“A
husband and wife detective team put
themselves in danger, becoming
involved with the world of espionage
after a murder and a disappearance;
and they investigate the kidnapping of
a top scientist, uncovering a spy in the
smart BBC adaptations of two of Agatha
Christie’s Partners In Crime novels, The Secret Adversary and N or M?...”
LIVING IN PEACEFUL SUBURBIA, Tuppence Beresford (Jessica Raine: Call
The Midwife; Wolf Hall) is happily married to Tommy (David Walliams: Little
Britain; Big School) and they have a young son George (Miles Roughley),
making her life complete. Or is it?
In 1952 during The Cold War a demobbed, very cautious Tommy is not earning enough
money at his hobby as a beekeeper and is looking for the opportunity to start
a business in The Secret Adversary.
“Intriguing,
amusing,
light-hearted and
good, wholesome fun,
Partners In Crime
is a cracking
period drama...”
Encouraged
by the highly-inquisitive Tuppence, who has a thirst for excitement and adventure,
Tommy approaches his wealthy uncle, Third Floor Military Intelligence Major
Anthony Carter (James Fleet: The Vicar of Dibley; Sense and Sensibility),
who unfortunately cannot help.
Tuppence and Tommy recently returned from France on a train where they befriended
a young woman, Jane Finn (Camilla Marie Beeput: Birds of a Feather),
who disappeared after the murder of her friend Dominic Villiers (George Taylor)
— throwing the couple into an investigation involving Military Intelligence
and Soviet spies.
Tracking down Julius Hersheimmer (Clarke Peters: The Wire), who claims
to be Jane's uncle, draws them deeper into the plot, as they search for a tape
that identifies a legendary Soviet assassin.
Who is the mysterious assassin known as Brown? Why does his gang want to coerce
Tommy into stealing The Linden Tree file from Military Intelligence? Is opera
singer Rita Vandemeyer (Alice Krige: The Syndicate) involved somehow?
While investigating, the overly-cautious Tommy and excitable Tuppence stumble
into dangerous situations that threaten the lives and the happiness of their
family.
THE SECOND ADAPTATION — N or M? — sees Tuppence and Tommy
working for Major Carter and Military Intelligence to find kidnapped British
scientist Gilbert Worthing (Danny Lee Wynter), who was working on a top secret
assignment at Cromer Military Base in Norfolk, and also to uncover a fifth columnist.
Tommy approaches his uncle to ask him to back his new venture into wigs; instead
Carter tells him that the country is in grave danger, there has been a serious
leak on the Third Floor and Tommy must go to the opera to meet an agent called
Harrison (Tam Williams), who will give him some vital information that he must
remember.
However, there is a mix-up with their box and their accidental companion Bob
Harrison (Trevor Cooper) collapses with an apparent heart attack, later discovered
to be murder when chemistry teacher Albert Pemberton (Matthew Steer: Cinderella),
who has been cleared by Military Intelligence, discovers Bob's drink was laced
with cyanide.
While tracking down the real agent Harrison, Tuppence loses Tommy in the London
smog and is shot at by a sinister blonde assassin (Hannah Waddingham), who has
been following them.
Carter then asks Tommy to go to the Sans Souci guest house in Cromer where the
spy is suspected to be, under cover as George Meadows, a birdwatcher. Run by
Sheila Perenna (Aoife McMahon), Sans Souci has a handful of guests, some of
whom are hiding secrets.
There is Carl Denim (Ed Speleers: Downton Abbey); widowed Mrs Sprot (Christina
Cole); Major Khan (Alyy Khan: Indian Summers); Commander Haydock (Roy
Marsden: The Escape Artist); Mr Minton (Robert Hands) and his wife Elizabeth
(Issy Van Randwyck), who claim to be psychologists, and chambermaid Veronika
(Pina Ögün).
Any one of them could be the spy and things become urgent with the arrival of
a ransom demand: £100,000 cash (a goodly sum in the 1950s) and the release of
Soviet prisoners or they will detonate a bomb several hundred times more powerful
than an atomic bomb.
Will Tuppence and Tommy find the spy, the scientist and the bomb in time to
prevent a major disaster?
Intriguing, amusing, light-hearted and good wholesome fun, Partners In Crime
is a cracking period espionage drama. Produced by Endor Productions and Agatha
Christie Productions Ltd, the series is set in 1950s London where Tommy and
Tuppence encounter a world of murder, undercover agents, spies and conspiracy.
The Secret Adversary and N or M? both consist of three episodes
and benefit from strong characters, superb period costumes, marvellous stunts
and period sets with fine detail. The series Partners In Crime marks
the 125th anniversary of Agatha Christie's birth and includes more than ninety
minutes of special features.
Also featured are: Joanna Herton as Barbara Kemp; Paul Cawley as Wilfred; and
David Moorst as Wilfred.
Composer is Tim Phillips; Director of Photography is David Higgs, BSC; Written
by Zinnie Harris & Claire Wilson; Produced by Georgina Lowe; and Directed by
Edward Hall (Restless; Downton Abbey).
*
BBC's
major new adaptations of Agatha Christie's Partners In Crime novels,
The Secret Adversary and N or M? feature an all-star cast and,
following the run on BBC One, come to DVD in the UK courtesy of RLJ Entertainment's
Acorn Label on 31 August 2015. Certificate: 12 | Running Time: 420 Minutes approx
on two discs | Catalogue Number: AV3259 | RRP: £24.99.
Special Features— More than 90 minutes of Behind the Scenes
Features: Exclusive Cast Interviews with David Walliams, Jessica Raine, Clarke
Peters, cast and crew | Agatha Christie's grandson Matthew Prichard and more.
"Intriguing, amusing, light-hearted and good, wholesome fun, Partners In
Crime is a cracking period espionage drama" —Maggie Woods,
MotorBar
"Delightfully indulgent entertainment" —Mail On Sunday
“A
husband and wife detective team put