He certainly knows his way through an Agatha Christie mystery—British national treasure Sir David Suchet has played the author's famed detective Hercule Poirot onscreen a whopping 70 times across a quarter century. And in a new travelogue series premiering today, the English actor will literally follow in the scribe's footsteps, traveling to locations that Christie herself visited and immersing himself in countries she explored to uncover the literary enigma's inspirations.

Debuting in North America on BritBox on Saturday, March 8, Travels with Agatha Christie & Sir David Suchet is a five-part documentary series that aims to uncover a lesser-known side of the world-famous, best-selling author, who wrote 66 detective novels—including Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, And Then There Were None and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd—and 14 short story collections. However, before she came known as the Mistress of Mystery, however, Agatha had embarked on a world tour in 1922 at the age of 31, traversing across the British Empire for ten months and hitting South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Canada along the way.

The humorous and insightful travel docuseries will see stage and screen star Suchet retracing that international expedition, with each episode focused on a given country. “Having spent a quarter of a century personifying Agatha Christie’s iconic character of Hercule Poirot, I now feel so honoured to embark upon a journey around the world, as myself—in the footsteps of possibly the greatest crime writer of all times,” Suchet said in a statement, per Deadline. “I feel that she will be sitting on my shoulders at every moment urging me on to share her passion for knowledge, travel, archeology, and of course, mystery.”

To tune into Travels with Agatha Christie & Sir David Suchet, you'll need access to BritBox, which is the No. 1 way to watch all your favorite British shows from the BBC and ITV. BritBox in the US currently costs $8.99 per month, or $89.99 per year after a seven-day free trial period. You can also watch the streaming service easily via Prime Video—all your subscription and billing are handled through your Amazon account, allowing you to watch as much as you want for a single price.

Check out the trailer for Travels with Agatha Christie & Sir David Suchet before tuning into the new travelogue series today on BritBox.

Towards Zero is another big budget Agatha Christie adaptation. The three-part drama airs on BBC One in the UK and will be available to stream as a boxset for FREE on BBC iPlayer from March 2. Don't worry if you’re away from the UK, because you can watch the Towards Zero from anywhere with a VPN.

Reminiscent of the author’s own mysterious vanishing, the absence of a big budget adaptation from the BBC Christmas schedule last year was quite the head scratcher. But, fans of the crime fiction pioneer needn’t worry as Auntie’s latest lavish Agatha Christie series finally arrives.

Towards Zero sees recently divorced British tennis star Nevile Strange (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and his ex-wife Audrey (Ella Lily Hyland) elect to spend a summer together at Gull’s Point, the atmospheric coastal estate of Nevile's aunt, Lady Tressilian (Anjelica Huston). What already seems like a terrible idea is further exacerbated by the presence of Nevile’s new wife Kay (Mimi Keene) and a whole host of staff and hangers on all bearing their own grudges and jealousies. It’s no surprise then, that it isn’t long before the bodies start dropping. And so it falls to Matthew Rhys' troubled Inspector Leach to untangle the complicated web of deceit and dysfunction before another guest meets their end.

Ready for this atmospheric Christie classic? Here's how to watch Towards Zero from anywhere in the world. We've got all the information you'll need below.

How to watch Towards Zero online in the UK for free

How to watch Towards Zero in the US and Australia

BritBox will be the international home of Towards Zero with the mini-series set to drop on the platform later in 2025 for viewers in North America, Australia and beyond.

BritBox costs $8.99 per month in the US and AU$9.99 per month Down Under, with all territories able to get 12 months for the price of 10 if you opt for an annual pass. New users can also make use of a 7-day free trial.

UK citizens abroad who want to access their usual free stream will need a VPN to watch Towards Zero. We've got all the details you need for that below.

How to watch Towards Zero from anywhere with a VPN

If you're traveling outside the UK, you can watch Towards Zero on the BBC iPlayer streaming service by using a VPN – no matter where you are in the world!

Normally a streaming service will know where you are trying to tune in from and block you if you're not in the right country but a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an app that hides your location. That means you can access your usual sports and entertainment services even while you're traveling abroad.

Our favorite VPN is NordVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.

How to use a VPN to watch any stream

• Download the app at NordVPN
• Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch – in this case, the UK
• Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!

Towards Zero, the latest BBC adaptation of an Agatha Christie classic has finally been given a release date.

