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17 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
Delightful, 23 December 2004
Author: Jack Giddings from Middlesex, England

This is, in my opinion, Christie's best Miss Marple book. The plot is ingenious, carefully woven and highly intricate. The ending is pure brilliance, and you will kick yourself because you didn't guess the identity earlier.

This BBC adaptation is also superb. It has a suitable running length, enough time for the viewer to absorb the information given to them, and Joan Hickson excels as Miss Marple. Her apparent scattiness hides her true genius to the rest of the cast, and Joan Hickson is perfect at playing Miss Marple in this way; far better than Margaret Rutherford and Geraldine McEwan's dreadful attempts . The supporting cast are also very good, featuring Ursulla Howles, Paola Dionisotti, Joan Sims, Sylvia Syms, Kevin Whately and Simon Shepard (of 'Peak Practice' Fame).

Having read the book very recently, and then watched this adaptation over Christmas on UKTV Gold, I can say that the plot is faithful to the original tome. I can highly recommend it.

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14 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
One of the best of the BBC's Miss Marple series, 2 January 2005
9/10
Author: Raquel from United Kingdom

Like Jack who commented before me here, I saw this show over Christmas on UKTV Drama. I had never seen the Joan Hickson adaptations before now and when I saw the recent ITV Marple's I was told to watch the old BBC adaptations as they are far superior, and they are.

I feel the ITV versions are almost played as farcical comedy whereas the BBC versions are more serious and are far more intriguing and allowing you to get involved in the mystery and none more so than in 'A Murder Is Announced'. I literally had no idea who the culprit was right up until the very end and it was certainly a complex mystery, but an excellent one.

This was originally shown over 3 nights in 1985 however I saw it all in one 3 hour viewing, yet it certainly did not feel like that at all. Joan Hickson is brilliant as Miss Marple. The Geraldine McEwan take on Miss Marple is almost amateurish in comparison. The supporting cast here, including Joan Sims, Kevin Whately and Samantha Bond are all excellent and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has not yet seen it.

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10 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
Brilliant!!, 9 February 2002
Author: out_to_lunch2001 from Wales

I loved this adaptation! The acting is very good all the way thro' with fantastic performances from Ursula Howells (Miss Blacklock), Renee Asherton (Miss Bunner) and, of course, Joan Hickson - who *is* (in my opinion) Miss Jane Marple - just the way that Dame Agatha described her in the books.

Having read the book several times, I'm pleased and relieved that it wasn't "butchered" as some TV adapations can be, it remained faithful to Dame Agatha's book.

All in all, a very good adapation with, in places, humourous touches.

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10 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Have button, will love..., 29 May 2002
Author: ALS1 from Chicago, Illinois

I'm a fan of the genre. I have the aforementioned rewind button. I loved the show.

I didn't find it too implausible, considering that this did take place in the 1950s (no faxes, e-mail or digital cameras), and I thought it possible and plausible that the people in question could assume someone else's identity, especially as their performances were being given for the benefit of people who hadn't seen the "original identity holders" in many years, if at all.

Hints at Hinchcliffe's and Murgatroyd's lesbian "partnership," without ever coming directly across and labeling it (although it does more broadly hint at the relationship than Agatha Christie's original novel). Issues of youthful Communism and unrequited love are almost too felicitously handled, although one wishes that real life could be this uncomplicated!

Watch for a spunky performance from Samantha Bond (now universally recognized as Miss Moneypenny in the 007 series). Paola Dionisotti (The House of Elliott) is also greatly likable as Miss Hinchcliffe.

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7 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
enjoyable, 21 June 2003
Author: elmochook

I really loved this adaptation. I felt it stuck closely to the book and it was well casted. I initially hesitated to see this version after being extremely dissapointed with "Ten Little Indians/And then there were none.

Rent it - I think you wont be disappointed either

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6 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
A wonderful production., 14 October 2006
Author: jsmmov from United States

Don't believe the negative reviews. This production is wonderful. I'm amazed that some reviewers found it too complicated and hard to understand. I found the plot to be quite clear and understandable. I consider "A Murder is Announced" and "At Bertram's Hotel" to be the best of the Joan Hickson "Miss Marple" series. "A Murder is Announced" is brimming with suspense. The sets and costumes are very accurate for the period. The script is excellent. The acting is superb. Joan Hickson is, as always, magnificent as Miss Marple. She well deserved her O.B.E. And highest praise for Ursula Howells as Miss Blacklock. A great, great actress. I remember her appearing in some episodes of "The Forsyte Saga" (1967) and in one episode of "Upstairs,Downstairs". Both minor roles, but she made them shine. Unforgettable!

