I’ve discovered a fantastic period British TV show on Netflix; Agatha Christie’s Poirot. I know nothing of Agatha Christie, other than her name being synonymous with “murder myst…

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and o...

In a previous post, I discussed similarities between Christie’s descriptions in novels and short stories and the two apartments created on screen by the production designers. In this post, I will examine the similarities between the two portrayals on screen – the first (1989-2001) and the second (2005-present) Whitehaven apartment. The new apartment has been criticised by many fans, primarily because of the discontinuity between the two. As a viewer, one might ask the following questions: 1) Why was there a need to create a new apartment? 2) Why are both apartments situated in Whitehaven Mansions?, and 3) Why do they look so different? I will try to answer these questions in due course. Initially, though, I would like to draw your attention to the following paragraph in the current Wikipedia article on the television series. The article seems to suggest that the new apartment is a part of a significant 're-imagining' of the Poirot and Agatha Christie brand: ‘Following the launch of the ITV series Agatha Christie's Marple in 2004, the Poirot series was retitled Agatha Christie's Poirot. The previous titles and theme music were dropped. The visual style of these later episodes was noticeably different from earlier episodes: particularly, austere art deco settings and decor, widely used earlier in the series, were largely dropped in favour of more lavish settings (epitomised by the re-imagining of Poirot's home as a larger, more lavish apartment)’ As the article accurately points out, Poirot’s home is now a ‘larger, more lavish apartment’. But in context, the description feels more negatively charged than I think is reasonable. In this post, I hope to convince you that there are, in fact, several reasons to prefer this apartment to the first one (if one of them has to be seen as "better"), and that there is a sense of continuity between the two apartments, both in terms of layout and design. Let us return to the first question – why was there a need to create a new apartment? I think there are several possible answers to this. Firstly, I think the Wikipedia article is partially right in claiming that it has something to do with the new direction of the Agatha Christie brand. The new producers (post-2004) seem to have made a conscious decision to distance themselves from the previous series; these adaptations should be considered as independent feature-length films rather than episodes from a television series, and therefore a ‘more lavish’ apartment seems appropriate. (see more after the jump) However, and secondly, there is also much to suggest that the decision was made because of the stories ahead. Keep in mind that David Suchet (who since 2004 has been an associate producer) has been keen to portray Poirot ‘absolutely as near as [he] can possibly get to the tone, the flavour and particular incidents’ of Agatha Christie’s stories and descriptions. In this sense, the series would, at some point, have had to abandon the ‘basic family unit’, as former scriptwriter Clive Exton once called it, of Hastings, Miss Lemon, Japp and Poirot. This is in keeping with Christie’s books, as the Wikipedia article points out: ‘The absence of their characters (Hastings, Inspector Japp, and Miss Lemon) is consistent with the books on which the scripts were based’. A natural consequence of such a shift would be that Poirot goes into semi-retirement (as my chronology suggests) and engages George as his valet. Admittedly, Miss Lemon is present in a few of the books (but not adaptations) filmed after 2004, but her role is very small in the original text, and I would imagine that the producers would rather give David Yelland (George) a greater part to play (which is quite understandable, given that they secured an actor of his calibre). Also, considering that the previous producers excluded George’s part to expand Miss Lemon’s, I find this perfectly acceptable. In other words, there is no need for Miss Lemon’s typing room, which was an integral part of the first apartment, and there is a need for a room for George. With these aspects in mind, I find it perfectly understandable that the production crew wanted a new apartment to build Poirot’s semi-retirement life around. Finally, the decision to create a new apartment may have been made because production designer Jeff Tessler wanted to create a flat that was more faithful to Christie’s descriptions (though I do not claim to know his intentions). As I have detailed earlier, several (if not all) of Christie’s descriptions are taken into consideration in the new flat – everything from colours and layouts, to bookcases and desks. The similarity between what is described on paper and what is portrayed on screen is so striking that I refuse to accept that he has not taken these descriptions more literally than the previous production crew. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that TV-Poirot has lived in two different flats in Whitehaven Mansions. Let us leave it at that, and appreciate the fact that they are both excellent representations of Poirot's domestic life. Now, let’s move on to what this post is really supposed to cover: the similarities and differences between these two on-screen flats. See the floor plans of the flat below of the 1989-2001 apartment and the 2005-20?? respectively. The first floor plan is linked to its source and the second has been made by me (bear with me on my severe lack of artistic skills!) (Let me clarify a few things first: The floor plan in black is from a Japanese fan site. I have renamed the rooms from Japanese (without knowing the language!), so any mistakes are entirely mine. The image is linked to its source. Also, the exact location of Poirot's bedroom is somewhat of a mystery in the first flat, but I feel fairly certain that it is next to the living room (i.e. where the 'office' of the second flat is located). See, for instance, the ending of the adaptation of 'The Third-Floor Flat'. Finally, in the second flat, there is some uncertainty as to the location of the kitchen. In 'Third Girl', George seems to be walking towards the red room, while in 'Three Act Tragedy' we see him exiting (presumably) the dark grey room on the floor plan. I find the second option more likely than the first.) I want to start with a specific aspect of the living room; the niches/alcoves on each side of the fireplace. In the first flat, this is where Poirot’s bookcases (if you can call them that) are situated. These have, intriguingly, become “entrances” to Poirot’s office. In my opinion, that is an ingenious solution for two specific reasons. First, we can assume that there would indeed be a room behind that wall in Poirot’s first apartment (see the floor plan above, linked to its source), and those niches could easily be transformed into the openings we see in the second flat. Also, if the new flat is a slight ‘upgrade’ of apartments within the same building (which I find likely), it would be natural that the layout of this slightly larger flat would be based on the same structures and walls as the ones above or below it. Finally, by using these niches/alcoves, the production designer not only creates a link with the first flat, but he almost makes the “office extension” into a part of the sitting room – which again is in keeping with Christie’s descriptions! Quite impressive, if you ask me. Another structural similarity is the placement of the doors to the sitting room. Both in the first and second apartment, there are two sets of doors (see below). They are slightly different in layout (but remarkably similar nonetheless), and this could easily be explained by the fact that Christie describes a redecoration and restructuring of the flats in The Clocks (see my last blog post). The only addition in the second flat is a door leading to Poirot’s ‘office’ further down the corridor – which. again, is quite acceptable if one considers this a slightly larger apartment in the same building. Any other structural similarities should be evident from the two floor plans above, outlining the two flats. Let us move on to the main layout of the living room itself. Apart from the desk area (which has been given a separate ‘room’), nearly all elements from the first apartment have been maintained (though mostly not in their original shape and form) in the second apartment. Firstly, the dining area (see below). A large table with chairs is situated in almost exactly the same spot as in the first flat. Secondly, the sitting area. In both flats, this is situated close to the fireplace. The chairs seem to have changed throughout the series run in the first flat, but they have remained the same in the second. The chairs and sofas all have similar rounded (and square) shapes. Thirdly, the ‘office’ area. Despite the new location in the second flat, there is a remarkable sense of consistency. Notice, for instance, the green desk sets in both flats. Not identical, but they contribute to a sense of continuity. Also, the two desk lamps and the jacket stand/hanger (see below); dissimilar, but still a continuity of sorts. Finally, let me address some elements of décor. As described in the earlier blog post, Poirot’s taste in art is highlighted in both flats. Moreover, the second flat builds on the first flat’s use of (white) ceramic figures and bronzes (see below). Notice also the folding screen behind Poirot’s desk in the first flat, and then behind the dining table in the second flat. Also, notice that the two tables/shelves/cupboards behind the table in the second flat seem to be inspired by the sideboard behind the sofa and the sideboard behind the table, both in the first flat. The two vases/lamps are also strikingly similar to the two vases in the first flat (see below). To conclude, there are significant continuities between the two on-screen flats; doors, layout and objects. They are both faithful to Christie's description (as outlined in a previous post), and both can believably exist within the same building (almost - there's not enough windows on the outside to match the second flat, but I will ignore that and file it under 'artistic liberty'). All in all, there is no reason to dislike any of the flats as they showcase different elements - and phases - of Poirot's domestic life.

Art deco apartment block, external shots used as the fictional home of Hercule Poirot "Whitehaven Mansions" in the TV series from the 1980's.

