You probably don’t really associate Agatha Christie and David Walliams (Big School) together, but that’s been rectified with the creation of an adaptation of Partners In Crime on BBC One in 2015. In fact, you don’t really associate the former Little Britain star with anything other than silly comedy, but in the new super sleuth production he’ll be taking a turn into spy fiction, although there’s an element of tongue in cheek humour in his role, so he isn’t completely out of his depth.
The first episode of the two-story crime adventures aired on the 26th July 2015, introducing Agatha Christie’s crime fighting, bee-keeper duo Tommy and Tuppence, to the small screen with Walliams taking on the role of Tommy and Jessica Raine (Call The Midwife, Wolf Hall) playing Tuppence. There will be two mini series in total with each being split into three one hour episodes.
The first of the three-part adventures is based on the 1922 novel, The Secret Adversary, Agatha Christie’s second ever novel, and hte first to feature the couple. However, instead of being post-World War I, s in the original, it’s going to be set in the 1950s in the aftermath of the Second World War as the Cold War is just about to get frosty in terms of East/West relations.
The second of the espionage stories will be based on the second full Tommy and Tuppence novel, N or M?, but again taking it from its previous timeline, originally after the outbreak of WWII in the 1941 book, to set it in the 50s to give the two adaptations easier continuation with the same cast members. If the story is anything like the novel that it’s named after, it should see the couple investigating an opposing clandestine spy duo who are working to undermine British interests from within.
Both of the mini-series will be directed by Edward Hall (Downton Abbey) with The Secret Adversary adapted by for the screen by award-winning author, playwright and director Zinnie Harris, who’s previous spy fiction includes BBC’s Spooks. The latter three episodes, in the story N or M?, have been written by Claire Wilson (Where There Is Darkness, Twist).
For anyone that hasn’t read any of the Tommy and Tuppence novels, you should expect a crime fighting team with a difference with the characters at the centre of the two plots being a married couple with penchant for honey. Tuppence is the more adventurous of the two, leading the way in the duo’s bid to solve the mysteries that they find themselves involved in, while Tommy is a bit more reserved in his efforts.
Commenting on his casting in the role of Tommy, David Walliams said, “In bringing these thrilling stories to the screen, it is our ambition for Tommy and Tuppence to finally take their rightful place alongside Poirot and Marple as iconic Agatha Christie characters. I was first drawn to the delicious notion of a married couple solving crimes together, and the more I read of the Tommy and Tuppence novels and short stories, the more I realised they are among Christie’s very best work.”
Agatha Christie’s Partners In Crime is being produced by Georgina Lowe (Mr Turner), and executive produced by Emmy award-winning Hilary Bevan Jones (Esio Trot movie), along with David Walliams, Hilary Strong (Agatha Christie’s Poirot) Mathew Prichard and Matthew Read.
