I remember seeing the Miss Marple series when they were first broadcast as a child, and I still have fond memories of them. Sometimes you find that some shows do not age well, but this series is a joy. Certainly it makes a cracking start with this absorbing and somewhat complex mystery. The Body in the Library does what it says on the tin. One morning Colonel Bantry and his wife are woken up by a maid who tells them there is a body in their library. Puzzled, they go down to discover that a body of a young girl is indeed lying on the rug in their library. But they have no idea who she is or what she is doing there. Naturally the police are called in, but while that is going on Dolly Bantry (Gwen Watford) has invited her old friend Jane Marple (Joan Hickson) to come and have a gawp at the corpse herself (as you do). Heading the police investigation is Inspector Slack (David Horowitz), who is brusque and impatient to get a quick result (some hope!). He sees an opening when a dancer by the name of Ruby Keene is reported missing from a hotel 15 miles away. But quite why she would be lying dead in a stranger's library miles away is anyone's guess.
So starts the mystery. To say more would only spoil things, but it is a puzzle that has many twists and turns and revelations to come before it all becomes clear. And it thoroughly justifies it's 3 part format. It takes it's time in taking in the facts and clues as they materialize, plus questioning of the suspects as vital clues (or red herrings) are revealed. The Body in the Library is how mystery dramas used to be like. As with the PD James series or Wexford mysteries it would allow the viewer time to work out the clues over several episodes and get to know the characters, and the pace of The Body in the Library makes this thoroughly absorbing. It also delights in the attention to detail with the period settings that because of when it was filmed (1984) now feels as if it really is in the 1940's. And the opening credits deserve some mention, depicting everyday village folk - such as the women shoppers, vicar by the churchyard, woman at the window - all with suspicious or maybe dubious expressions on them, giving you the hint that no one can be trusted.
The remarkable feature in all this is Joan Hickson. When she was cast in 1984 she was 78 years old. This was some risk to start what would prove a long running TV series, as imagine if Hickson had died within the year? As it was she went on to live until she was 92, and after years of being a character actress it made her a deserved star. She was Agatha Christie's own choice to play Jane Marple and she really does fit the part. There are some criticism of Hickson's portrayal, with the usual accusation of her being "fluffy" and cuddly. It's a bizarre accusation as her performance is anything but. The outside appearance may be of a amiable flustered old lady who everyone chats to, but there are times when she is chatting to Dolly Bantry (or gossiping with the old girls in The Murder at the Vicarage) where she is quite acerbic in her observations. She likes a good gossip like anyone else, but has no qualms about dissecting a person's character for scrutiny. It is this that makes Hickson's performance all so believable. Only her fuddle headed way of trying to explain things to a bemused Inspector Slack when she goes to mention a newspaper report on a missing schoolgirl lets her down a bit. Other than that she is perfect because she is real, not a grotesque or caricature like in the awful 2005 ITV remake with Geraldine McEwan.
There are also good support from other cast members. David Horowitz as Slack is a fascinating character; swift, determined to get a result but lacking the patience or tack that would make him a great detective. As such he rubs people up the wrong way, but there are times when you can sympathize with him. One of the few irritations in this is straight from the off his superior Colonel Melchett (Frederick Jaegar) insists that Miss Marple be assigned to the case, and is later echoed by Sir Henry Clithering (Raymond Francis). You can't blame Slack for baulking at this. Can you imagine a police investigation being told to let a little old lady tag along to help with their inquiries? It would be laughable. It's emphasized by them to such a point as how marvellously clever she is "with the mind like a meat cleaver" it becomes a little embarrassing and is the one real duff note in an otherwise excellent adaptation. Thankfully later adaptations would not be so blunt with their approach in introducing her to cases. There are also a couple of cast members who are a little too pompous or theatrical in their performances, such as Andrew Cruickshank as Conway Jefferson. But there are others who are good value for their money. Mentions go to Gwen Watford and Trudie Styler, while Ciaran Maddern is always convincing in anything I've seen her in. But I do wish she and Keith Drinkel as Jefferson's in-laws had been given more scenes to show off their talents. However, I quite enjoyed Anthony Smee's performance as Basil Blake, who is wonderfully mischievous at time, while there is an added joy of seeing Arthur Bostrum as Ruby Keane's dancing partner, just a year before he would find fame as Officer Crabtree in 'Allo 'Allo. And Andrew Downer (son of Dilys Laye) deserves a mention as Peter Carmody, Jefferson's grandson, who is just enjoying playing amateur sleuth and inadvertently finds an important clue for Miss Marple. It's a lovely enthusiastic performance, and is such a shame to learn he died so young of cancer at just 38.