Whitehaven Mansions, Poirot’s Mayfair home, is lovingly recreated for the television series, both in the first couple of series and in later years. I have previously written about the similarities between Christie’s descriptions of the flat and the sets theyhave used for the series, and on the similarities between the two sets used for the flat. This time, I thought I might write something on how the production team decided to use 'Florin Court' in Charterhouse Square as the location for the exterior shots of the building. My main sources include Peter Haining’s excellent book on the series, the behind-the-scenes documentary Super Sleuths and an interview with the current production designer, Jeff Tessler, in Flat Living Magazine. Florin Court First some information on the fantastic building itself. The ten-storey block of flats was built in 1935-37 (almost the exact scope of the television series chronology) for Charterhouse Ltd by architects Guy Morgan & Partners and builders J. Gerrard & Sons. The building cost was apparently about £47,000 at the time. In 1988, the block was refurbished and modernised for Regalian Properties at a cost of about £2 million by architects Hildebrand & Glicker. That was when the building acquired its current name, Florin Court. More importantly, however, this was also exactly when the first series of Poirot started shooting. You can read more on the history of the building over at this website. A blog, thelondonphile, has some excellent photos of the current exterior and interior. Finding Poirot’s home In Peter Haining’s book, the first producer Brian Eastman explains what the process of finding the location of Poirot’s flat was like: ‘Actually there are lots of Thirties buildings in London (…) And once we decided to make modern-Thirties architecture a feature of the stories, we set out to compile a list of all the buildings from that era that were available within a striking distance of central London. Since then we’ve woven a lot of them into the films. We had two or three places that we could have uses as Poirot’s apartment – but there were several reasons that finally made us decide on Florin Court. In the books Poirot is described as living in ‘a Mayfair square’. But the interesting thing about Charterhouse is that nobody ever thinks it is in the city of London – Although you can believe it looks like Mayfair – which is what makes it unusual. We were also lucky that the property developers who had recently bought Florin Court had just completely refurbished it, putting the exterior back to its original pristine condition. So from the photographic point of view we had this lovely element of a clean, new building set between two nineteenth-century properties. So right from the opening shot we were establishing the point of the series’ (p. 42-43) When the team discovered the newly refurbished and restored 30s building of Florin Court, they had found their location: ‘It was just what we wanted (…) And the developers agreed to let us film the building almost before they had let any of the apartments at all. So we got permission to close off the whole area for one weekend and set up our cameras. We shot continuously for a seventy-two-hour period – all through one day, then through the night, and all the next day. We knew it was important to do this because we would never be able to come back and find everything the same. Obviously once the apartments were let there would be different sorts of curtains hanging at the windows. Things like that would change all the time and it would be impossible for us the match up everything. So we filmed Florin Court from every angle and in every kind of light and darkness. We were not shooting material specifically for the first series, but to build up a library of general footage that we could weave into the stories at any time we wanted (p. 43) In other words, the production team were extraordinarily lucky. At the exact same time as filming was to commence, they had found a building that was beautifully restored, empty of occupants and available for filming for an entire weekend, so that they could create a library of footage. In later years, they did come back to film more footage, but then mainly in front of the entrance on the ground floor, because it was almost impossible to get the period look once the flats were occupied. In fact, the shots they saved up during that one weekend in 1988 were used right up to Series Six (1995-1996). Some more footage was shot for the return of the series in 1999 (e.g. the dialogue between Japp and Poirot in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd), and then some new shots were taken in 2005 (by the new production team, to go with the new flat), but essentially the same shots were used throughout the earlier episodes. The current production designer, Jeff Tessler (who designed Poirot’s current flat), praises the decision to go for Florin Court. In an interview with Flat Living Magazine, he explained: ‘There are very few blocks in London that would provide the Art Deco image that was required. Florin Court has an excellent central location, and, other than changing the name of the building to Whitehaven Mansions, not much needed to be done’ (Flat Living Magazine) Tessler also explains what the process of filming is like, now that the flats are occupied: ‘We always do all we can to minimise disruption. Even a short scene can take many hours, so we have to ensure that people do not wait more than a few minutes to enter or exit the building. The biggest difficulty we have is closing off the street. Most councils have a Film Commission Office, and we get permission from them. It still takes a lot of organisation once permission has been granted. All parked cars need removing, and other anachronisms such as yellow lines and parking bays need disguising (...) We try to get a large number of different shots when we do have access to the site. We will shoot Poirot arriving and leaving a number of times, and in a variety of vehicles. We also have a large number of exterior shots of Florin Court on file. With all of these available it might not be necessary to film there for two or three years' (Flat Living Magazine) The team returned for the final and current series of Poirot, and the most recent episode, Elephants Can Remember, has some very nice location shots at Florin Court – the most exposure the building has had since that weekend in 1988. Both the screen caps that accompany this post are from that episode. Hopefully we are in for a few more glimpses in the episodes to come.

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and on Screen' and 'The Apartment on Screen: 1989-2001 v. 2005-present'. I've expanded what I've written and posted here. While I was ’researching’ for the chronology of episodes, I decided it would be fun to try and get an overview of Poirot’s flat; where the different rooms are situated, what objects are present, differences between episodes etc. On this little additional page, I want to give a general presentation (in pictures) of the layout of 56B, Whitehaven Mansions – as it appears in the older and the newer episodes As a visitor to Poirot’s flat, what you would first encounter is the building itself. The producers of the Poirot series chose Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London as the location of the apartment building.They shot the building continuosly for 48 hours and used the shots for at least 15 years. As Poirot moved into another flat in the same building (2005/2006-season), the production team presumably went back and shot a new set of clips of the building. Notice the fact that the screencap to the right ( of the newer episodes, furthest below) is essentially the same shot as the one next to it, just with computer-edited 'darkness'. Interesting! Once you’d pressed the doorbell of 56B, you would (in most cases) be greeted by Miss Lemon in the early years and by George in the most recent episodes. Once inside, you would hang your coat and hat on the hall stand and be showed into the office/living room/dining room of the flat. In addition to the building, the hallway and the living room, there are (at least) four rooms in the 'old' flat you would probably not see when visiting the flat; the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and Miss Lemon's office. Interestingly, these rooms appear to have changed layout quite frequently throughout the series (see pictures). I guess this is because the production team only built the sets they needed for every season. In the 'new' flat, we have only seen Poirot's bedroom. A kitchen, a bathroom or George's room have not (and probably will not) appear on screen. I find it facinating that the similarities between the 'old' and the 'new' apartment are surprisingly many. The living room has essentially the same layout, with a dining area and a sitting area - only the 'office' and the bookshelves have been provided with a separate room. The hallway is remarkably similar as well, with two doors leading into the living room and several other doors coresponding quite well with the doors of e.g. the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The only significant addition, really, seems to be the 'library'/'office'. Finally, both apartments are admiringly faithful to Agatha Christie's descriptions in the novels, as well as the Florin Court/Whitehaven Mansions exterior. THE BUILDING THE HALLWAY THE LIVING ROOM: SITTING AREA THE LIVING ROOM: DESK/'OFFICE' THE LIVING ROOM: DINING AREA THE BATHROOM THE BEDROOM THE KITCHEN MISS LEMON'S OFFICE A BIT OF EVERYWHERE

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and on Screen' and 'The Apartment on Screen: 1989-2001 v. 2005-present'. I've expanded what I've written and posted here. While I was ’researching’ for the chronology of episodes, I decided it would be fun to try and get an overview of Poirot’s flat; where the different rooms are situated, what objects are present, differences between episodes etc. On this little additional page, I want to give a general presentation (in pictures) of the layout of 56B, Whitehaven Mansions – as it appears in the older and the newer episodes As a visitor to Poirot’s flat, what you would first encounter is the building itself. The producers of the Poirot series chose Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London as the location of the apartment building.They shot the building continuosly for 48 hours and used the shots for at least 15 years. As Poirot moved into another flat in the same building (2005/2006-season), the production team presumably went back and shot a new set of clips of the building. Notice the fact that the screencap to the right ( of the newer episodes, furthest below) is essentially the same shot as the one next to it, just with computer-edited 'darkness'. Interesting! Once you’d pressed the doorbell of 56B, you would (in most cases) be greeted by Miss Lemon in the early years and by George in the most recent episodes. Once inside, you would hang your coat and hat on the hall stand and be showed into the office/living room/dining room of the flat. In addition to the building, the hallway and the living room, there are (at least) four rooms in the 'old' flat you would probably not see when visiting the flat; the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and Miss Lemon's office. Interestingly, these rooms appear to have changed layout quite frequently throughout the series (see pictures). I guess this is because the production team only built the sets they needed for every season. In the 'new' flat, we have only seen Poirot's bedroom. A kitchen, a bathroom or George's room have not (and probably will not) appear on screen. I find it facinating that the similarities between the 'old' and the 'new' apartment are surprisingly many. The living room has essentially the same layout, with a dining area and a sitting area - only the 'office' and the bookshelves have been provided with a separate room. The hallway is remarkably similar as well, with two doors leading into the living room and several other doors coresponding quite well with the doors of e.g. the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The only significant addition, really, seems to be the 'library'/'office'. Finally, both apartments are admiringly faithful to Agatha Christie's descriptions in the novels, as well as the Florin Court/Whitehaven Mansions exterior. THE BUILDING THE HALLWAY THE LIVING ROOM: SITTING AREA THE LIVING ROOM: DESK/'OFFICE' THE LIVING ROOM: DINING AREA THE BATHROOM THE BEDROOM THE KITCHEN MISS LEMON'S OFFICE A BIT OF EVERYWHERE

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and o...

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and on Screen' and 'The Apartment on Screen: 1989-2001 v. 2005-present'. I've expanded what I've written and posted here. While I was ’researching’ for the chronology of episodes, I decided it would be fun to try and get an overview of Poirot’s flat; where the different rooms are situated, what objects are present, differences between episodes etc. On this little additional page, I want to give a general presentation (in pictures) of the layout of 56B, Whitehaven Mansions – as it appears in the older and the newer episodes As a visitor to Poirot’s flat, what you would first encounter is the building itself. The producers of the Poirot series chose Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London as the location of the apartment building.They shot the building continuosly for 48 hours and used the shots for at least 15 years. As Poirot moved into another flat in the same building (2005/2006-season), the production team presumably went back and shot a new set of clips of the building. Notice the fact that the screencap to the right ( of the newer episodes, furthest below) is essentially the same shot as the one next to it, just with computer-edited 'darkness'. Interesting! Once you’d pressed the doorbell of 56B, you would (in most cases) be greeted by Miss Lemon in the early years and by George in the most recent episodes. Once inside, you would hang your coat and hat on the hall stand and be showed into the office/living room/dining room of the flat. In addition to the building, the hallway and the living room, there are (at least) four rooms in the 'old' flat you would probably not see when visiting the flat; the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and Miss Lemon's office. Interestingly, these rooms appear to have changed layout quite frequently throughout the series (see pictures). I guess this is because the production team only built the sets they needed for every season. In the 'new' flat, we have only seen Poirot's bedroom. A kitchen, a bathroom or George's room have not (and probably will not) appear on screen. I find it facinating that the similarities between the 'old' and the 'new' apartment are surprisingly many. The living room has essentially the same layout, with a dining area and a sitting area - only the 'office' and the bookshelves have been provided with a separate room. The hallway is remarkably similar as well, with two doors leading into the living room and several other doors coresponding quite well with the doors of e.g. the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The only significant addition, really, seems to be the 'library'/'office'. Finally, both apartments are admiringly faithful to Agatha Christie's descriptions in the novels, as well as the Florin Court/Whitehaven Mansions exterior. THE BUILDING THE HALLWAY THE LIVING ROOM: SITTING AREA THE LIVING ROOM: DESK/'OFFICE' THE LIVING ROOM: DINING AREA THE BATHROOM THE BEDROOM THE KITCHEN MISS LEMON'S OFFICE A BIT OF EVERYWHERE

