Messing about with the story

For some time now I have, periodically, been reading Agatha Christie's 'Poirot' and 'Miss Marple' books.

Recently I read - and enjoyed - "A Murder is Announced". It prompted me to revisit the excellent BBC TV series from the 1980s, which starred Joan Hickson in the title role of Miss Marple.

In the last few years ITV has been doing a number of 'remakes' (initially starring Geraldine McEwan and, latterly, Julia McKenzie). These modern versions have come in for criticism for messing about with the storylines and characters.

I looked up "A Murder is Announced" on Wikipedia. Of the adaptation starring Joan Hickson, it says:

Only a few changes were made: Mitzi was remamed Hannah and is said to be Swiss (in the book, her nationality is unknown) and in the novel the vicarage cat was male and called Tiglath Pileser. In the film the cat was female and called Delilah.

A name-change for the cook and the Vicarage cat! However, of the more recent version it says:

The Harmons are deleted, so Miss Marple stays with Miss Murgatroyd, the daughter of an old friend in this version. Mrs. Easterbrook is also deleted, and the Colonel is a divorced alcoholic who was thrown out of the army for drunkenness. Mrs. Swettenham is a single mother and is attempting to convince Colonel Easterbrook to marry her; her son, Edmund, greatly resents this (Edmund's romance with Philippa is also deleted.) Hinch and Murgatroyd are both younger women than in the novel, and are in an overtly romantic relationship. Mitzi is said to be Polish. Patrick and "Julia" (Emma) are more intimately involved with one another than in either the book or previous adaptations and Inspector Craddock is a gruff, impatient man who is much more aggressive in his attitude and technique of investigation than in the novel.

The film is made more emotional: Dora Bunner's character is different: not quite as muddleheaded and very adorable. When Miss Marple and Hinchcliffe find Murgatroyd's body, Hinch and Miss Marple burst into tears and some emotional music is played. When Miss Marple reveals Miss Blacklock as the killer and moves on to Bunny and Amy's murders: Bunny's delicous death (Charlotte's attempts to make Bunny's last day happy) is seen in a more kind and gentle way, and Miss Marple nearly bursts into tears again. Mitzi tries to kill Miss Blacklock and Miss Blacklock does not try to kill Mitzi. When Miss Blacklock is exposed as the killer, Dora's ghost comes into the room (unseen by anyone apart from Miss Marple and Miss Blacklock) impersonating the murderer's regrets for the only person she truly cared about.

That says it all, really.