British actor, David Suchet, has spent a quarter-century, bringing to life a certain FUSSY Belgian Sleuth, with a moustache as impeccable as his intellect and crime-solving skills. He has been rewarded with the sort of critical praise ——- ‘miraculous’ and ‘splendid’ applied adjectives, for his dedication to HERCULE POIROT, through 70 adaptions of Agatha Christie’s works.
There is a lot of fan-reaction, too. “The most extreme example happened to me in Canada”, Suchet recalled recently. He was there, taking a coffee-shop break, during production of a movie, when suddenly, a scream pierced the quiet. “A lady shrieked, ‘I would know the back of that head anywhere’. She rushed across the room and planted a kiss right there”, he said, gesturing to his cheek.
Suchet’s beautifully realised POIROT is a remarkable feat of sustaining a character, through an uncertain production schedule, in which seasons were separated ——–BY LARGE GAPS. It took 25 yrs, to bring the supremely confident, 1930s-era sleuth to his 12th season and LAST CASE, a reward for the actor’s and audience’s patience.
Suchet’s final TV turn, as Poirot, was to begin on PBS with THE BIG FOUR on Sunday, and on August 3rd, DEAD MAN’S FOLLY. The episodes will be available on British TV streaming service www.Acorn.TV and on Roku and other platforms, followed by Acorn TV’s exclusive presentation of 3 more new episodes. The trio, includes —ELEPHANTS CAN REMEMBER (Aug.11) and LABOURS OF HERCULES (Aug.18), and culminates with Curtain : POIROT’S LAST CASE on Aug.25. It is going to be a poignant finale.
The 5 new episodes and the 65 previous ones, then will be available on Acorn TV, part of RLJ Entertainment Inc. Miguel Penella, RLJ Entertainment’s Chief Executive said. The off-screen Suchet, who was in los Angeles, in June while touring with the stage drama —“THE LAST CONFESSION”, shares a set of prominent, deeply arched eyebrows with the fictional detective.
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