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and on Screen' and 'The Apartment on Screen: 1989-2001 v. 2005-present'. I've expanded what I've written and posted here. While I was ’researching’ for the chronology of episodes, I decided it would be fun to try and get an overview of Poirot’s flat; where the different rooms are situated, what objects are present, differences between episodes etc. On this little additional page, I want to give a general presentation (in pictures) of the layout of 56B, Whitehaven Mansions – as it appears in the older and the newer episodes As a visitor to Poirot’s flat, what you would first encounter is the building itself. The producers of the Poirot series chose Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London as the location of the apartment building.They shot the building continuosly for 48 hours and used the shots for at least 15 years. As Poirot moved into another flat in the same building (2005/2006-season), the production team presumably went back and shot a new set of clips of the building. Notice the fact that the screencap to the right ( of the newer episodes, furthest below) is essentially the same shot as the one next to it, just with computer-edited 'darkness'. Interesting! Once you’d pressed the doorbell of 56B, you would (in most cases) be greeted by Miss Lemon in the early years and by George in the most recent episodes. Once inside, you would hang your coat and hat on the hall stand and be showed into the office/living room/dining room of the flat. In addition to the building, the hallway and the living room, there are (at least) four rooms in the 'old' flat you would probably not see when visiting the flat; the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and Miss Lemon's office. Interestingly, these rooms appear to have changed layout quite frequently throughout the series (see pictures). I guess this is because the production team only built the sets they needed for every season. In the 'new' flat, we have only seen Poirot's bedroom. A kitchen, a bathroom or George's room have not (and probably will not) appear on screen. I find it facinating that the similarities between the 'old' and the 'new' apartment are surprisingly many. The living room has essentially the same layout, with a dining area and a sitting area - only the 'office' and the bookshelves have been provided with a separate room. The hallway is remarkably similar as well, with two doors leading into the living room and several other doors coresponding quite well with the doors of e.g. the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The only significant addition, really, seems to be the 'library'/'office'. Finally, both apartments are admiringly faithful to Agatha Christie's descriptions in the novels, as well as the Florin Court/Whitehaven Mansions exterior. THE BUILDING THE HALLWAY THE LIVING ROOM: SITTING AREA THE LIVING ROOM: DESK/'OFFICE' THE LIVING ROOM: DINING AREA THE BATHROOM THE BEDROOM THE KITCHEN MISS LEMON'S OFFICE A BIT OF EVERYWHERE

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and on Screen' and 'The Apartment on Screen: 1989-2001 v. 2005-present'. I've expanded what I've written and posted here. While I was ’researching’ for the chronology of episodes, I decided it would be fun to try and get an overview of Poirot’s flat; where the different rooms are situated, what objects are present, differences between episodes etc. On this little additional page, I want to give a general presentation (in pictures) of the layout of 56B, Whitehaven Mansions – as it appears in the older and the newer episodes As a visitor to Poirot’s flat, what you would first encounter is the building itself. The producers of the Poirot series chose Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London as the location of the apartment building.They shot the building continuosly for 48 hours and used the shots for at least 15 years. As Poirot moved into another flat in the same building (2005/2006-season), the production team presumably went back and shot a new set of clips of the building. Notice the fact that the screencap to the right ( of the newer episodes, furthest below) is essentially the same shot as the one next to it, just with computer-edited 'darkness'. Interesting! Once you’d pressed the doorbell of 56B, you would (in most cases) be greeted by Miss Lemon in the early years and by George in the most recent episodes. Once inside, you would hang your coat and hat on the hall stand and be showed into the office/living room/dining room of the flat. In addition to the building, the hallway and the living room, there are (at least) four rooms in the 'old' flat you would probably not see when visiting the flat; the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and Miss Lemon's office. Interestingly, these rooms appear to have changed layout quite frequently throughout the series (see pictures). I guess this is because the production team only built the sets they needed for every season. In the 'new' flat, we have only seen Poirot's bedroom. A kitchen, a bathroom or George's room have not (and probably will not) appear on screen. I find it facinating that the similarities between the 'old' and the 'new' apartment are surprisingly many. The living room has essentially the same layout, with a dining area and a sitting area - only the 'office' and the bookshelves have been provided with a separate room. The hallway is remarkably similar as well, with two doors leading into the living room and several other doors coresponding quite well with the doors of e.g. the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The only significant addition, really, seems to be the 'library'/'office'. Finally, both apartments are admiringly faithful to Agatha Christie's descriptions in the novels, as well as the Florin Court/Whitehaven Mansions exterior. THE BUILDING THE HALLWAY THE LIVING ROOM: SITTING AREA THE LIVING ROOM: DESK/'OFFICE' THE LIVING ROOM: DINING AREA THE BATHROOM THE BEDROOM THE KITCHEN MISS LEMON'S OFFICE A BIT OF EVERYWHERE

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and on Screen' and 'The Apartment on Screen: 1989-2001 v. 2005-present'. I've expanded what I've written and posted here. While I was ’researching’ for the chronology of episodes, I decided it would be fun to try and get an overview of Poirot’s flat; where the different rooms are situated, what objects are present, differences between episodes etc. On this little additional page, I want to give a general presentation (in pictures) of the layout of 56B, Whitehaven Mansions – as it appears in the older and the newer episodes As a visitor to Poirot’s flat, what you would first encounter is the building itself. The producers of the Poirot series chose Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London as the location of the apartment building.They shot the building continuosly for 48 hours and used the shots for at least 15 years. As Poirot moved into another flat in the same building (2005/2006-season), the production team presumably went back and shot a new set of clips of the building. Notice the fact that the screencap to the right ( of the newer episodes, furthest below) is essentially the same shot as the one next to it, just with computer-edited 'darkness'. Interesting! Once you’d pressed the doorbell of 56B, you would (in most cases) be greeted by Miss Lemon in the early years and by George in the most recent episodes. Once inside, you would hang your coat and hat on the hall stand and be showed into the office/living room/dining room of the flat. In addition to the building, the hallway and the living room, there are (at least) four rooms in the 'old' flat you would probably not see when visiting the flat; the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and Miss Lemon's office. Interestingly, these rooms appear to have changed layout quite frequently throughout the series (see pictures). I guess this is because the production team only built the sets they needed for every season. In the 'new' flat, we have only seen Poirot's bedroom. A kitchen, a bathroom or George's room have not (and probably will not) appear on screen. I find it facinating that the similarities between the 'old' and the 'new' apartment are surprisingly many. The living room has essentially the same layout, with a dining area and a sitting area - only the 'office' and the bookshelves have been provided with a separate room. The hallway is remarkably similar as well, with two doors leading into the living room and several other doors coresponding quite well with the doors of e.g. the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The only significant addition, really, seems to be the 'library'/'office'. Finally, both apartments are admiringly faithful to Agatha Christie's descriptions in the novels, as well as the Florin Court/Whitehaven Mansions exterior. THE BUILDING THE HALLWAY THE LIVING ROOM: SITTING AREA THE LIVING ROOM: DESK/'OFFICE' THE LIVING ROOM: DINING AREA THE BATHROOM THE BEDROOM THE KITCHEN MISS LEMON'S OFFICE A BIT OF EVERYWHERE

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and on Screen' and 'The Apartment on Screen: 1989-2001 v. 2005-present'. I've expanded what I've written and posted here. While I was ’researching’ for the chronology of episodes, I decided it would be fun to try and get an overview of Poirot’s flat; where the different rooms are situated, what objects are present, differences between episodes etc. On this little additional page, I want to give a general presentation (in pictures) of the layout of 56B, Whitehaven Mansions – as it appears in the older and the newer episodes As a visitor to Poirot’s flat, what you would first encounter is the building itself. The producers of the Poirot series chose Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London as the location of the apartment building.They shot the building continuosly for 48 hours and used the shots for at least 15 years. As Poirot moved into another flat in the same building (2005/2006-season), the production team presumably went back and shot a new set of clips of the building. Notice the fact that the screencap to the right ( of the newer episodes, furthest below) is essentially the same shot as the one next to it, just with computer-edited 'darkness'. Interesting! Once you’d pressed the doorbell of 56B, you would (in most cases) be greeted by Miss Lemon in the early years and by George in the most recent episodes. Once inside, you would hang your coat and hat on the hall stand and be showed into the office/living room/dining room of the flat. In addition to the building, the hallway and the living room, there are (at least) four rooms in the 'old' flat you would probably not see when visiting the flat; the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and Miss Lemon's office. Interestingly, these rooms appear to have changed layout quite frequently throughout the series (see pictures). I guess this is because the production team only built the sets they needed for every season. In the 'new' flat, we have only seen Poirot's bedroom. A kitchen, a bathroom or George's room have not (and probably will not) appear on screen. I find it facinating that the similarities between the 'old' and the 'new' apartment are surprisingly many. The living room has essentially the same layout, with a dining area and a sitting area - only the 'office' and the bookshelves have been provided with a separate room. The hallway is remarkably similar as well, with two doors leading into the living room and several other doors coresponding quite well with the doors of e.g. the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The only significant addition, really, seems to be the 'library'/'office'. Finally, both apartments are admiringly faithful to Agatha Christie's descriptions in the novels, as well as the Florin Court/Whitehaven Mansions exterior. THE BUILDING THE HALLWAY THE LIVING ROOM: SITTING AREA THE LIVING ROOM: DESK/'OFFICE' THE LIVING ROOM: DINING AREA THE BATHROOM THE BEDROOM THE KITCHEN MISS LEMON'S OFFICE A BIT OF EVERYWHERE

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and o...

