'Murder at the Vicarage' was Christie's first Miss Marple book. The BBC filmed it about mid way through their series featuring Joan Hickson. As always, Hickson is very good as the elderly sleuth and St Mary Mead is realistically shown as a very average (ie not TOO picture postcard) English village. Again, the slightly grainy nature of the film is in keeping.
There is good support from Paul Eddington as the vicar and Cheryl Campbell is just delightful as his wife Griselda - the high point for me! The other village gossips are well presented as is the nervy Mr Hawes and Norma West is very effective as the slightly creepy Mrs Lestrange. Fatally however, in my opinion, the central characters of Anne Protheroe and Lawrence Redding are quite poorly done as are the other members of the Protheroe family.
The newer McEwen version is much more effective in my opinion but this is still well worth watching.
There is good support from Paul Eddington as the vicar and Cheryl Campbell is just delightful as his wife Griselda - the high point for me! The other village gossips are well presented as is the nervy Mr Hawes and Norma West is very effective as the slightly creepy Mrs Lestrange. Fatally however, in my opinion, the central characters of Anne Protheroe and Lawrence Redding are quite poorly done as are the other members of the Protheroe family.
The newer McEwen version is much more effective in my opinion but this is still well worth watching.