All language subtitles for s10e05.Behind.the.Scenes.(extra).corrected

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[ up-tempo music plays ]

POIROT:
The theft of the Heart of Fire.

The murder
of Mme. Ruth Kettering.

The attempted murder
of Mlle. Katherine Grey.

All of this is the work
of an intelligence formidable.

And it moves amongst us now.

NARRATOR:
Someone once said

it's impossible to name
a famous Belgian.

Whoever said that hadn't done
their detective work.

M. Poirot.

I'm so glad you're here.

NARRATOR:
Hercule Poirot is without doubt

one of the best-known detectives
in literature,

and he is very definitely
Belgian.

How exciting.
You're most frightfully famous.

NARRATOR: He's also
the only fictional character

ever to be honored
with an obituary

on the front page of
The New York Times.

RUTH:
Oh, my God. That's him.

NARRATOR:
Now, that's famous.

I'm really going to faint.
[Laughs]

My daughter, you see,
is a tremendous fan of yours.

Listen, Poirot.

You will take the case on,
won't you?

NARRATOR:
David Suchet has completed

four all-new Poirot mysteries.

Oui monsieur.
I will take the case.

NARRATOR: We've got exclusive
behind-the-scenes access

to the set and on location.

[French accent]
Oh, hello. Nice to see you.

NARRATOR: We'll reveal
how David is transformed

into Agatha Christie's
eccentric private eye.

Voilà.

NARRATOR:
We'll meet the galaxy of stars

lined up
for Poirot's latest cases.

Am I happy?

I'm always happy.

NARRATOR: And we'll discover
the secrets of the set,

why things sometimes go
with a bang.

[Car backfires]

That's why we always have
one too many.

Because one always breaks down.

C'est scandaleux.

NARRATOR: For the past 16 years,
Poirot has been a regular on ITV

courtesy of the brilliant
British actor David Suchet.

This is so thrilling,
I can hardly breathe.

I adore him.

And he's really irritating.

[Laughs]

He drives me crazy.

NARRATOR:
Since he first took the role,

David has filmed
a remarkable 53 Poirot stories,

making the character his own.

Monsieur, they are all lying,
the whole family.

I was frightened
to take over the mantle

of this extraordinary character.

And what I did was I thought,

'Well, rather than work out
how I'm going to do it,

let me find out who this man is

from Agatha Christie's
perspective."

I then read as many of the books
as I could, making a dossier.

And, of course, Agatha Christie
had it all in there --

the whole character,
all his eccentricities.

And I noted them.

I wanted to be the character
that Agatha Christie wrote.

Order and method.

These are the elements
of Poirot.

NARRATOR: Now Suchet's Poirot
is a huge international success.

Over 80 countries buy the films,

making it
one of British television's

most successful exports.

Not surprisingly,
it has attracted

and continues to attract
some of our finest actors.

I can't see the point.

Poirot in the hands of David
and the team has become,

like Agatha Christie,
a national treasure.

Agatha Christie
is such a great icon.

I think what attracts actors to it

is because they're all
good characters.

Good stories and lots of
whodunits, lots of red herrings.

Just the glamour
and the clothes.

And, you know, I think it's
absolutely gorgeous.

I do not think
that we shall be bored.

NARRATOR: Everyone involved
with the productions

acknowledges one thing --

David Suchet's fanatical
attention to detail.

David Suchet
is arguably the best Poirot

that has played the part.

Brilliantly funny
and seriously serious.

[Woman screams]

The detail he's gone into
in every aspect,

from his behavior, his speech.

He's a fantastic match
for the character of Poirot.

I think he's completely
claimed it.

PHILLIPS: David gave me
four handwritten pages of notes

about the character.

Meticulous things like,
you know' "Never drinks tea.

Only drinks coffee,

and he has exactly five lumps
in every cup."

And "always stands
when a woman enters the room."

He's an absolute perfectionist.

Oh, parfait.

MURRAY: I think that there's a
lot of Poirot in David as well.

He's very old school.

He's a complete gentleman.

He stands up for ladies.

He acts it through to his feet.

I mean just the sort of walk
and the precision the character.

And he sort of sustains it
right through the day.

Clever boy he is.

I cannot say at the moment.
I may be wrong.

Doesn't often happen to you.

It has happened twice
in my career.

The voice took a long time
to prepare,

because everybody
who meets Poirot

mistakingly thinks he's French.

TIMOTHY:
I certainly didn't think

that painted little French
popinjay was going to be here,

sticking his nose
where it doesn't concern him.

SUCHET: But the only way
they can think he's French

is from the way he speaks.

But be can't sound pure French
because he's Belgian.

And then to move my voice,
which is quite deep,

into how I perceive
that character,

which is a walking brain.

So he has no emotions, really,
from below the neck,

so a chest voice
wouldn't be applicable.

So I change my voice -- raise it
until it lives in the head.

And you do that by talking up
and talking up...

[French accent] ...until it
becomes in the throat

and then it becomes in the head,
and that is how he talks.

It is a head voice.

It is easy to let the tender
feelings cloud the judgment.