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and on Screen' and 'The Apartment on Screen: 1989-2001 v. 2005-present'. I've expanded what I've written and posted here. While I was ’researching’ for the chronology of episodes, I decided it would be fun to try and get an overview of Poirot’s flat; where the different rooms are situated, what objects are present, differences between episodes etc. On this little additional page, I want to give a general presentation (in pictures) of the layout of 56B, Whitehaven Mansions – as it appears in the older and the newer episodes As a visitor to Poirot’s flat, what you would first encounter is the building itself. The producers of the Poirot series chose Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London as the location of the apartment building.They shot the building continuosly for 48 hours and used the shots for at least 15 years. As Poirot moved into another flat in the same building (2005/2006-season), the production team presumably went back and shot a new set of clips of the building. Notice the fact that the screencap to the right ( of the newer episodes, furthest below) is essentially the same shot as the one next to it, just with computer-edited 'darkness'. Interesting! Once you’d pressed the doorbell of 56B, you would (in most cases) be greeted by Miss Lemon in the early years and by George in the most recent episodes. Once inside, you would hang your coat and hat on the hall stand and be showed into the office/living room/dining room of the flat. In addition to the building, the hallway and the living room, there are (at least) four rooms in the 'old' flat you would probably not see when visiting the flat; the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and Miss Lemon's office. Interestingly, these rooms appear to have changed layout quite frequently throughout the series (see pictures). I guess this is because the production team only built the sets they needed for every season. In the 'new' flat, we have only seen Poirot's bedroom. A kitchen, a bathroom or George's room have not (and probably will not) appear on screen. I find it facinating that the similarities between the 'old' and the 'new' apartment are surprisingly many. The living room has essentially the same layout, with a dining area and a sitting area - only the 'office' and the bookshelves have been provided with a separate room. The hallway is remarkably similar as well, with two doors leading into the living room and several other doors coresponding quite well with the doors of e.g. the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The only significant addition, really, seems to be the 'library'/'office'. Finally, both apartments are admiringly faithful to Agatha Christie's descriptions in the novels, as well as the Florin Court/Whitehaven Mansions exterior. THE BUILDING THE HALLWAY THE LIVING ROOM: SITTING AREA THE LIVING ROOM: DESK/'OFFICE' THE LIVING ROOM: DINING AREA THE BATHROOM THE BEDROOM THE KITCHEN MISS LEMON'S OFFICE A BIT OF EVERYWHERE

SPOILER ALERT: He played Agatha Christie’s funny little Belgian detective in adaptations of all her stories over 13 series.

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and on Screen' and 'The Apartment on Screen: 1989-2001 v. 2005-present'. I've expanded what I've written and posted here. While I was ’researching’ for the chronology of episodes, I decided it would be fun to try and get an overview of Poirot’s flat; where the different rooms are situated, what objects are present, differences between episodes etc. On this little additional page, I want to give a general presentation (in pictures) of the layout of 56B, Whitehaven Mansions – as it appears in the older and the newer episodes As a visitor to Poirot’s flat, what you would first encounter is the building itself. The producers of the Poirot series chose Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London as the location of the apartment building.They shot the building continuosly for 48 hours and used the shots for at least 15 years. As Poirot moved into another flat in the same building (2005/2006-season), the production team presumably went back and shot a new set of clips of the building. Notice the fact that the screencap to the right ( of the newer episodes, furthest below) is essentially the same shot as the one next to it, just with computer-edited 'darkness'. Interesting! Once you’d pressed the doorbell of 56B, you would (in most cases) be greeted by Miss Lemon in the early years and by George in the most recent episodes. Once inside, you would hang your coat and hat on the hall stand and be showed into the office/living room/dining room of the flat. In addition to the building, the hallway and the living room, there are (at least) four rooms in the 'old' flat you would probably not see when visiting the flat; the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and Miss Lemon's office. Interestingly, these rooms appear to have changed layout quite frequently throughout the series (see pictures). I guess this is because the production team only built the sets they needed for every season. In the 'new' flat, we have only seen Poirot's bedroom. A kitchen, a bathroom or George's room have not (and probably will not) appear on screen. I find it facinating that the similarities between the 'old' and the 'new' apartment are surprisingly many. The living room has essentially the same layout, with a dining area and a sitting area - only the 'office' and the bookshelves have been provided with a separate room. The hallway is remarkably similar as well, with two doors leading into the living room and several other doors coresponding quite well with the doors of e.g. the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The only significant addition, really, seems to be the 'library'/'office'. Finally, both apartments are admiringly faithful to Agatha Christie's descriptions in the novels, as well as the Florin Court/Whitehaven Mansions exterior. THE BUILDING THE HALLWAY THE LIVING ROOM: SITTING AREA THE LIVING ROOM: DESK/'OFFICE' THE LIVING ROOM: DINING AREA THE BATHROOM THE BEDROOM THE KITCHEN MISS LEMON'S OFFICE A BIT OF EVERYWHERE

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and on Screen' and 'The Apartment on Screen: 1989-2001 v. 2005-present'. I've expanded what I've written and posted here. While I was ’researching’ for the chronology of episodes, I decided it would be fun to try and get an overview of Poirot’s flat; where the different rooms are situated, what objects are present, differences between episodes etc. On this little additional page, I want to give a general presentation (in pictures) of the layout of 56B, Whitehaven Mansions – as it appears in the older and the newer episodes As a visitor to Poirot’s flat, what you would first encounter is the building itself. The producers of the Poirot series chose Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London as the location of the apartment building.They shot the building continuosly for 48 hours and used the shots for at least 15 years. As Poirot moved into another flat in the same building (2005/2006-season), the production team presumably went back and shot a new set of clips of the building. Notice the fact that the screencap to the right ( of the newer episodes, furthest below) is essentially the same shot as the one next to it, just with computer-edited 'darkness'. Interesting! Once you’d pressed the doorbell of 56B, you would (in most cases) be greeted by Miss Lemon in the early years and by George in the most recent episodes. Once inside, you would hang your coat and hat on the hall stand and be showed into the office/living room/dining room of the flat. In addition to the building, the hallway and the living room, there are (at least) four rooms in the 'old' flat you would probably not see when visiting the flat; the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and Miss Lemon's office. Interestingly, these rooms appear to have changed layout quite frequently throughout the series (see pictures). I guess this is because the production team only built the sets they needed for every season. In the 'new' flat, we have only seen Poirot's bedroom. A kitchen, a bathroom or George's room have not (and probably will not) appear on screen. I find it facinating that the similarities between the 'old' and the 'new' apartment are surprisingly many. The living room has essentially the same layout, with a dining area and a sitting area - only the 'office' and the bookshelves have been provided with a separate room. The hallway is remarkably similar as well, with two doors leading into the living room and several other doors coresponding quite well with the doors of e.g. the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The only significant addition, really, seems to be the 'library'/'office'. Finally, both apartments are admiringly faithful to Agatha Christie's descriptions in the novels, as well as the Florin Court/Whitehaven Mansions exterior. THE BUILDING THE HALLWAY THE LIVING ROOM: SITTING AREA THE LIVING ROOM: DESK/'OFFICE' THE LIVING ROOM: DINING AREA THE BATHROOM THE BEDROOM THE KITCHEN MISS LEMON'S OFFICE A BIT OF EVERYWHERE

