Agatha Christie herself is teaming with two writing icons for a new show.
It’s a busy time for Christie adaptations. The year kicked off with Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials, which garnered praise for the lead performance of Mia McKenna-Bruce as Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent and included its share of eerie images, including placing its characters in an unsettling mask.
There’s also Hercule, which centers on the origins of one of Christie’s most well-known characters. Set to debut next year, on the BBC in the U.K. and on BritBox in North America, Hercule will feature the youngest portrayal of Hercule Poirot put to screen to date as the 33-year-old Edward Bluemel steps into the role made famous by the likes of David Suchet, Alfred Molina, Kenneth Branagh, and John Malkovich.
BBC is taking a stab at depicting Christie herself, as revealed in a new official look at The Detection Club, an upcoming 10-episode mystery series that’s said to be inspired by the golden age of fiction. In it, Bryony Hannah plays Christie. She teams with G.K. Chesterton and Dorothy L. Sayers to unravel a murder investigation. The photo, included below, places Christie to the left of her counterpants.
The Detection Club is a collaboration between the BBC and BritBox. The story is set “against a backdrop of literary glamour, social change and deadly intrigue,” according to the official press release. In particular, it puts a spotlight on the mysterious society that’s spearheaded by Christie, Sayers and Chesterton.
The trio, who are among Britain’s most celebrated writers, are pulled into a string of real-life murder investigations. As the story unfolds in the 1930s in London, the crime scribes hone their skills and work together. This ultimately puts them in the path of D.I. Greenway, described as a young police detective who is out of his depth.
The Detection Club has no release date announced yet.
Bryonny Hannah, whose previous credits include Hulu’s Rivals and Call the Midwife, stars alongside Miles Jupp, known for Belgravia: The Next Chapter and Napoleon, as Chesterton. Theobold, from Downton Abbey and The Syndicate, portrays Dorothy L. Sayers, while Viraj Juneja of Little English and Get Duked! plays D.I. Greenway.
Sayers and Chesterton are both historically well-known English writers, though perhaps not on the same international level as Christie. The leading acting trio gave statements about their new roles, along with the series creator Kris Lambert, executive producer Deborah Sathe, and Jon Farrar, who is the Chief Content Officer DTC at BBC Studios:
Hannah: “Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time, and yet I knew very little about the woman behind the pen. The Detection Club gives us a chance to meet Agatha in a whole new light. I’m so looking forward to exploring her wit, intellect and flaws with such a fab team.”
Theobold: “Dorothy L. Sayers was razor sharp, wonderfully funny and gloriously uncompromising, so the opportunity to bring her to life and inhabit her world is a real thrill. Playing such a pioneering writer, especially alongside Miles and Bryony, is pretty much a dream job.”
Lambert: “The Detection Club asks, ‘What if the creators of our greatest fictional detectives had the chance to solve murders themselves?’ It is a celebration of three wonderful writers of crime fiction, inspired by their work, their lives, and their friendship. I’m thrilled that we have been able to bring together such an exceptional cast.”
Sathe: “It was like the Avengers had assembled when Miles Jupp, Bryony Hannah and Cara Theobold brought Kit’s brilliant script to life in our casting room. Neil Irvine and I were over the moon to find such brilliant stars to bring a world that has long since fascinated us and fans of crime writing to life. We cannot wait to broadcast this fabulous show to the audience.”
Farrar: “The Detection Club is the perfect gift for fans of this iconic crime writing trio whose stories are beloved by BritBox audiences. We know this will add an exciting new dimension to the mystery genre they helped establish, as they band together to solve thrilling new cases, led by the incredible Kit Lambert and this standout cast.”
The Detection Club is executive produced by Lambert and Sathe, and Neil Irvine for BBC Studios, in addition to Stephen Nye for BritBox. Lee Thomas is the producer, with Dawn Coulson-Beckett as the script producer, and Hans Herbots directs the first two episodes. It’s a formidable line-up, with Lambert’s previous credits including the classic British sleuth saga Father Brown.