Overall, this adaptation is a huge success. It's pace suits the complex mystery and gives the viewer time to take things in and try and guess not just who did it, but why and how! It's thoroughly understandable why it progressed to such a long running series, and we can only be even more thankful that the BBC's choice of the 78 year old Joan Hickson paid off. For me she IS Miss Marple, but credit should also go to David Horowitz as Inspector Slack. Without his different clash of personality, this could of progressed to being a gentle amble through a period mystery of yore. As it is, it gives the mystery the edge and sometimes urgency it needs. A superb debut for Miss Marple.
So starts the mystery. To say more would only spoil things, but it is a puzzle that has many twists and turns and revelations to come before it all becomes clear. And it thoroughly justifies it's 3 part format. It takes it's time in taking in the facts and clues as they materialize, plus questioning of the suspects as vital clues (or red herrings) are revealed. The Body in the Library is how mystery dramas used to be like. As with the PD James series or Wexford mysteries it would allow the viewer time to work out the clues over several episodes and get to know the characters, and the pace of The Body in the Library makes this thoroughly absorbing. It also delights in the attention to detail with the period settings that because of when it was filmed (1984) now feels as if it really is in the 1940's. And the opening credits deserve some mention, depicting everyday village folk - such as the women shoppers, vicar by the churchyard, woman at the window - all with suspicious or maybe dubious expressions on them, giving you the hint that no one can be trusted.
The remarkable feature in all this is Joan Hickson. When she was cast in 1984 she was 78 years old. This was some risk to start what would prove a long running TV series, as imagine if Hickson had died within the year? As it was she went on to live until she was 92, and after years of being a character actress it made her a deserved star. She was Agatha Christie's own choice to play Jane Marple and she really does fit the part. There are some criticism of Hickson's portrayal, with the usual accusation of her being "fluffy" and cuddly. It's a bizarre accusation as her performance is anything but. The outside appearance may be of a amiable flustered old lady who everyone chats to, but there are times when she is chatting to Dolly Bantry (or gossiping with the old girls in The Murder at the Vicarage) where she is quite acerbic in her observations. She likes a good gossip like anyone else, but has no qualms about dissecting a person's character for scrutiny. It is this that makes Hickson's performance all so believable. Only her fuddle headed way of trying to explain things to a bemused Inspector Slack when she goes to mention a newspaper report on a missing schoolgirl lets her down a bit. Other than that she is perfect because she is real, not a grotesque or caricature like in the awful 2005 ITV remake with Geraldine McEwan.
There are also good support from other cast members. David Horowitz as Slack is a fascinating character; swift, determined to get a result but lacking the patience or tack that would make him a great detective. As such he rubs people up the wrong way, but there are times when you can sympathize with him. One of the few irritations in this is straight from the off his superior Colonel Melchett (Frederick Jaegar) insists that Miss Marple be assigned to the case, and is later echoed by Sir Henry Clithering (Raymond Francis). You can't blame Slack for baulking at this. Can you imagine a police investigation being told to let a little old lady tag along to help with their inquiries? It would be laughable. It's emphasized by them to such a point as how marvellously clever she is "with the mind like a meat cleaver" it becomes a little embarrassing and is the one real duff note in an otherwise excellent adaptation. Thankfully later adaptations would not be so blunt with their approach in introducing her to cases. There are also a couple of cast members who are a little too pompous or theatrical in their performances, such as Andrew Cruickshank as Conway Jefferson. But there are others who are good value for their money. Mentions go to Gwen Watford and Trudie Styler, while Ciaran Maddern is always convincing in anything I've seen her in. But I do wish she and Keith Drinkel as Jefferson's in-laws had been given more scenes to show off their talents. However, I quite enjoyed Anthony Smee's performance as Basil Blake, who is wonderfully mischievous at time, while there is an added joy of seeing Arthur Bostrum as Ruby Keane's dancing partner, just a year before he would find fame as Officer Crabtree in 'Allo 'Allo. And Andrew Downer (son of Dilys Laye) deserves a mention as Peter Carmody, Jefferson's grandson, who is just enjoying playing amateur sleuth and inadvertently finds an important clue for Miss Marple. It's a lovely enthusiastic performance, and is such a shame to learn he died so young of cancer at just 38.
Overall, this adaptation is a huge success. It's pace suits the complex mystery and gives the viewer time to take things in and try and guess not just who did it, but why and how! It's thoroughly understandable why it progressed to such a long running series, and we can only be even more thankful that the BBC's choice of the 78 year old Joan Hickson paid off. For me she IS Miss Marple, but credit should also go to David Horowitz as Inspector Slack. Without his different clash of personality, this could of progressed to being a gentle amble through a period mystery of yore. As it is, it gives the mystery the edge and sometimes urgency it needs. A superb debut for Miss Marple.