I have been wanting to write this little piece in praise of David Suchet’s achievement for ages, but I have put it off because I have wanted to wait until he has done all Christie’s stories. Well, now I have decided that I simply can’t wait any longer – I will write it now, without having seen the final series. In fact, I think this is a fitting moment to forumulate my thoughts, simply because Suchet has just started filming Curtain, thus initiating the final year of filming for the series, after which he will have done all the stories and portrayed the character on screen for no less than 25 years! David Suchet’s achievement with Agatha Christie’s character cannot be praised highly enough. I am still baffled by the fact that he has not received a BAFTA award for it! (Yes, he was nominated in 1991, and the series won four BAFTAs in 1990 for Best Costume Design, Best Graphics, Best Make Up and Best Original Television Music, but Suchet has never actually been awarded one for the portrayal of Hercule Poirot!). I sincerely hope he will at least receive a new nomination once Curtain has been shown on television. He certainly deserves it. To me, David Suchet is one of the best character actors of our time. His approach to his characters is so detailed and refined. If he is playing a real person, he studies this person’s life inside and out (e.g. Sigmund Freud and Robert Maxwell). If it is a character in a play, he goes back to the original words of the playwright (e.g. Iago, Joe Keller and James Tyrone). And, as with Poirot, if it is a writer, he goes back to the novel(s) and attempts to portray and interpret what the writer has intended. When asked, in an interview in 2001, to describe the process he goes through when approaching a particular role, for instance Poirot, Suchet explained: ‘You go to the book. With Poirot I had over 60 or 70 stories to draw on, so it was a far greater chance for me — or for Agatha Christie — to develop the character. […] When you’re doing characters from famous novels, you have a responsibility as an actor to make it what the writer intended. And then you add and expand from there to create a three-dimensional performance.’ In my mind, his main achievement with Poirot is exactly what he describes above: He has managed to bring a character to life that, for many, borders on the line of an absolute caricature, a cardboard cut-out (at least judging from pre-Suchet film and television portrayals). Not only that, through adaptations where changes have been made to the stories, he has managed to stay true to the character, to Christie’s creation, while still making it his own three-dimensional interpretation. As he put it in an interview with ITV.com in 2010: ‘I don’t have any say about where the adaptations of our stories may move, but I do have a say in how I play the character. And the way I play the character will be absolutely as near as I can possibly get to the tone, the flavour and, also, particular incidents that Agatha Christie will put in that particular novel. I am still the servant of my creator’. (As to the particular incidents, a glimpse of his devotion was referred to in an interview: ‘When he compared the [Murder of Roger] Ackroyd script to Christie’s novel, he noticed the TV version omitted an early scene in which Poirot has a frustrating moment with a zucchini in his garden; Suchet asked for it be added. It was.’) Suchet’s research for Poirot Suchet was first approached about the role in 1987. Shooting began in 1988, and the first episodes were broadcast in 1989. The story of how he initially developed his interpretation of the character has been described very accurately by Suchet himself elsewhere (look, for instance, at the Poirot & Me documentary mini-series broadcasted a few years ago or one of the several interviews with him available online). Suffice to say that he went back to Christie’s original stories, noted any references made to the character, and created what he calls a ‘character dossier’ with key characteristics. Moreover, he perfected his Belgian-but-must-sound-French accent and the peculiar mincing walk, to mention but a few of the many nuances he brings to the character. What I want to focus my attention on in this little review is the uphill battle he initially seems to have fought with the producers to be allowed to interpret the character. In conclusion, I will discuss some key features of Suchet’s interpretation in light of the criticism he has received from certain fans of the series. In an interview in 1998, the journalist refers to Suchet’s decision to portray ‘Poirot as the novelist would recognise him, even in the teeth of opposition from worried television executives fearful of departing from the norm’. This is an aspect of Suchet’s achievement I have rarely seen mentioned. In fact, I was not aware of this opposition until recently. A more detailed description of the producers' opposition can be found below, in an extract from the book In the Company of Actors: Reflections on the Craft of Acting, published in 2000, where Suchet describes, in his own words, the process of developing Poirot: ‘I started reading every single book that Agatha Christie wrote, from The Mysterious Affair at Styles, right through to Curtain, where he dies, and started filling a notebook with characteristics. [...] I picked up that Poirot would be totally anally-retentive [here: obsessive compulsive disorder]. […] I used the anal-retentive analysis from Freud on Poirot. […] It doesn’t make him lose his twinkle, his little fun and sense of humour. I also hope I’ve given Poirot a darker side as well. [...] What you saw over the course of the series was an actor trying to fight for his character from early on. Because when I first started, the costume and make-up designs turned Poirot into a buffoon. My first costume design was going to be check plus-fours, and hunting jackets, and moustache out there, and Sherlock Holmes caps. I remember one particular meeting when I walked away from the production before it even started, because I wanted to wear the clothes that he was famous for: his suits, his wing collar, bow ties, and most important of all, his morning jacket and striped trousers. I was forbidden to do so, because ‘the television public would find it boring and depressing’. At that meeting, I said, ‘You will have to cast somebody else. If you want me to play the role, I can only approach it in the way that I as an actor would approach the role. You are now taking away my individual creativity, and you must find somebody else’. I didn’t know at that time that the Agatha Christie estate only wanted me to play the role. I didn’t know the power I had. All through the first three years, I was fighting scripts that tried to make him jokey, while I was trying desperately to find the real man. Doing the short stories first – I wasn’t able to bring in the complexities of the character. But gradually, as the character evolved, I made him far more internalised in his mind, and less active physically. If he did any gestures, they wouldn’t just be gestures. He was doing something in his head, while he was active. And I allowed his darker side to come through. I won’t explain now, what his dark thoughts were. What was it like being a man, at that time, unmarried? He was not a homosexual. He was a true bachelor. Did he have any sexual frustrations? Was he lonely? All that, I began to build into the character. […] If I do continue [playing the part, this was published in 2000], I hope to develop him as Agatha Christie wrote him, not just going off on my own. Her books are full of these dark moments. Poirot would brood, and would take himself off into the corner of a room, to sit and think. He didn’t know why, but he became suddenly troubled as he looked at a young girl. Agatha Christie was really into all this, and yet he was turned into, what I consider, a playful buffoon. That’s not what she wrote, and it’s only by playing him that I realised the seriousness of that lunch where her own family turned to me and said, ‘We don’t want that. If we laugh at all, it is to be with him, and not at him. (p. 190-191) I think this extract highlights two very important aspects of Suchet’s achievement. Firstly, the apparently fierce opposition he was initially facing from the producers, so fierce in fact that he threatened to leave the project. I must say I was completely amazed when I first read his anecdote from the costume fittings. To think that the producers wanted to dress him up in ‘hunting jackets’ and ‘Sherlock Holmes caps’ – obviously intending to make him a laughable character – does not only prove that the series could have taken a completely different form (arguably, it would not have lasted as long as it has either), it also suggests that the producers had a very different approach to Agatha Christie’s stories! Of course, we should take into account that this is Suchet’s side of the story, and some of it might have been exaggerated for dramatic effect, but I somehow don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t take his word on this. To me, the opposition he describes only makes me even more amazed at the process he has gone through with the character. It should be said that the producers were probably persuaded quite early on – especially after that first series with over ten million viewers! Moreover, we should keep in mind that Suchet has been an ‘associate producer’ since 2003, so he now has much greater influence on the character than he – presumably – used to have in the early years. Interestingly, this is also when Suchet seems to have made his portrayal even more nuanced – just as he intended. Secondly, the extract shows what care Suchet has taken to create a three-dimensional character; his use of Freud’s anal-retentive analysis to decipher the OCD aspects, his goal of finding ‘the real man’ and his thoughts on Poirot’s situation of life. All of these aspects point ahead towards what has become Suchet’s definitive Poirot. The development of the character Some viewers claim that Poirot has lost his humour in recent years; that he has been turned into something that contradicts what Christie wrote. On several occasions, Suchet has discussed his initial portrayal of the character, and how he found a reference to Poirot’s ‘twinkle’. In Peter Haining’s book, Agatha Christie’s Poirot: A Celebration of the Great Detective (1996), he says: ‘If Poirot twinkles, I thought, I can develop that. [...] As well as everything else, I believe that Poirot does sparkle. He can be fastidious and irritating, but he has the ability to appeal to the lowest as well as the highest in society. I decided to make him charming to even the lowest chambermaid – that would be what would make my portrayal different to the other versions’ (p. 64). Moreover, he stated in the same interview that ‘[w]ith the development of the series I’ve tried to make him lighter, more humorous and witty. And although you must take his brilliance seriously, you can still smile and laugh with Poirot.’ (p. 71). Now, this doesn’t mean that Suchet has aimed for a buffoonish “comedy angle” with his portrayal – that is evident from the extract detailed earlier in this article. On the contrary, I think he has tried to bring out the humour in Poirot’s eccentricities. Moreover, this humour has not disappeared from the series – in fact, Poirot comments on the size of his eggs for breakfast even in the most recent and undoubtedly most serious adaptation, Murder on the Orient Express (2010). The explanation for the tonal shift largely comes down to the fact that if you read Christie’s stories carefully, she clearly spent more time (and paragraphs) on his eccentricities early on in her short stories and novels, than in her later works. Moreover, as Suchet points out in the Poirot & Me documentary, the short stories have more (obvious) humour than the novels. Since the series has moved on to the later novels in recent years, it seems only natural that there is somewhat less humour, particularly as the stories themselves have become darker. In other words, any claim that Poirot (or rather, the portrayal of the character) has lost its humour is largely a misunderstanding. The humour – which is mostly on eccentricity - was there because it was present in the short stories. There is less humour in the more recent adaptations, but it has far from disappeared. Any scenes with the two eccentrics Poirot and Mrs Oliver would testify to that. And the reason why there is less humour is largely that Christie spends less time on this particular character aspect in the later novels. However, I will agree that the seriousness – apart from being a result of Christie’s move from short stories to novels and darker crimes (e.g. Hallowe’en Party, Five Little Pigs, Sad Cypress) – is also a result of Suchet widening his portrayal in later years. This is particularly the case with episodes made after the series was brought back by A&E in 2000. In fact, I would argue that Suchet himself would probably explain this change in the portrayal as a natural consequence of the situations the character is put in throughout the novels. In an interview for the MOTOE press pack in 2010, he said: ‘I’ve always said with Poirot, or indeed any character I play, I want to get to know them so well that I can put them in a thousand different situations and react differently to every single one while still remaining ‘them’. In the same way I can put myself in any situation and react differently but it’s still me’. In my opinion, there are especially three characteristics Suchet seems to have focused on – or, been led to focus on by the situations Poirot finds himself in; loneliness, religion and disillusionment. Loneliness I will start this section off with two quotes from interviews with David Suchet: ‘The more I revisit the stories, I find a lonely person, which I may have missed in the very early episodes, where Agatha Christie has him wishing he had married, wishing he had children. I now play that strain, that tension.’ (from The Christian Science Monitor, February 2000) 'Poirot is a most interesting character - apart from anything else - because he is an outsider, in this country anyway, but he is also an outsider socially. He's also got a very dark side, he's a lonely man. I think I've said before that he believes the relationship between a man and a woman, a loving relationship, is the greatest gift of God, especially when it ends up in marriage. And he himself very often in Agatha Christie's books says, 'I wish I had married'. And I try and bring out this quality of Poirot more and more because I think that it is important. You know, he lives alone, he has a manservant, but he’s a loner in all ways. And he’s become self-sufficient, because he’s had to become self-sufficient. But when I do have the opportunity of ... not falling in love with another woman in the films, but those women that I’m with will often make me aware of my own solitude. (...) The way I try and play him – I’m not asking you to feel sorry for Poirot, because Poirot doesn’t feel sorry for himself, in fact he fights not to. (from Poirot & Me, 2006) As the quotations above demonstrate, this particular character trait is largely based on what Suchet seems to describe as a lack of love in Poirot’s life – the lack of a woman or wife, that is. Now, Suchet has stated several times that he sees Poirot as entirely asexual (see, for instance, Peter Haining’s book p. 70), but he seems to be interested in Poirot’s regret at his inability to fall in love – or indeed having lasting friendships with women (apart from Mrs. Oliver, obviously). Again, some critics have argued that this strays away from Christie’s character. However, as with Poirot’s twinkle in the earlier episodes, this is not something that Suchet has added from out of nowhere. Anne Hart, in her brilliant “biography” on the character, outlines the references from Christie’s books that I think Suchet has utilized. She alludes to his fascination with Countess Vera Rossakoff (p. 133), his comment in Dead Man’s Folly that ‘It is terrible, madame, all that I have missed in life’ when asked if he is happy to be a bachelor (p. 134), that he, as described in ‘The Third-Floor Flat’, once fell in love with a girl who couldn’t cook (p. 134) and that he was always very kind to orphaned young women or young women in distress (p. 134). Suchet also details some of the instances where Poirot has been made aware of his own loneliness in the Poirot & Me documentary. These include a conversation with Jacqueline de Bellefort in Death on the Nile, his slight infatuation with Jane Wilkinson in Lord Edgware Dies, and the avuncular role he takes on with Katherine Grey in The Mystery of the Blue Train. Interestingly, Anne Hart also points out that Poirot’s great hobby appears to be matchmaking (p. 131). There are several instances of this in the later episodes, for instance with Elinor Carlile in Sad Cypress, Norma Restarick in Third Girl and Maude in Mrs McGinty’s Dead. Undoubtedly, this is also a part of Suchet’s emphasis on Poirot’s lack of love. As Poirot puts it in the adaptation of Third Girl, as Norma and David are united; ‘are we looking at the greatest of mysteries that life ever throws on, a mystery that even I, Hercule Poirot, will never be able to solve; the nature of love’. Religion and disillusionment I group these two character developments together, because I think they are largely intertwined. Poirot’s Catholicism clearly comes as a surprise to many followers of the TV series. I don’t blame them. If memory serves me right, the only time we ever see Poirot even hinting at a religious attitude before the 2005-2006 series is in the adaptation of ‘Triangle at Rhodes’, in which Poirot makes the sign of the cross. Again, I think we have to consider this in terms of Suchet’s intention of developing the character through the situations he is put in. The three episodes that most clearly put an emphasis on Catholicism are Taken at the Flood, Appointment with Death and Murder on the Orient Express. As far as I know, Catholicism does not feature greatly – if at all – in any of these novels. So in this case, Suchet seems to have taken the small references there are to Poirot being a bon catholique (and, again, they are there – he hasn’t simply invented them!) and utilized those to delve into yet another aspect of his character. See Anne Hart’s book, p. 127-28, and the short story ‘The Chocolate Box’ for these references. In the three aforementioned episodes, Poirot is put in situations that distress him and trouble him. In Taken at the Flood, he sees a murderer exploit the faith of a Catholic girl to commit a gruesome crime. In Appointment with Death, he learns of the abuse of orphaned children and in Murder on the Orient Express, he has to lie to the police to do the right thing and let the murderer(s) go free. Now, it could be argued that Poirot has been in similar situations before where he has not turned to his faith for consolation. And this is where Suchet’s third and final broadening of the character comes in – his disillusionment. If we think of this series as an evolutionary project over 25 years – and, in fact, the life of a character that will span from somewhere in the late 1800s to about 1950 – it’s only natural that Poirot’s attitudes to crime and people around him are becoming increasingly disillusioned. He has spent an entire life solving the most gruesome crimes. Any human being – even a world famous sleuth – will be affected by what he sees and experiences in life. Again, I feel fairly certain that Suchet has taken this from Christie’s novels. For instance, Poirot’s valet George tells Colin Lamb in The Clocks: ‘I think, sir, that sometimes he gets a little depressed’. In other words, Poirot wants to rid the world of crime – what Suchet has describes as his raison d’etre – but wherever he turns – even in retirement – he keeps stumbling over these horrible situations in which people do horrible things to each other. The world isn’t becoming a better place, even after a lifetime spent solving and preventing crime. To bring back the religious aspect, it seems fair that, as a bon catholique, he would eventually turn to faith for emotional support when faced with these terrible crimes. In other words, Suchet’s interpretation perfectly brings out these nuances of the character; an individual who has evolved from his early, optimistic years (the short stories) to his retirement (the late novels), in which he becomes increasingly depressed and disillusioned, something which might be said to lead him to take the radical actions he does take in Curtain. Conclusion To summarise, I would put down the following reasons why I think David Suchet’s portrayal of Hercule Poirot is such an achievement: 1) His research and attention to detail 2) His constant desire to explore new territories within the limits of Christie’s characterisation, that is a. The eccentricities and the twinkle b. The loneliness c. The religion d. The disillusionment 3) His commitment to remain ‘true to Agatha’; the character that she wrote As to point three, I have tried, through the references I make to Christie’s characterisations, to show that – in spite of criticism from producers and certain fans alike – Suchet has remained true to Christie’s character, while still developing his own portrayal. I do, however, acknowledge that people are entitled to their own opinions and that certain decisions Suchet has made might be more controversial than others. In the end, though, what it all comes down to is interpretation, and I believe that Suchet’s portrayal is the closest one can possibly get to Agatha’s character – especially if we take the series’ long run into account. On that note, I would like to conclude with a quote from Suchet that clearly shows the process he goes through when interpreting the character: ‘One get sentences like ‘Everybody loves to speak to Poirot’, and you just read on, forgetting why that should be. As an actor one has to take those sort of sentences on board and think ‘Why does everybody like to talk to Poirot?’ What is that quality in a person that makes people want to talk to them?’ (p. 64 in Peter Haining’s book) All photos © ITV, all extracts and quotations are linked to their sources.

