Agatha Christie's The ABC Murders has been given a gritty makeover – and Poirot fans are bitterly divided
Screenwriter Sarah Phelps has delivered a dark Agatha Christie adaptation with some big changes from the novel
John Malkovich has made his debut as Hercule Poirot in the BBC's new Agatha Christie drama The ABC Murders – and reactions couldn't have been more polarised between love and hate.
Screenwriter Sarah Phelps has given a few twists to the classic murder mystery, and while some fans have praised her "sublime" re-imagining of the original novel, others have been quick to complain about the "massacre" of a well-known classic.
- ABC Murders writer Sarah Phelps responds to “manufactured outrage” at her changes to Agatha Christie’s storylines
- Questions we have after the first episode of Agatha Christie's The ABC Murders
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It's not the first time Phelps has come under fire for her take on Agatha Christie. Responding to her critics, she told the audience at a preview screening: "A lot of it feels like manufactured outrage. Seriously, if you're going to work yourself up into a frothing lather about a television drama, just go and watch BBC Parliament for a couple of minutes. That'll give you a sense of perspective about what to be really pissed off about!”
After the first instalment of the three-parter aired on Boxing Day, many stepped up to praise and defend her work...
https://twitter.com/simonblackwell/status/1078054802159030272
https://twitter.com/JeremiahBoogle/status/1078040179422777348
https://twitter.com/KateWilliamsme/status/1078040322167525376
https://twitter.com/richardosman/status/1078030913290805248
https://twitter.com/FernRiddell/status/1078048232801005570
https://twitter.com/lewisjvisuals/status/1078044405909594112
And that's not to forget Harry Potter star Rupert Grint, who is back on our screens to play Inspector Crome:
https://twitter.com/FB_BMB/status/1078048054278795264
https://twitter.com/elliot_gonzalez/status/1078046280033673216
Of course, there have been PLENTY of objections from viewers who didn't approve of episode one:
https://twitter.com/janetfauret/status/1078037766636748800
https://twitter.com/NordicLaura/status/1078036151263547417
https://twitter.com/shunamarr/status/1078047611037327360
https://twitter.com/zzdc2112/status/1078050657184157698
https://twitter.com/potterwigham/status/1078035189769687055
But others asked: isn't a reimagined version better than a replica?
https://twitter.com/stuartwilks/status/1078048390875889680
https://twitter.com/RevRichardColes/status/1078041367316742144
https://twitter.com/foolisholly/status/1078233320771805185
This article was originally published on 27 December 2018