The three-part drama, starring Oscar winner Anjelica Huston, will begin on BBC One at 9 pm on Sunday, March 2 — all episodes will be available from 6 am on BBC iPlayer on March 2. The BBC has also released the first trailer (below).

"Towards Zero", which was first published in 1944, tells the story of "an explosive love triangle, a formidable matriarch and a house party of enemies".

Teasing the plot, the BBC says: "England, 1936. After a scandalous celebrity divorce, Nevile Strange and his ex-wife Audrey make the unthinkable decision to spend a summer together at Gull’s Point, their childhood home and the coastal estate of Nevile's aunt, Lady Tressilian.

"With unfinished business between the former childhood sweethearts, plus the presence of Nevile’s new wife Kay, tensions are running high. Add to this a long-suffering lady’s companion, a mysterious gentleman’s valet, an exiled cousin with a grudge, a venerable family lawyer, an inquisitive orphan and a French con man, and soon there will be murder. A troubled detective must rediscover his purpose to untangle a toxic web of jealousy, deceit and dysfunction. Can he solve the crime before another victim meets their death?"

The key characters are Lady Tressilian (Anjelica Huston), Inspector Leach (Matthew Rhys), and British tennis star Nevile Strange (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) — plus the two ladies in his life: ex-wife Audrey (Ella Lily Hyland) and new wife Kay (Mimi Keene).

The cast also includes Clarke Peters, Anjana Vasan, Jack Farthing, Jackie Clune, Grace Doherty, Khalil Gharbia and Adam Hugill.

Writer, Rachel Bennette, says: "These are among the richest and most complex of Christie's characters, and I was captivated from the first by the charisma, in particular, of her female characters. It has been thrilling to bring them all to life in this disturbing tale of truth and lies, love and hate, a story which unfolds amidst the dark, cinematic glamour of the 1930s, yet feels startlingly of our time."

Towards Zero begins on BBC One at 9 pm on Sunday, March 2. It will head to BritBox in the US.

Following its major adaptation of Murder is Easy, the BBC has revealed an all-star cast for its next big adaptation, Towards Zero.

The three-part series, which is likely to be part of the BBC's Christmas TV line-up, is based on the novel first published in 1944. Among the big names in the drama is Oscar winner Anjelica Huston.

The 72-year-old star says: "I have long been a fan of Agatha Christie and the murder-mystery genre and always love the opportunity to film in England. I am thrilled to be working with director Sam Yates and this wonderful cast, and excited to play the clever and dignified Camilla, Lady Tressilian."

Joining Huston are Jackie Clune (Motherland), Grace Doherty (Call the Midwife), Jack Farthing (Rain Dogs), Khalil Gharbia (Mary & George), Adam Hugill (Sherwood), Ella Lily Hyland (Black Doves), Oliver Jackson-Cohen (The Haunting of Hill House), Mimi Keene (Sex Education), Clarke Peters (The Wire), Emmy winner Matthew Rhys (The Americans) and Oliver Award-winner Anjana Vasan (Black Mirror: Demon 79).

Teasing the plot, the BBC says: "England, 1936. After a scandalous celebrity divorce, British tennis star Nevile Strange (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and his ex-wife Audrey (Ella Lily Hyland) make the unthinkable decision to spend a summer together at Gull's Point, their childhood home and the coastal estate of Nevile's aunt, Lady Tressilian (Anjelica Huston).

 "With unfinished business between the former childhood sweethearts, plus the presence of Nevile’s new wife Kay (Mimi Keene), tensions are running high. Add to this a long-suffering lady's companion, a mysterious gentleman's valet, an exiled cousin with a grudge, a venerable family lawyer, an inquisitive orphan and a French con man, and soon there will be murder. A troubled detective must rediscover his purpose to untangle a toxic web of jealousy, deceit and dysfunction. Can he solve the crime before another victim meets their death? 

 "An explosive love triangle, a formidable matriarch and a house party of enemies. All compelled… Towards Zero."

Sheena Bucktowonsing and Damien Timmer, executive producers for Mammoth Screen, say: "We are privileged to be working with Hollywood legend Anjelica Huston and a particularly stellar cast on one of Agatha Christie’s most intriguing novels — the sun drenched Towards Zero. It's a tale of tennis, an incendiary love triangle, the Devon coastline and murder!"

The BBC has a history of attracting top stars to its adaptations of Christie's stories, with John Malkovich playing Poirot in its version of The ABC Murders. Outside of the UK, Towards Zero will air on BritBox. It's filming now in and around Bristol and on the Devon coast.