In a previous post, I discussed similarities between Christie’s descriptions in novels and short stories and the two apartments created on screen by the production designers. In this post, I will examine the similarities between the two portrayals on screen – the first (1989-2001) and the second (2005-present) Whitehaven apartment. The new apartment has been criticised by many fans, primarily because of the discontinuity between the two. As a viewer, one might ask the following questions: 1) Why was there a need to create a new apartment? 2) Why are both apartments situated in Whitehaven Mansions?, and 3) Why do they look so different? I will try to answer these questions in due course. Initially, though, I would like to draw your attention to the following paragraph in the current Wikipedia article on the television series. The article seems to suggest that the new apartment is a part of a significant 're-imagining' of the Poirot and Agatha Christie brand: ‘Following the launch of the ITV series Agatha Christie's Marple in 2004, the Poirot series was retitled Agatha Christie's Poirot. The previous titles and theme music were dropped. The visual style of these later episodes was noticeably different from earlier episodes: particularly, austere art deco settings and decor, widely used earlier in the series, were largely dropped in favour of more lavish settings (epitomised by the re-imagining of Poirot's home as a larger, more lavish apartment)’ As the article accurately points out, Poirot’s home is now a ‘larger, more lavish apartment’. But in context, the description feels more negatively charged than I think is reasonable. In this post, I hope to convince you that there are, in fact, several reasons to prefer this apartment to the first one (if one of them has to be seen as "better"), and that there is a sense of continuity between the two apartments, both in terms of layout and design. Let us return to the first question – why was there a need to create a new apartment? I think there are several possible answers to this. Firstly, I think the Wikipedia article is partially right in claiming that it has something to do with the new direction of the Agatha Christie brand. The new producers (post-2004) seem to have made a conscious decision to distance themselves from the previous series; these adaptations should be considered as independent feature-length films rather than episodes from a television series, and therefore a ‘more lavish’ apartment seems appropriate. (see more after the jump) However, and secondly, there is also much to suggest that the decision was made because of the stories ahead. Keep in mind that David Suchet (who since 2004 has been an associate producer) has been keen to portray Poirot ‘absolutely as near as [he] can possibly get to the tone, the flavour and particular incidents’ of Agatha Christie’s stories and descriptions. In this sense, the series would, at some point, have had to abandon the ‘basic family unit’, as former scriptwriter Clive Exton once called it, of Hastings, Miss Lemon, Japp and Poirot. This is in keeping with Christie’s books, as the Wikipedia article points out: ‘The absence of their characters (Hastings, Inspector Japp, and Miss Lemon) is consistent with the books on which the scripts were based’. A natural consequence of such a shift would be that Poirot goes into semi-retirement (as my chronology suggests) and engages George as his valet. Admittedly, Miss Lemon is present in a few of the books (but not adaptations) filmed after 2004, but her role is very small in the original text, and I would imagine that the producers would rather give David Yelland (George) a greater part to play (which is quite understandable, given that they secured an actor of his calibre). Also, considering that the previous producers excluded George’s part to expand Miss Lemon’s, I find this perfectly acceptable. In other words, there is no need for Miss Lemon’s typing room, which was an integral part of the first apartment, and there is a need for a room for George. With these aspects in mind, I find it perfectly understandable that the production crew wanted a new apartment to build Poirot’s semi-retirement life around. Finally, the decision to create a new apartment may have been made because production designer Jeff Tessler wanted to create a flat that was more faithful to Christie’s descriptions (though I do not claim to know his intentions). As I have detailed earlier, several (if not all) of Christie’s descriptions are taken into consideration in the new flat – everything from colours and layouts, to bookcases and desks. The similarity between what is described on paper and what is portrayed on screen is so striking that I refuse to accept that he has not taken these descriptions more literally than the previous production crew. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that TV-Poirot has lived in two different flats in Whitehaven Mansions. Let us leave it at that, and appreciate the fact that they are both excellent representations of Poirot's domestic life. Now, let’s move on to what this post is really supposed to cover: the similarities and differences between these two on-screen flats. See the floor plans of the flat below of the 1989-2001 apartment and the 2005-20?? respectively. The first floor plan is linked to its source and the second has been made by me (bear with me on my severe lack of artistic skills!) (Let me clarify a few things first: The floor plan in black is from a Japanese fan site. I have renamed the rooms from Japanese (without knowing the language!), so any mistakes are entirely mine. The image is linked to its source. Also, the exact location of Poirot's bedroom is somewhat of a mystery in the first flat, but I feel fairly certain that it is next to the living room (i.e. where the 'office' of the second flat is located). See, for instance, the ending of the adaptation of 'The Third-Floor Flat'. Finally, in the second flat, there is some uncertainty as to the location of the kitchen. In 'Third Girl', George seems to be walking towards the red room, while in 'Three Act Tragedy' we see him exiting (presumably) the dark grey room on the floor plan. I find the second option more likely than the first.) I want to start with a specific aspect of the living room; the niches/alcoves on each side of the fireplace. In the first flat, this is where Poirot’s bookcases (if you can call them that) are situated. These have, intriguingly, become “entrances” to Poirot’s office. In my opinion, that is an ingenious solution for two specific reasons. First, we can assume that there would indeed be a room behind that wall in Poirot’s first apartment (see the floor plan above, linked to its source), and those niches could easily be transformed into the openings we see in the second flat. Also, if the new flat is a slight ‘upgrade’ of apartments within the same building (which I find likely), it would be natural that the layout of this slightly larger flat would be based on the same structures and walls as the ones above or below it. Finally, by using these niches/alcoves, the production designer not only creates a link with the first flat, but he almost makes the “office extension” into a part of the sitting room – which again is in keeping with Christie’s descriptions! Quite impressive, if you ask me. Another structural similarity is the placement of the doors to the sitting room. Both in the first and second apartment, there are two sets of doors (see below). They are slightly different in layout (but remarkably similar nonetheless), and this could easily be explained by the fact that Christie describes a redecoration and restructuring of the flats in The Clocks (see my last blog post). The only addition in the second flat is a door leading to Poirot’s ‘office’ further down the corridor – which. again, is quite acceptable if one considers this a slightly larger apartment in the same building. Any other structural similarities should be evident from the two floor plans above, outlining the two flats. Let us move on to the main layout of the living room itself. Apart from the desk area (which has been given a separate ‘room’), nearly all elements from the first apartment have been maintained (though mostly not in their original shape and form) in the second apartment. Firstly, the dining area (see below). A large table with chairs is situated in almost exactly the same spot as in the first flat. Secondly, the sitting area. In both flats, this is situated close to the fireplace. The chairs seem to have changed throughout the series run in the first flat, but they have remained the same in the second. The chairs and sofas all have similar rounded (and square) shapes. Thirdly, the ‘office’ area. Despite the new location in the second flat, there is a remarkable sense of consistency. Notice, for instance, the green desk sets in both flats. Not identical, but they contribute to a sense of continuity. Also, the two desk lamps and the jacket stand/hanger (see below); dissimilar, but still a continuity of sorts. Finally, let me address some elements of décor. As described in the earlier blog post, Poirot’s taste in art is highlighted in both flats. Moreover, the second flat builds on the first flat’s use of (white) ceramic figures and bronzes (see below). Notice also the folding screen behind Poirot’s desk in the first flat, and then behind the dining table in the second flat. Also, notice that the two tables/shelves/cupboards behind the table in the second flat seem to be inspired by the sideboard behind the sofa and the sideboard behind the table, both in the first flat. The two vases/lamps are also strikingly similar to the two vases in the first flat (see below). To conclude, there are significant continuities between the two on-screen flats; doors, layout and objects. They are both faithful to Christie's description (as outlined in a previous post), and both can believably exist within the same building (almost - there's not enough windows on the outside to match the second flat, but I will ignore that and file it under 'artistic liberty'). All in all, there is no reason to dislike any of the flats as they showcase different elements - and phases - of Poirot's domestic life.