SUCHET: Now, the walk --
I actually came across a quote,

and the quote went something
like this.

"Poirot crossed the lawn
in his usual rapid, mincing gait

with his feet tightly
and painfully enclosed

within his shiny
patent leather boots."

Hence the walk.

So, do you think
he's the murderer, Poirot?

NARRATOR:
It was also essential

to understand what was going on
inside that Belgian gray matter.

You read people's minds --
psychology sort of thing.

Mais. D'accord.

It is the "why" of human
behavior that interests me.

I'd like to murder
that director.

SUGHET: All his stories
are not necessarily whodunits.

They're "howdunits."

And howdunits comes from the
psychology of the guilty party.

And that's what fires him
and what excites him.

But I do know about psychology,
madame.

And when people are together
in the room and they talk,

the truth, sooner or later,
it will always be revealed.

NARRATOR: Finally, David Suchet
has to look like Hercule Poirot.

And for that,
be needs a little help

from makeup artist Sian Turner.

One of the descriptions
of Poirot in the books

is that he does look made up

and resembles
almost a music-hall comic.

And people in the books,
the other characters,

are always saying, "What
a funny-looking little man."

I've got to play him as I look,

which is on the edge of being
absolutely real

but also on the edge of being
slightly caricature.

But not too much
so that he's unbelievable.

It's a very fine line, yeah.

It's a full character
transformation, really.

And it is that mustache
that does it, really, isn't it?

As soon as that goes on,
then he's there.

And actually
from that moment on, I'm him.

[French accent]
Et voilà.

The little man...
with a big belly.

NARRATOR:
ln the summer of 2005,

the Poirot team
were in the south of France

to film
"The Mystery of the Blue Train."

Welcome.

Nice and quiet, please.
First positions.

And action.

LADY TAMPLIN: On the contrary --
It would be ghastly

not to be interrogated
when it's so fashionable.

NARRATOR: ln true
Agatha Christie tradition,

it features a wide range
of wonderfully drawn characters,

including one played
by an American screen legend.

We've got Van Aldin,
played by Elliott Gould,

who's this big American
businessman.

Mr. Poirot, Rufus Van Aldin.

I'm in oil --
figuratively speaking.

Monsieur.

We've got his daughter, Ruth.

I'm Ruth.

Or the Honorable
Mrs. Derek Kettering

if I'm trying to book a table
for lunch.

-You know the English.
-Madame.

We've got Katherine,

who's just inherited
a huge amount of money

but comes from
a very simple background.

There I was
in the back of beyond,

looking after a cantankerous
rich old lady.

Next day, I'm one myself.

SUCHET: And we've got
the typical Brit brigade

in the Riviera.

The expats,
who are wonderfully drawn.

Your Lady Tamplin, played
by the wonderful Lindsay Duncan.

All French hotels
are intolerable,

especially the expensive ones.

No, no.

You are staying with us.

And we've got her very, very,
very young husband,

played by Tom Harper.

Look here!
I accuse you of being my wife!

And I demand the right
to be kissed.

The book,
by Agatha's own admission,

was not one of her favorites,

and we've taken some monstrous
liabilities with it.

LENOX:
Mummy's incorrigible!

She can't just have a party.
She has to have a sensation!

ANDREWS:
There's a house styled

to increase the number
of suspects.

He may well be a killer, too,
of course.

That's a bit worrying.

ANDREWS: It's dramatically
desirable to have more people

to be anxious about
as the story is progressing.

Oh, God!

She's only gone
and invited him as well!

Oh, Mummy.

Not one to let a tiresome
brutal murder cramp her style.

And it's quite a lot sillier.

Do you speak French at all?

Don't give it
a moment's thought.

All the right people
speak English.

HOPKINS: The Blue Train
was a very glamorous vehicle

that was like Concorde
of its time

that that took the jet set from
London to the south of France,

where they partied like mad
along the Riviera.

[Whistle blows]

SUGHET:
Unlike the Orient Express,

where the murder takes place
on the train

and the solving of the murder
takes place on the train,

"The Mystery
of the Blue Train" --

Yes, there is a murder on
the train, but the solving of it

and the revealing of it
all happens off the train.

And once again, it's Poirot's
howdunit rather than whodunit.

[Bell tolling]

NARRATOR: Filming took place
over nine days

in an area around Nice.

HOPKINS: The villages
are incredibly beautiful,

the hilltop villages.

Church squares, old monasteries,
winding little streets.

It's perfect.

NARRATOR:
A local museum in Menton

doubles as the railway station.

The weather is good,
but the forecast is not,

so there's an air of urgency
on the set.

Everything needs to be shot
while the weather holds.

Everything for Poirot has got to
be totally immaculate.

So we've got a Dunhill
cigarette lighter, original.

This is what he's going to be
using for looking for clues

when he's on
the railway carriages.

This is his Russian cigarettes
that he smokes.

They're cut down to size
for him.

And his monogrammed box.

We've got original Louis Vuitton
which is 75 years old.

The value of maybe 15,000
on some of the luggage.