The BBC has commissioned a new Agatha Christie adaptation... but you might not be familiar with the super sleuth who solves this particular case!

The broadcaster recently brought us Murder is Easy, a two-parter based on Christie's 1939 novel of the same name. That series followed investigator Luke Fitzwilliam (Rye Lane's David Jonsson) as he tried to track down a ruthless killer before he could strike again.

According to Deadline, the BBC will adapt the 1944 Christie novel, Towards Zero. But unlike some of the more prominent Christie adaptations (such as Kenneth Branagh's Poirot movies), Towards Zero features one of the author's lesser-known detectives: Superintendent Battle.

The story of Towards Zero revolves around the death of an elderly widow, Lady Tressilian, at her seaside home at Gull's Point whilst hosting her husband's former ward, tennis star Nevile Strange, his former and present wife, and a collection of friends and relatives.

Battle (who was on holiday nearby with his nephew, Jim, a fellow Scotland Yard officer) is assigned to track down her killer. A clue from his personal life ultimately points helps him solve the mystery (which, for obvious reasons, we won't spoil here!) Incidentally, Towards Zero was also the final Agatha Christie book to feature the Superintendent. ITV adapted the book in 2007 but dropped Battle and made it a Miss Marple mystery instead!

This new spin on Towards Zero will be penned by Rachel Bennette, who was behind the BAFTA-nominated 2016 Zadie Smith adaptation, NW, which starred Nikki Amuka-Bird, Phoebe Fox, Richie Campbell and OT Fagbenle. Bennette has also written on World on Fire season 2, Ripper Street and Lark Rise to Candleford.

The series does not currently have a release date nor a confirmed cast list, but we do know that the Towards Zero adaptation is due to enter production this summer. As and when we learn more about the new show, we'll be sure to share it.

Towards Zero will air on the BBC and on BritBox outside of the UK when it arrives. Looking for something new to stream in the meantime? Check out our picks of the best BBC dramas we think you should be watching right now for more recommendations.

Murder is Easy is currently available to stream on BBC iPlayer and is coming to BritBox internationally on Friday, March 1.

The BBC is once again diving into the catalogue of renowned crime writer Agatha Christie. This time, Murder is Easy is getting the all-star treatment as a two-night event slap bang in the middle of Christmas week, starting on December 27. 

You can watch both episodes for FREE in the UK on BBC iPlayer. But don't worry if you're on holiday while it's on — because you can watch Murder is Easy on BBC iPlayer from anywhere with a VPN.

Murder is Easy tells the story of a chance encounter on a train between Luke Fitzwilliam (David Jonsson, Industry) and Miss Pinkerton (Penelope Wilton, Downton Abbey) that leads Fitzwilliam to the sleepy village of Wychwood under Ashe and ultimately sets him on the trail of a serial murderer. The adaptation promises to take a Hitchcockian approach to the mystery, but also to turn a modern lens on attitudes toward Fitzwilliam’s Nigerian detective and his relationship with the residents of a rural 1950s English community. 

Also in the cast are Matthew Baynton (Ghosts), Morfydd Clark (Rings of Power), Douglas Henshall (Shetland) and Tamzin Outhwaite (Ridley Road). Meenu Gaur (World on Fire) directs from a script by Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre. This is sure to be perfect mid Christmas TV viewing while you sink into the sofa and finish off those leftovers.

Ready for another mystery from the Queen of Crime? Here's how to watch Murder is Easy from anywhere in the world. We've got all the information you'll need below.

How to watch Murder is Easy in the UK

How to watch Murder is Easy in the US

Murder is Easy will find a home alongside other BBC Agatha Christie adaptations on BritBox in the US, although an exact date is yet to be confirmed.  

BritBox is available for $8.99 per month or $89.99 per year, however the 7-day free trial should see you through the festive period. 

How to watch Murder is Easy from anywhere with a VPN

You can watch Murder is Easy on any of the streaming services above by using a VPN – no matter where you are in the world!

Normally a streaming service will know where you are trying to tune in from and block you if you're not in the right country but a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an app that hides your location. That means you can access your usual sports and entertainment services even while you're traveling abroad.

Our favorite VPN is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.

How to use a VPN to watch any stream

• Download the app at ExpressVPN
• Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
• Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!

When is the Murder is Easy release date?