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and on Screen' and 'The Apartment on Screen: 1989-2001 v. 2005-present'. I've expanded what I've written and posted here. While I was ’researching’ for the chronology of episodes, I decided it would be fun to try and get an overview of Poirot’s flat; where the different rooms are situated, what objects are present, differences between episodes etc. On this little additional page, I want to give a general presentation (in pictures) of the layout of 56B, Whitehaven Mansions – as it appears in the older and the newer episodes As a visitor to Poirot’s flat, what you would first encounter is the building itself. The producers of the Poirot series chose Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London as the location of the apartment building.They shot the building continuosly for 48 hours and used the shots for at least 15 years. As Poirot moved into another flat in the same building (2005/2006-season), the production team presumably went back and shot a new set of clips of the building. Notice the fact that the screencap to the right ( of the newer episodes, furthest below) is essentially the same shot as the one next to it, just with computer-edited 'darkness'. Interesting! Once you’d pressed the doorbell of 56B, you would (in most cases) be greeted by Miss Lemon in the early years and by George in the most recent episodes. Once inside, you would hang your coat and hat on the hall stand and be showed into the office/living room/dining room of the flat. In addition to the building, the hallway and the living room, there are (at least) four rooms in the 'old' flat you would probably not see when visiting the flat; the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and Miss Lemon's office. Interestingly, these rooms appear to have changed layout quite frequently throughout the series (see pictures). I guess this is because the production team only built the sets they needed for every season. In the 'new' flat, we have only seen Poirot's bedroom. A kitchen, a bathroom or George's room have not (and probably will not) appear on screen. I find it facinating that the similarities between the 'old' and the 'new' apartment are surprisingly many. The living room has essentially the same layout, with a dining area and a sitting area - only the 'office' and the bookshelves have been provided with a separate room. The hallway is remarkably similar as well, with two doors leading into the living room and several other doors coresponding quite well with the doors of e.g. the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The only significant addition, really, seems to be the 'library'/'office'. Finally, both apartments are admiringly faithful to Agatha Christie's descriptions in the novels, as well as the Florin Court/Whitehaven Mansions exterior. THE BUILDING THE HALLWAY THE LIVING ROOM: SITTING AREA THE LIVING ROOM: DESK/'OFFICE' THE LIVING ROOM: DINING AREA THE BATHROOM THE BEDROOM THE KITCHEN MISS LEMON'S OFFICE A BIT OF EVERYWHERE

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and o...

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and on Screen' and 'The Apartment on Screen: 1989-2001 v. 2005-present'. I've expanded what I've written and posted here. While I was ’researching’ for the chronology of episodes, I decided it would be fun to try and get an overview of Poirot’s flat; where the different rooms are situated, what objects are present, differences between episodes etc. On this little additional page, I want to give a general presentation (in pictures) of the layout of 56B, Whitehaven Mansions – as it appears in the older and the newer episodes As a visitor to Poirot’s flat, what you would first encounter is the building itself. The producers of the Poirot series chose Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London as the location of the apartment building.They shot the building continuosly for 48 hours and used the shots for at least 15 years. As Poirot moved into another flat in the same building (2005/2006-season), the production team presumably went back and shot a new set of clips of the building. Notice the fact that the screencap to the right ( of the newer episodes, furthest below) is essentially the same shot as the one next to it, just with computer-edited 'darkness'. Interesting! Once you’d pressed the doorbell of 56B, you would (in most cases) be greeted by Miss Lemon in the early years and by George in the most recent episodes. Once inside, you would hang your coat and hat on the hall stand and be showed into the office/living room/dining room of the flat. In addition to the building, the hallway and the living room, there are (at least) four rooms in the 'old' flat you would probably not see when visiting the flat; the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and Miss Lemon's office. Interestingly, these rooms appear to have changed layout quite frequently throughout the series (see pictures). I guess this is because the production team only built the sets they needed for every season. In the 'new' flat, we have only seen Poirot's bedroom. A kitchen, a bathroom or George's room have not (and probably will not) appear on screen. I find it facinating that the similarities between the 'old' and the 'new' apartment are surprisingly many. The living room has essentially the same layout, with a dining area and a sitting area - only the 'office' and the bookshelves have been provided with a separate room. The hallway is remarkably similar as well, with two doors leading into the living room and several other doors coresponding quite well with the doors of e.g. the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The only significant addition, really, seems to be the 'library'/'office'. Finally, both apartments are admiringly faithful to Agatha Christie's descriptions in the novels, as well as the Florin Court/Whitehaven Mansions exterior. THE BUILDING THE HALLWAY THE LIVING ROOM: SITTING AREA THE LIVING ROOM: DESK/'OFFICE' THE LIVING ROOM: DINING AREA THE BATHROOM THE BEDROOM THE KITCHEN MISS LEMON'S OFFICE A BIT OF EVERYWHERE

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and on Screen' and 'The Apartment on Screen: 1989-2001 v. 2005-present'. I've expanded what I've written and posted here. While I was ’researching’ for the chronology of episodes, I decided it would be fun to try and get an overview of Poirot’s flat; where the different rooms are situated, what objects are present, differences between episodes etc. On this little additional page, I want to give a general presentation (in pictures) of the layout of 56B, Whitehaven Mansions – as it appears in the older and the newer episodes As a visitor to Poirot’s flat, what you would first encounter is the building itself. The producers of the Poirot series chose Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London as the location of the apartment building.They shot the building continuosly for 48 hours and used the shots for at least 15 years. As Poirot moved into another flat in the same building (2005/2006-season), the production team presumably went back and shot a new set of clips of the building. Notice the fact that the screencap to the right ( of the newer episodes, furthest below) is essentially the same shot as the one next to it, just with computer-edited 'darkness'. Interesting! Once you’d pressed the doorbell of 56B, you would (in most cases) be greeted by Miss Lemon in the early years and by George in the most recent episodes. Once inside, you would hang your coat and hat on the hall stand and be showed into the office/living room/dining room of the flat. In addition to the building, the hallway and the living room, there are (at least) four rooms in the 'old' flat you would probably not see when visiting the flat; the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and Miss Lemon's office. Interestingly, these rooms appear to have changed layout quite frequently throughout the series (see pictures). I guess this is because the production team only built the sets they needed for every season. In the 'new' flat, we have only seen Poirot's bedroom. A kitchen, a bathroom or George's room have not (and probably will not) appear on screen. I find it facinating that the similarities between the 'old' and the 'new' apartment are surprisingly many. The living room has essentially the same layout, with a dining area and a sitting area - only the 'office' and the bookshelves have been provided with a separate room. The hallway is remarkably similar as well, with two doors leading into the living room and several other doors coresponding quite well with the doors of e.g. the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The only significant addition, really, seems to be the 'library'/'office'. Finally, both apartments are admiringly faithful to Agatha Christie's descriptions in the novels, as well as the Florin Court/Whitehaven Mansions exterior. THE BUILDING THE HALLWAY THE LIVING ROOM: SITTING AREA THE LIVING ROOM: DESK/'OFFICE' THE LIVING ROOM: DINING AREA THE BATHROOM THE BEDROOM THE KITCHEN MISS LEMON'S OFFICE A BIT OF EVERYWHERE

