the man's ear-lobes are different from those of the doctor whom he had glimpsed previously. In the adaptation, Frankie witnesses one of Nicholson's patients attacking him in the sanatorium when his face is badly scratched. In the cottage, she realizes the scratches have disappeared. The second change comes at the end when, instead of writing to Frankie from South America, Roger lures her to a deserted Merroway Court, makes much the same confession as appears in the book's letter and tells her he loves her, asking her to join him. When she refuses, he locks her in a room of the house (to be freed by Bobby the next day) but doesn't harm her as he makes his escape abroad. Presumably, this change was made as the exposition of the long letter would not have worked on television.

Cast

Filming locations

  • Madoes, 55 High Street, Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, England, UK as the Swan Hotel
  • St Mary's Church, High Street, Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, England, UK the Templeton's gardener is buried here
  • House next to Cuddington Post Office and Stores, Upper Church Street, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, UK as funeral parlour
  • Bethany, Upper Church Street, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, UK As offices of Wheeler & Owen
  • The Bernard Hall, Upper Church St, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, UK as the location of Pritchard's inquest
  • Saint Nicholas Church Cuddington, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, UK - Bobby's father is Vicar here
  • Tyringham Hall, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, UK - Frankie and Bobby keep watch
  • The Pitchings, Spurt Street, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, UK as The tea room
  • Wellfield House, Spurt Street, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, UK as the local hospital
  • Hall Barn, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England, UK as the Bassington-ffrench residence
  • Tibby's Cottage, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, UK as the cottage of Rose Pratt
  • Arley railway station, Upper Arley, Worcestershire, England, UK
  • Castle Ashby, Northamptonshire, England, UK as Frankie Derwent's home
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