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Hickson's definitive Marple, 2 April 2006
7/10
Author: Glyn Treharne from Irlam, England

Now that the campy ITV Marple series is well into its stride it is time to reflect on whether the BBC Miss Marple programmes were as good as we thought. Judged by this outing there is no contest.

Alan Plater's witty script, while faithful to Christie's convoluted plotting, adds colour and shading to the proceedings and clips along at a nice pace. The actors certainly rise to the occasion; Joan Hickson is on top form, her interpretation of an inquisitive old lady from a 1950s country village is totally believable; Renee Asherson's character is rather irritating and the actress reflects this in her performance; Ursula Howells is quite brilliant, making a complex personality convincing; and there is good support from Samantha Bond, Joan Sims, Ralph Michael and a somewhat underused Sylvia Syms.

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5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Practically perfect, 4 April 2008
10/10
Author: Iain-215 from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Superb adaptation of one of the best Miss Marple novels. Joan Hickson is probably most people's idea of the perfect Miss Marple and she really does shine here. Whilst some of the BBC adaptations can seem a little slow these days (this one was originally shown over three nights) this one fairly flies by! The grainy, nostalgic feel seems particularly appropriate here and Hickson is given a superb supporting cast. Almost all are brilliant but special mention must go to Ursula Howells who brings the hugely complex Miss Blacklock to brilliant life. Simon Shephard and Samantha Bond are very effective as the supposed siblings, Joan Sims and Paola Dionisotti make a sympathetic Hinch and Murgatroyd and Sylvia Syms a sharp tongued Mrs Easterbrook. There's also a delightful cameo from Joyce Castle as the frail, gentle Mrs Goedler.

I can't really heap enough praise on this. The McEwen version is worth a look too but this really does knock spots off it.

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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Clever Christie story is given top-notch treatment..., 12 February 2008
6/10
Author: Neil Doyle from U.S.A.

A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED in the Chipping Cleghorne Gazette at the very start of this clever Christie tale about an announcement in the local paper that sends several people to Little Paddocks cottage, just curious observers who wonder if anything actually will happen as predicted ominously in the quaint cottage shared by Letitia Blacklock (URSULA HOWELLS) and her old friend Dora Bunner (RENEE ASHERSON). Indeed, when the lights go out that evening, a man enters and a gunshot sound alarms the gathering, only to find that the intruder himself is the murder victim and Miss Blacklock has a flesh wound which makes her look like the intended victim.

The storyline soon involves a bunch of others and it becomes clear that nothing is really what it seems as to the identities of several people and the purpose of the murder scene. This is one of the most enjoyable of all the Agatha Christie books that I read years ago at a time when I was going through a number of her books, as a mystery fan. I always found this particular story one of special interest, and could easily have pictured Olivia de Havilland as Letitia Blacklock (what a name!!), the kind of role that would have been perfect for her at a time when she was playing more difficult roles.

However, the casting here is highly satisfactory with most of the British cast doing well in their parts--notably SAMANTHA BOND, SIMON SHEPHERD and SYLVIA SYMS.

This was later remade for the series starring GERALDINE McEWAN, all of which are less well regarded than the series here with JOAN HICKSON as Miss Marple. Hickson has a pensive, inquisitive look that makes us believe she is slowly coming to realize the truth, while McEwan is only able to suggest a sweet little old lady with a sly look, but never intelligent enough to unravel the mystery.

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Delightful adaptation of a brilliant book, 11 October 2009
10/10
Author: TheLittleSongbird from United Kingdom

The book A Murder Is Announced is a brilliant book, one of my favourite Agatha Christies, intricately woven and quite complex. This adaptation is a million times better than the Geraldine McEwan version, and not only was it faithful to the book, but it almost surpassed it. The adaptation is lovingly photographed, with stunning locations and costumes. The music is beautiful, reminds me a bit of a day in the country, peaceful and relaxing. The script is well crafted, the plot is brilliantly constructed and like I've said already, the adaptation is very faithful to the book. The lights-going-off scene was very haunting, and gave me nightmares when I first saw this when I was 11, six years ago, just like in the book, that scene was underplayed in the Geraldine McEwan version. The acting was very, very good, Joan Hickson doesn't just play Miss Marple, she IS Miss Marple. There was one scene with a sideways close up into Hickson's face, and that moment in particular was extraordinary. Samantha Bond was lovely as Julia, and Ursula Howells was superb as Letitia Blacklock. Joan Sims also delights as Amy Murgatroyd, and before he did Inspector Morse Kevin Whately did this, and he is a breath of fresh air as Sergeant Fletcher. Everyone else was just as superb. In fact, I have no criticisms of this at all, the ending will have you completely by surprise if you haven't read the book, the length was just right and everything about this was delightful. 10/10 Bethany Cox

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