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and on Screen' and 'The Apartment on Screen: 1989-2001 v. 2005-present'. I've expanded what I've written and posted here. While I was ’researching’ for the chronology of episodes, I decided it would be fun to try and get an overview of Poirot’s flat; where the different rooms are situated, what objects are present, differences between episodes etc. On this little additional page, I want to give a general presentation (in pictures) of the layout of 56B, Whitehaven Mansions – as it appears in the older and the newer episodes As a visitor to Poirot’s flat, what you would first encounter is the building itself. The producers of the Poirot series chose Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London as the location of the apartment building.They shot the building continuosly for 48 hours and used the shots for at least 15 years. As Poirot moved into another flat in the same building (2005/2006-season), the production team presumably went back and shot a new set of clips of the building. Notice the fact that the screencap to the right ( of the newer episodes, furthest below) is essentially the same shot as the one next to it, just with computer-edited 'darkness'. Interesting! Once you’d pressed the doorbell of 56B, you would (in most cases) be greeted by Miss Lemon in the early years and by George in the most recent episodes. Once inside, you would hang your coat and hat on the hall stand and be showed into the office/living room/dining room of the flat. In addition to the building, the hallway and the living room, there are (at least) four rooms in the 'old' flat you would probably not see when visiting the flat; the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and Miss Lemon's office. Interestingly, these rooms appear to have changed layout quite frequently throughout the series (see pictures). I guess this is because the production team only built the sets they needed for every season. In the 'new' flat, we have only seen Poirot's bedroom. A kitchen, a bathroom or George's room have not (and probably will not) appear on screen. I find it facinating that the similarities between the 'old' and the 'new' apartment are surprisingly many. The living room has essentially the same layout, with a dining area and a sitting area - only the 'office' and the bookshelves have been provided with a separate room. The hallway is remarkably similar as well, with two doors leading into the living room and several other doors coresponding quite well with the doors of e.g. the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The only significant addition, really, seems to be the 'library'/'office'. Finally, both apartments are admiringly faithful to Agatha Christie's descriptions in the novels, as well as the Florin Court/Whitehaven Mansions exterior. THE BUILDING THE HALLWAY THE LIVING ROOM: SITTING AREA THE LIVING ROOM: DESK/'OFFICE' THE LIVING ROOM: DINING AREA THE BATHROOM THE BEDROOM THE KITCHEN MISS LEMON'S OFFICE A BIT OF EVERYWHERE

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and on Screen' and 'The Apartment on Screen: 1989-2001 v. 2005-present'. I've expanded what I've written and posted here. While I was ’researching’ for the chronology of episodes, I decided it would be fun to try and get an overview of Poirot’s flat; where the different rooms are situated, what objects are present, differences between episodes etc. On this little additional page, I want to give a general presentation (in pictures) of the layout of 56B, Whitehaven Mansions – as it appears in the older and the newer episodes As a visitor to Poirot’s flat, what you would first encounter is the building itself. The producers of the Poirot series chose Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London as the location of the apartment building.They shot the building continuosly for 48 hours and used the shots for at least 15 years. As Poirot moved into another flat in the same building (2005/2006-season), the production team presumably went back and shot a new set of clips of the building. Notice the fact that the screencap to the right ( of the newer episodes, furthest below) is essentially the same shot as the one next to it, just with computer-edited 'darkness'. Interesting! Once you’d pressed the doorbell of 56B, you would (in most cases) be greeted by Miss Lemon in the early years and by George in the most recent episodes. Once inside, you would hang your coat and hat on the hall stand and be showed into the office/living room/dining room of the flat. In addition to the building, the hallway and the living room, there are (at least) four rooms in the 'old' flat you would probably not see when visiting the flat; the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and Miss Lemon's office. Interestingly, these rooms appear to have changed layout quite frequently throughout the series (see pictures). I guess this is because the production team only built the sets they needed for every season. In the 'new' flat, we have only seen Poirot's bedroom. A kitchen, a bathroom or George's room have not (and probably will not) appear on screen. I find it facinating that the similarities between the 'old' and the 'new' apartment are surprisingly many. The living room has essentially the same layout, with a dining area and a sitting area - only the 'office' and the bookshelves have been provided with a separate room. The hallway is remarkably similar as well, with two doors leading into the living room and several other doors coresponding quite well with the doors of e.g. the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The only significant addition, really, seems to be the 'library'/'office'. Finally, both apartments are admiringly faithful to Agatha Christie's descriptions in the novels, as well as the Florin Court/Whitehaven Mansions exterior. THE BUILDING THE HALLWAY THE LIVING ROOM: SITTING AREA THE LIVING ROOM: DESK/'OFFICE' THE LIVING ROOM: DINING AREA THE BATHROOM THE BEDROOM THE KITCHEN MISS LEMON'S OFFICE A BIT OF EVERYWHERE

What a joyous discovery. Decades after it was written on the eve of World War II, a lost Poirot story by Agatha Christie has been found. Today it is published in the Daily Mail for the first time.

I've always been very drawn to the Art Deco period and fancied myself living in one of those white stucco houses with curved walls and clean lines. Or in a smart apartment building like the one at Florin Court, London, built in 1936 and used as the fictional residence of Hercule Poirot in the TV series. A design movement that came out of Art Deco was Streamline Moderne (or just Streamline). Designers stripped Art Deco of its ornament and created sleek, modernist lines, drawing inspiration from the aerodynamic shapes of the aviation and motor industries. Buildings of this period tended towards modernism and often had parallel lines, curvy chrome fittings and a light, airy feel. The De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea, built in 1935, is a wonderful example. It's on our list of places to visit this summer. Parallel railings, straight lines and curves reminiscent of ocean-going liners, create a very pleasing effect and all that glass reflects the seaside light even on a grey day. Beautiful light fittings in the curved stairwell display the love of Machine-Age workmanship. Given my love of this era, I was really thrilled to find this gorgeous bracelet recently. Dating to the 1930s, it beautifully evokes the design motifs of Streamline Moderne style. Simple, curved links with parallel lines are joined together by smaller curved links with channel-set green stones, to form a sinuous gate-link bracelet. The style is restrained beauty and elegance without effort. I've just listed this in my Etsy shop and I hope you agree it's a real gem.

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and on Screen' and 'The Apartment on Screen: 1989-2001 v. 2005-present'. I've expanded what I've written and posted here. While I was ’researching’ for the chronology of episodes, I decided it would be fun to try and get an overview of Poirot’s flat; where the different rooms are situated, what objects are present, differences between episodes etc. On this little additional page, I want to give a general presentation (in pictures) of the layout of 56B, Whitehaven Mansions – as it appears in the older and the newer episodes As a visitor to Poirot’s flat, what you would first encounter is the building itself. The producers of the Poirot series chose Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London as the location of the apartment building.They shot the building continuosly for 48 hours and used the shots for at least 15 years. As Poirot moved into another flat in the same building (2005/2006-season), the production team presumably went back and shot a new set of clips of the building. Notice the fact that the screencap to the right ( of the newer episodes, furthest below) is essentially the same shot as the one next to it, just with computer-edited 'darkness'. Interesting! Once you’d pressed the doorbell of 56B, you would (in most cases) be greeted by Miss Lemon in the early years and by George in the most recent episodes. Once inside, you would hang your coat and hat on the hall stand and be showed into the office/living room/dining room of the flat. In addition to the building, the hallway and the living room, there are (at least) four rooms in the 'old' flat you would probably not see when visiting the flat; the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and Miss Lemon's office. Interestingly, these rooms appear to have changed layout quite frequently throughout the series (see pictures). I guess this is because the production team only built the sets they needed for every season. In the 'new' flat, we have only seen Poirot's bedroom. A kitchen, a bathroom or George's room have not (and probably will not) appear on screen. I find it facinating that the similarities between the 'old' and the 'new' apartment are surprisingly many. The living room has essentially the same layout, with a dining area and a sitting area - only the 'office' and the bookshelves have been provided with a separate room. The hallway is remarkably similar as well, with two doors leading into the living room and several other doors coresponding quite well with the doors of e.g. the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The only significant addition, really, seems to be the 'library'/'office'. Finally, both apartments are admiringly faithful to Agatha Christie's descriptions in the novels, as well as the Florin Court/Whitehaven Mansions exterior. THE BUILDING THE HALLWAY THE LIVING ROOM: SITTING AREA THE LIVING ROOM: DESK/'OFFICE' THE LIVING ROOM: DINING AREA THE BATHROOM THE BEDROOM THE KITCHEN MISS LEMON'S OFFICE A BIT OF EVERYWHERE

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and o...

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and on Screen' and 'The Apartment on Screen: 1989-2001 v. 2005-present'. I've expanded what I've written and posted here. While I was ’researching’ for the chronology of episodes, I decided it would be fun to try and get an overview of Poirot’s flat; where the different rooms are situated, what objects are present, differences between episodes etc. On this little additional page, I want to give a general presentation (in pictures) of the layout of 56B, Whitehaven Mansions – as it appears in the older and the newer episodes As a visitor to Poirot’s flat, what you would first encounter is the building itself. The producers of the Poirot series chose Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London as the location of the apartment building.They shot the building continuosly for 48 hours and used the shots for at least 15 years. As Poirot moved into another flat in the same building (2005/2006-season), the production team presumably went back and shot a new set of clips of the building. Notice the fact that the screencap to the right ( of the newer episodes, furthest below) is essentially the same shot as the one next to it, just with computer-edited 'darkness'. Interesting! Once you’d pressed the doorbell of 56B, you would (in most cases) be greeted by Miss Lemon in the early years and by George in the most recent episodes. Once inside, you would hang your coat and hat on the hall stand and be showed into the office/living room/dining room of the flat. In addition to the building, the hallway and the living room, there are (at least) four rooms in the 'old' flat you would probably not see when visiting the flat; the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and Miss Lemon's office. Interestingly, these rooms appear to have changed layout quite frequently throughout the series (see pictures). I guess this is because the production team only built the sets they needed for every season. In the 'new' flat, we have only seen Poirot's bedroom. A kitchen, a bathroom or George's room have not (and probably will not) appear on screen. I find it facinating that the similarities between the 'old' and the 'new' apartment are surprisingly many. The living room has essentially the same layout, with a dining area and a sitting area - only the 'office' and the bookshelves have been provided with a separate room. The hallway is remarkably similar as well, with two doors leading into the living room and several other doors coresponding quite well with the doors of e.g. the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The only significant addition, really, seems to be the 'library'/'office'. Finally, both apartments are admiringly faithful to Agatha Christie's descriptions in the novels, as well as the Florin Court/Whitehaven Mansions exterior. THE BUILDING THE HALLWAY THE LIVING ROOM: SITTING AREA THE LIVING ROOM: DESK/'OFFICE' THE LIVING ROOM: DINING AREA THE BATHROOM THE BEDROOM THE KITCHEN MISS LEMON'S OFFICE A BIT OF EVERYWHERE

NB! Have a look at the following two blog post from my other blog, investigatingpoirot.blogspot.com as well: 'The Apartment in Text and o...