BBC reveals The Pale Horse is the next big Christie adaptation following The ABC Murders

John Malkovich playing Hercule Poirot in BBC's adaptation of The ABC Murders - next up for the BBC is The Pale Horse
(Image credit: BBC/Mammoth/Charlie Gray)

The Pale Horse, a spooky Christie classic, is heading to BBC1 possibly at Christmas

Following the success of last year’s The ABC Murders, the BBC has revealed it’s to adapt another Agatha Christie classic – The Pale Horse.

The Beeb - who’ve also adapted Ordeal by Innocence, Witness for the Prosecution and And Then There Were None – could well make The Pale Horse one of the jewels of its Christmas schedule, although this is yet to be confirmed.

The Pale Horse, first published in 1961, sees a mysterious list of names being found in the shoe of a dead woman. One of those named, Mark Easterbrook, begins an investigation into how and why his name came to be there, which takes him to The Pale Horse, the home of a group of witches...

This year’s Agatha Christie mystery – a real Christmas treat

Witness for the Prosecution, which starred Kim Cattrall, was also adapted by the Beeb

Casting has yet to be announced, although expect some big names following Hollywood star John Malkovich playing Hercule Poirot last Christmas in The ABC Murders.

More: Check out Mackenzie Crook as Worzel Gummidge which is heading to BBC1 this Christmas

Talking about the two-part adaptation, Sarah Phelps, Writer and Executive Producer, said: "Written in 1961, against the backdrop of the Eichmann Trial, the escalation of the Cold War and Vietnam, The Pale Horse is a shivery, paranoid story about superstition, love gone wrong, guilt and grief.

"It’s about what we’re capable of when we’re desperate and what we believe when all the lights go out and we’re alone in the dark."

Helen Ziegler, Executive Producer for Mammoth Screen, added: “Sarah Phelps has crafted an extraordinary adaptation of Agatha Christie’s celebrated 1960s novel The Pale Horse, where the rational world and dark supernatural forces seem to collide. Asking the question, how far would you go to protect your own happiness? it’s a tale of guilt, terror and witchcraft with we hope will delight and terrify viewers in equal measure!"

It’s yet to be revealed when The Pale Horse, written by Agatha Christie, will be on BBC1.

David Hollingsworth
Editor

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.


Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough. 


David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.


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