Murder is Easy airs over two nights during the holidays on Wednesday, December 27 and Thursday, December 28 at 9pm GMT/4pm ET/1pm PT on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK. It will land on BritBox in the US at a later date. 

• Murder is Easy: Episode 1 - Wednesday, December 27
• Murder is Easy: Episode 2 - Thursday, December 28

Murder is Easy trailer

What to know about Murder is Easy

Murder is Easy full episode guide

Murder is Easy: Episode 1 - Wednesday, December 27

England, 1954. Young and ambitious Luke Fitzwilliam arrives from Nigeria with the promise of a job in Whitehall. On the train to London, he meets the elderly Miss Pinkerton, who confides in him that there is a killer on the loose in her quiet village of Wychwood-Under-Ashe.

When Miss Pinkerton is struck down on her way to Scotland Yard, leaving the spoils of a lucrative Derby win in Fitzwilliam’s hands, he finds himself in a moral predicament. What should he do with the information bestowed on him? Should he attempt to return the winnings to her relatives? He sets off for the sleepy village of Wychwood with Miss Pinkerton’s words ringing in his ears.

Murder is Easy: Episode 2 - Thursday, December 28

As Wychwood reels after another tragic death, there are rumours that a murderer could be responsible. An inquest is held, and it’s announced that there will be a full autopsy of the deceased.

Confident that he has a suspect and a motive, Luke Fitzwilliam focuses his efforts on building his case and exposing the culprit. But when a new piece of information sees his theory crumble, he suddenly finds himself back to square one.

Coleen Rooney has revealed that she still has the famous 2019 Wagatha Christie post on her phone as she tells all in her new documentary.

Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story, which is available on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK from Wednesday, October 18, sees her talk about "the jaw-dropping libel case that gripped the nation in 2022".

Rooney posted on Twitter that Rebekah Vardy had leaked stories about her to the press. Her tweet went viral and was dubbed "Wagatha Christie". Vardy responded on Twitter, denying the claims and implying that her Instagram account had been hacked. It led to the high-profile trial which saw Vardy lose her battle against Rooney.

In a new trailer, below, Coleen is asked if she still has the post on her phone to which she replies: "Yeah, yeah. They are my words and I stick by them".

Coleen talks about her thoughts when she first suspected Vardy. "I thought I'm going to do something about it," she says.

She adds: "I needed evidence. I had to set a trap."

Coleen’s trap was to post fake stories which Vardy didn’t know were just shared with her account. When information from those stories then appeared in the papers, Coleen posted her tweet.

It all led to the libel case, with Coleen saying that she never imagined ending up in a legal battle.

Coleen, who is seen in tears at one point, talks about the emotional strain the case had on her. "My dad said you’re not you anymore," she says.

The trailer contains a lighter moment with her husband, ex-England football star Wayne Rooney, is asked about his response to it all.“What you done here?!” he smiling replies about his thoughts on it all.

Summing up the documentary, the makers say: "Uncovering one of the biggest tabloid news stories in Britain for the last decade, it reveals how Coleen turned amateur online sleuth to find an explanation for why private stories concerning herself and her family continued to appear in the media. It examines the circumstances that led to her infamous Instagram post that 'broke the internet' all the way to Coleen successfully defending herself in one of the UK’s highest-profile High Court defamation cases of recent years.  

"As well as the case itself, it will explore how Coleen has had her life played out in public for the last 20 years. We know her as one of Britain’s most famous celebrities and wife of England’s record-scoring footballer Wayne Rooney."

Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen takes an in-depth look at the world’s best-selling crime writer.

The three-part series, airing on BBC Two this month, sees historian Lucy Worsley carry out some sleuthing of her own to find out what inspired the creator of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple and how her extraordinary life was every bit as intriguing as her acclaimed whodunnits.

Here’s everything you need to know about Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen... 

Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen – when is the air date?

The three-part documentary begins on Friday, November 25 on BBC Two at 9 pm and will air weekly but it will also be available as a box-set on BBC iPlayer. 

No US air date has been announced but we will update here if that changes.

Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen – what is it about?

The series sees Lucy Worsley, best known for documentaries including Lucy Worsley Investigates, Blitz Spirit with Lucy Worsley, and Lucy Worsley’s Royal Myths and Secrets, explore how deceptively 'cosy' crime writer Agatha Christie was actually a trailblazer and how the epic social changes she lived through, and her own personal struggles, bled into her work. 

The historian speaks to members of Christie’s family as well as fellow writers to find out more and she travels to a variety of locations across the globe that were important to the author, from Devon to Egypt and Istanbul.

