Partners in Crime

Tommy & Tuppence were born right after the Belgian miracle. The opportunity finally came for Francesca Annis and James Warwick to star in the film, and they had already proven that they felt at home in Agatha's world. So they burst onto the scene and became Tommy & Tuppence as naturally as possible in the 1980s. After a great pilot, there were ten delightful episodes recounting the best-loved chapters from their adventurous year 1924. The Affair of the Pink Pearl is a great introduction to the tales from the office bearing the name of Blunt's brilliant detectives. Tommy & Tuppence are happy in their marriage, but I fear that buying new hats would probably tire Tommy out in time, and so it was really necessary to occupy Tuppence with something new. But of course, it had to be reckoned that a little advertising in the hat shop would be quite essential for the new business. The House of Lurking Death was quite an action-packed case, and even Tuppence almost lost her life, but of course, Tommy intervened in time and even at the right time and place to prove to his other half that his grey cells have their place in the detective team. Unlike its predecessors, The Sunningdale Mystery was a fairly brief affair in book form, which is why I was excited that they added a few ideas in the series version. In the end, Agatha solved the entire case over milk and cheesecake during her lunch break, but in the series, Tommy & Tuppence investigated the crime scene themselves and even found a few moments for a romantic adventure at a hotel by the golf course. And honestly, what is a better prelude than a logical deduction? ;) For a change, The Clergyman's Daughter introduced us to Tommy & Tuppence as excellent actors in that they performed a great act of a fake fortune teller and her guide in the service of justice. Albert was, of course, cast as the chauffeur. However, it's interesting to see the BBC's attempt to bring a little more action to each episode at any cost. Here, thankfully, it is inspired by Douglas Fairbanks. The original version of Finessing the King drew on references to multiple detectives, and here we're left with Sherlock. That’s too bad because it would have been interesting to hear remarks directed at Poirot or McCarty in the dialogue. On the other hand, Tuppence’s interest in the masquerade ball is sure to please everyone. Even Tommy, who is happy to play a husband who would rather be at home in his slippers. The Ambassador's Boots, for a change, is one of those examples where the addition of different locations and themes to the series version has benefited the idea overall. In the original, this case is mainly Tommy's, and so it was possible to keep Tuppence entertained with all sorts of dancing, tea at five o'clock, and a chat with her friends, who also like suspense. I don't object to anything and I'm having fun with it. (02/04/2009)