“Agatha Christie experienced two World Wars, divorce, was a working single mum, and struggled with mental health,” Worsley tells What to Watch. “Her books tell the story of the 20th century as attitudes changed. But she also fits into that box marked ‘Difficult woman.’ People felt there was something odd about her and I was drawn to that.” 

What does the show reveal about Agatha Christie’s early life?

Worsley looks at Christie’s seemingly idyllic childhood in Devon and uncovers how a sinister recurring nightmare went on to influence some of her darkest mysteries. The historian also examines how Christie’s work as a hospital dispenser during World War One led to poison becoming the murder weapon of choice in her novels.

“When her father died, the family lost its money and she became anxious. She’d have this recurring nightmare about a 'Gun Man' and dream her mother had turned into this killer. That comes up in her stories — the murderer is always amongst us,” explains Worsley. “Then in World War One, she worked in a hospital seeing things nice ladies weren't supposed to and mixed potentially poisonous medicines. She was a rule-breaker.”

How does the series explain Agatha Christie’s famous disappearance?

In the second episode of the series, Worsley delves into the reasons why the author vanished for 11 days in 1926, sparking a manhunt until she was found in a Harrogate hotel. She looks at how the press became hostile to Agatha Christie in the aftermath of the event, and even tries to clear the writer’s name.

“The explanation was that it was a publicity stunt or she was framing her cheating first husband [Archibald Christie] for her murder. That's what the press wanted to believe,” explains Worsley. “But it’s not true. She said she'd experienced suicidal thoughts and she’d gone into a fugue state when you take a flight from reality, but people didn’t listen because it was uncomfortable.”

What does the series reveal about Agatha Christie’s later years?

The documentary discovers how Christie reached dizzy new heights as an author in her middle age, while she also became a successful playwright and found love again.

“She was full of surprises,” says Worsley. “She travelled to Iraq by herself in 1928 and fell in love with this archaeological assistant [Max Mallowan] 14 years younger than her. And she didn't become the Queen of the West End stage [with hits including The Mousetrap] until 1952, when she was 62. She’s a role model for later life success.”

Is there a trailer? 

Yes! The clip, which includes several archive shots of Christie, sees Worsley claiming that she wants to uncover the true Agatha Christie. Journalist Kate Adie is shown talking about Christie’s time working in a hospital during World War One and the teaser concludes with Worsley declaring that the author was a ‘pioneering, radical writer and woman'...

In Alan Carr's Adventures With Agatha Christie, comedian Alan Carr reveals a surprising secret — he's obsessed with Agatha Christie and has read all of her books.

Although he's already a superfan whose love of Agatha's books began when he was 12, Alan's curious to find out more about the woman behind the bestsellers, and in this three-part documentary, he'll be visiting some of the stunning landscapes that inspired her books, meeting her descendants, and even popping backstage at her record-breaking West End play, The Mousetrap.

Here's everything you need to know about the new series - including an interview with Alan himself...

Alan Carr's Adventures With Agatha Christie release date

Alan Carr's Adventures With Agatha Christie launches on Sunday, August 14 at 9pm on More4.

Alan Carr's Adventures With Agatha Christie — what locations does he visit?

Over the course of the series, Alan will be visiting all sorts of places that were meaningful to Agatha Christie, many of them in and around Devon. He'll be visiting London's West End to go backstage at The Mousetrap and find out the secrets of the world's longest-running play (but don't worry, he won't be revealing whodunnit), as well as heading to Greenway House, Agatha's Devon holiday home for over 30 years which features in her book Dead Man's Folly, and having a look through some of her personal photo albums.

Alan will also be taking a trip to Burgh Island, a tidal island in South Devon, where Agatha wrote two of her most famous novels: And Then There Were None and Evil Under The Sun. He even gets a chance to see the actual rooms that Agatha stayed in — but will he too be visited by the muse when he sits down at the typewriter?

Alan Carr's Adventures With Agatha Christie — who are the guests?

During his travels, Alan will be meeting some high-profile Agatha Christie fans to discuss why they love her work. He visits Reverend Richard Coles for a spot of tea to discuss the art of crime fiction — something that Richard has recently turned his hand to — while Susie Blake will be telling Alan about her experience of playing Miss Marple on stage, and Judge Rinder joins Alan to watch a performance of The Witness For The Prosecution.

Alan also meets James Prichard, Agatha's great-grandson, who shares a few family secrets with him...

Alan Carr's Adventures With Agatha Christie — Alan Carr interview

When did you first discover Agatha Christie's books?

"It was a rainy caravan holiday in Devon, and we couldn't go on the beach, we couldn't do anything, so I went to the campsite shop which had a revolving thing with all the books on, and I bought The Murder At The Vicarage — and as soon as I read it, I was hooked! I ended up reading all of them, and on a Saturday morning when we'd go into town, I was always pleading with my Dad, 'please can I have another Agatha Christie?'. I'll always be thankful to Agatha Christie because she started off my love of reading."

You visit some stunning locations in the show — was that a lot of fun?

"Well, the Devon tourist board must be over the moon because we had glorious sunshine, and we went to the best places ever! It was a perfect job — I love a cream tea and mincing around a stately home. Burgh Island was Art Deco heaven, to think she wrote two of her books there. It seems like a cliché when you say, 'I'm walking in Agatha Christie's footsteps' — but I genuinely was! It was just amazing, to be there at that table, looking out at the view where she wrote Evil Under The Sun."

What were you most surprised to find out about Agatha?

"That she had so much vim, and get-up-and-go — we're used to that black-and-white photo of her on the back of the books, where she looks older and quite stern, doesn't she? But as a young woman she went surfing and rollerskating, she went to Egypt, Syria and Iraq. I'm totally new to doing documentaries and it was a bit of a learning curve for me, so we get 'Agatha Christie loved wild swimming, so I put on my wetsuit and went wild swimming!' I was like, 'well, I can see it in a photo, why do I need to go wild swimming? Why can't I just watch it from the beach?'"

What's your favourite Agatha Christie book, and why?

"I think it's The ABC Murders, where a serial killer is killing people whose names begin with A in a town beginning with A, then he goes on to B and works his way through the alphabet. It's quite macabre and vindictive — it's quite a modern murder as well, you could imagine it being on Netflix or something. That's one of my bugbears about Agatha Christie, where people go, 'oh, she's so cosy and she's all twee', but actually some of the ways people are murdered are so grim!"

What do you think is the secret of Agatha's enduring appeal?

"I think we all love a mystery, and it's the nostalgia of time gone by — it's just like getting in a warm bath. I always pop an Agatha Christie in my bag when I'm traveling, it's like taking a friend with you. I know who the killer is, because I've read it before, but I just like them!"

Is there a trailer for Alan Carr's Adventures With Agatha Christie? 

Not yet, but if one is released we will add it to this guide. 

Channel 4 has commissioned a "unique" dramatic reconstruction of the infamous "Wagatha Christie" court case.

The show — dubbed Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama — is billed as a two-part drama-documentary that will recreate the high-profile Wagatha Christie case between Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney which saw Vardy suing Rooney for libel after being accused of leaking private stories to the press.

The docudrama scenes from the courtroom will be put alongside media scrutiny and social media analysis, with actors set to play the parts of the major players, including Rebekah and Jamie Vardy and Coleen and Wayne Rooney. Casting information has not yet been revealed.

Tom Popay, Creative Director at Chalkboard said: "The #WagathaChristie phenomenon has become one of the most talked about moments in the history of social media. 

"The court case that followed has captivated the entire nation but very few people actually got to see what happened inside the courtroom. We're excited to bring the trial to life in such a unique way and we're hoping we can get to the bottom of how this case fascinated and amazed so many", he said.

Rebekah and Coleen finished giving evidence in the trial in May, but at the time of writing, a ruling has not yet been released. 

Director Oonagh Kearney added: "This trial utterly captivated the public with its daily feed of entertaining exchanges and jaw-dropping reveals. But behind this, is a story of two women under constant public scrutiny, fighting for their reputations. It's a privilege to work with Channel 4, writer Chris Atkins and the fantastic Chalkboard team to peel back the layers of this story and reveal the beating hearts within."

Channel 4's Head of Factual Entertainment, Alf Lawrie said: "More outlandish than a storyline from Footballers Wives, this High Court case gripped the nation. Now, using court transcripts, this factual dramatisation will allow viewers to see for themselves the courtroom drama in one of the most infamous trials of recent times, bringing to life a case that encapsulated so much about the British cultural landscape in the 21st century."

Channel 4 has not confirmed a release date for Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama just yet.

Agatha Christie’s England is a new documentary about the English locations the writer knew and loved.

It’s revealed that many of the locations helped inspire some of the author’s famous characters and plots for her hugely popular murder mysteries.

The one-off film, narrated by James Bond actress Samantha Bond, is a must-watch for all fans of the Queen of Crime.

Agatha Christie’s England release date

Agatha Christie’s England is being shown in the UK on Channel 5 on Tuesday 6 July at 9pm. It will also be available on catch-up service My5. 

Meanwhile, Agatha Christie’s England has already been broadcast on PBS in America. 

What locations feature in Agatha Christie’s England?

Fans will know that many of the places featured in the books are inspired by real locations. The documentary features Beacon Cove in Devon, where Agatha swam as a young woman with her nephew. Her nephew nearly drowned and that moment was movingly echoed later in her 1939 novel And Then There Were None. We also head to her country retreat, Greenway, near Torquay. The boathouse there featured in her 1956 classic, Dead Man’s Folly. 

Christie may have partly based Miss Marple on her great aunt, who she lovingly called Granny. And we go to Ealing, where her great aunt would gleefully talk about the latest murder trial. We also go to Marple train station in Stockport and Christie is thought to have named her spinster sleuth creation after the station.

Does the film have access to Christie’s family?

Yes, Agatha Christie’s great-grandson James is seen in the documentary visiting the boathouse at Greenway. The makers also had access to Christie’s private homes.

Is there a trailer?

Yes! “Take a mystery tour through Agatha Christie’s England. Journey from perilous places to murderous manor houses and uncover Agatha Christie’s England,” declares the short trailer.  

• BritBox best murder mysteries

A century ago, Agatha Christie’s lovable and fastidious Belgian detective Hercule Poirot first exercised his little grey cells to solve a dastardly crime in the 1921 novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles. Now, a new ITV documentary, Agatha & Poirot: Partners in Crime will explore our endless fascination with the dapper sleuth and his remarkable creator, who became known as the "Queen of Crime".

Here’s everything we know about Agatha & Poirot: Partners in Crime…

When will Agatha & Poirot: Partners in Crime air?

The one-off documentary will air on Easter Monday April 5 on ITV at 9pm.

What is Agatha & Poirot: Partners in Crime about?

It celebrates the centenary of Poirot’s first appearance in print in the UK in The Mysterious Affair At Styles and explores the extraordinary impact he has had on our popular culture by looking at some of his most famous cases, from Murder on the Orient Express to Death on the Nile. The documentary also examines how Christie came to create Poirot, how she felt about him and how her own life inspired some of her most celebrated novels.

“I don't think when she set out writing The Mysterious Affair At Styles she expected anything. It wasn’t some great master plan to take over the crime writing genre. It was a happy accident,” says Christie’s great-grandson James Prichard, who features in the documentary. 

“She probably had some dull British detective in mind and then someone suggested she did something different. So she came up with Poirot because it’s thought she’d noticed Belgian refugees in Torquay [where she was born] in the First World War. His appeal is his Belgian-ness, the moustache, the way he dresses and that fastidiousness. But both he and Agatha were also phenomenally clever, intuitive and great observers of human nature.”

Who is in Agatha & Poirot: Partners in Crime?

Richard E Grant presents the documentary while famous fans also share their insight, including Gavin & Stacey’s Joanna Page, who looks at how sumptuous travel inspired Christie's work, while Stephen Fry showcases Poirot’s appearances on film and TV. Meanwhile chef Marcus Wareing cooks a feast for James and actor Amanda Abbington to celebrate Christie’s love of food, while James himself also shows us round her Devon home, Greenway.

“Devon was a massive part of her life. It's where she was born, and Greenway is amazing, magical and private and she could unwind there, it was crucial to her writing,” says James. “We spent a lot of time at Greenway as kids and played hide and seek in the gardens.”

Also appearing are Zoe Wanamaker, who played Poirot’s author friend Ariadne Oliver in the David Suchet-led series, and Hugh Fraser, who played his loyal comrade Captain Hastings. Lesley Joseph, Danny John-Jules and Caroline Quentin also share their fondness for Poirot along with screen writer Anthony Horowitz and historian Bettany Hughes.

What else do we know?

James believes that Agatha Christie will still be read in another 100 years!

“Growing up, I was embarrassed by it all but I’ve got prouder and more impressed with what she achieved. The day she died [in 1976], I remember coming back from school and she was the first item on the news. I realised then she was pretty special. I don't think she gets the credit she deserves. I hate the phrase 'cosy fiction', the murders in her books are meant to be repugnant, there's darkness there. And she helped create the crime fiction genre and played with what you could do with it," says James.

“During the first lockdown, book sales went mad. A lot of people have turned to Agatha Christie and that's testament to those stories and the place they hold in our affection. She will go on forever."

• Best BBC dramas
• Best ITV dramas
• Best Channel 4 dramas
• Best Channel 5 dramas
• Call the Midwife 2021
• Doctor Who Season 13
• BritBox best mysteries

Helen Baxendale on playing Agatha Christie in a clever Channel 5 whodunnit that sees the crime writer turn detective

Agatha Christie was one of our best-loved crime authors but in Channel 5’s Agatha and the Midnight Murders, she shows off her own skills at detection.

The film sees Noughts + Crosses and former Cold Feet star Helen Baxendale play a cash-strapped Agatha who, during the Blitz of 1940, is reluctantly selling the manuscript for her last Poirot novel to a private buyer at a London hotel. But during an air raid, as the hotel guests head for shelter in the basement, a killer strikes and the manuscript goes missing. Can Agatha crack the case?

Here, Helen Baxendale tells us what to expect in Agatha and the Midnight Murders…

Where do we find Agatha Christie?

Helen Baxendale: “She’s there to do a shifty deal because she’s in financial difficulties. Although she sells millions of books, her American royalties have dried up and she's in trouble with the Inland Revenue. So she needs the money from the manuscript. But people start dying, as happens in Agatha Christies! And they can’t leave because of the air raid. Although Agatha Christie isn’t a detective, she writes these novels so she has an aptitude for sorting this kind of thing out and she becomes sleuth-like. Her main goal though is to get her manuscript back. But there’s a surprise…”

MORE: Everything you need to know about Channel 5 series All Creatures Great and Small

Agatha Christie is accompanied by a minder, wheeler-dealer Travis, played by Blake Harrison. What is their relationship like?

HB: “They met about a decade earlier. She found him a bit of a lovable rogue I think. And when she sets up this dodgy meeting trying to sell her manuscript, she wants somebody who knows that slightly criminal underworld. I really enjoyed working with Blake, he’s a delightful man."

You filmed the drama in Malta which stood in for London, what was that like?

HB: “We didn’t see a lot of it but I’m sure Malta is nice! We were all together in this fusty old basement in an amazing Maltese mansion. We'd go in in the morning and come out and it'd be dark!”

Did you enjoy the Blitz period?

HB: “Yes, I love any sort of period but this was great because I've never done it on screen before. I like Agatha Christie’s prim outfit. The costume department use as much that is original as they can so my clothes and  shoes were from the 1940s. And they make you wear the proper stuff underneath – even the underwear that is a bit woolly!”

It’s 17 years since your character Rachel died in Cold Feet. Are you still in touch with your co-stars?

HB: “Hermione Norris and I email each other every so often and just catch up. I watched all of the last series and it feels like a different show to me now so I enjoy it on its own. But it is weird when they mention Rachel!”

Agatha and the Midnight Murders airs on Channel 5 of Wednesday 7 October at 9pm

Hercule Poirot is back. And murder has yet again found its way to the Belgian detective, this time interrupting his vacation in Egypt. Death on the Nile — the follow-up to 2017's Murder on the Orient Express — now has its first trailer ahead of its Oct. 23 release in theaters. 

"Have you ever loved so much," asks Poirot, again portrayed by Kenneth Branagh, "been so possessed by jealousy — that you might kill?"

Given that Death on the Nile also stars the likes of Gal Gadot, Rose Leslie and Armie Hammer, we can see where he's going.

Like last time, the scene is simultaneously contained to a steamboat while also grand in scale, with no less than the Great Pyramids playing a big part. (What other kind of part could they play?)

Here's how the studio puts things:

Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot’s Egyptian vacation aboard a glamorous river steamer turns into a terrifying search for a murderer when a picture-perfect couple’s idyllic honeymoon is tragically cut short. Set against an epic landscape of sweeping desert vistas and the majestic Giza pyramids, Death on the Nile features a cosmopolitan group of impeccably dressed travelers, and enough wicked twists and turns to leave audiences guessing until the final, shocking denouement.

Along with five-time Oscar winner Brannaugh, Death on the Nile also stars Tom Bateman, four-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Ali Fazal, Dawn French, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders and Letitia Wright.