NARRATOR: The weather
takes a turn for the worse.

But spirits remain undimmed.

Apart from the wind
blowing everywhere

and my hat about to go,
Makeup can't deal with my hair.

So I've got to put it back on
again.

It's really nice, actually.
It's lovely.

It's fun filming somewhere else.

To actually be in the place

where you are supposed to be
filming in the story

is really nice,
instead of pretending.

SUCHET:
Catherine becomes his friend,

almost his daughter figure.

It's a constant reminder of how
lonely a man Poirot really is.

I think he has
a sort of little crush on her,

which is quite nice.

Did you know the woman?

Um, n-no.

I-I mean...

No. Not really.
No.

My character keeps
her own counsel

and doesn't give much away.

So you're not quite sure
what sort of person she is.

And certainly you're not sure
whether she's got anything to do

with the predicament.

I've got a few nice frocks
as well.

You know, it's always nice.

NARRATOR: Sci-fi fans
will remember Josette

from her time in "Blakes 7."

And comedy fans
will be delighted to know

that there's another
familiar face on the set.

It was funny meeting Trigger
from "Fools and Horses."

I was asked,

"Would you like to play a
Frenchman in Nice for 10 days?"

And I thought,
"Well, yes, actually.

Very nice.
Thank you."

And turn over.

NARRATOR: Roger Lloyd-Pack plays
a French detective

who mustn't speak French.

LLOYD-PACK:
Well, to speak as an Englishman,

not with a French accent,
as it were,

they're worried about
too many funny accents

and it might start looking like
"'Allo 'Allo"

Or something like that.

[French accent]
I can't do a French accent,

which would be
a little bit amusing for me.

Her face.

Well, there isn't one.

She's been hit so many times,
there's nothing left.

NARRATOR: Such is the interest
in a new "Poirot,"

even David Suchet's stand-in is
interviewed for a TV magazine.

Standing in, it's something
which I like doing.

And I used to stand in
for Ross Kemp

when he had some more
productions that he was doing.

HALE: The job involves being
a camera-lighting stand-in.

It's exactly what it says it is.

When they've rehearsed
the scene,

they have to light it
and rehearse camera moves.

And obviously that can take
anything from half an hour

to sometimes two bours depending
on how intricate it all is.

And my job is to be there
for David,

stand still
for quite some length of time,

and indeed do the moves
that are required.

And that way, he can then rest,
be refreshed, learn more lines,

and come out fighting,
as they say,

when they're all ready for him.

NARRATOR:
As the rain starts to fall,

the stand-in becomes
even more important.

Fortunately, all the key filming
has been done

before this Mediterranean
downpour puts an end

to the day's proceedings.

[Indistinct conversations]

SUCHET: The great thing
about coming to the area

of Nice and Menton is that.

You could be in Italy.

[French accent]
This whole area is so Italian.

It's all my beautiful
and favorite colors.

It's wonderful.

Nothing like Belgium.

NARRATOR:
Nothing like Belgium

and certainly nothing like
Hollywood Boulevard.

GOULD: For me, it's like another
version of "Brigadoon."

It's just the way it was.

One of the buildings behind me
has a commemoration

from 1290-something
until 1990-something.

So that was even before America
was discovered.

My character
is an American character

traveling with my daughter,
who I passionately love.

And I am a very wealthy person

and buying my daughter anything
and everything

that is special and unique
to express my love for her.

MAN:
The Heart of Fire.

VAN ALDIN:
So it is.

NARRATOR:
The film opens

with Van Aldin acquiring
a rare jewel for his daughter.

An alleyway in Menton Old Town

doubles as the back streets
of Paris.

Okay.
We'll do one more, please, guys.

NARRATOR:
A stunt double gets stuck

into a serious fight scene
under Elliott's watchful eye.

[Man grunts]

A clever piece of editing,

and it's Gould who emerges
from the action.

MAN:
And action!

GOULD:
My character's private life

and personal life is somewhat
abstract and bizarre,

as we don't find out about me

until Poirot starts to examine
my story.

VAN ALDIN:
That's good, Poirot.

Oh, boy.
You are very good.

SUGHET:
He's embraced the role

because he wanted to be
in a "Poirot."

I mean, that's the greatest
compliment we could have

is when actors of that status

say they want to be
in this program.

I'm very flattered.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Yeah.

Am I happy?

I'm always happy.

NARRATOR: But no one's happier
than Poirot's many French fans.

Franco-Belgian relations
were reaching new heights.

SUCHET: [ French accent ]
They all watch the series.

I had no idea.

I'm on tonigbt.

You watch it every week?

Every week. Yes.
[ Laughs ]

Commence.

Un. deux.

Oui.

During the two weeks
that I've been here,

I've been approached
by so many fans.

He's a cult figure.

I had no idea at all.

C'est bon.

Voilà.

Parfait.
Bravo.

Poirot.

It's huge.
Unbelievable.

Merci.

I must be careful
he doesn't take over the role.

NARRATOR: Getting the right
location is crucial to the film,

and it helps when all the
important people love the show.

We've got complete support from
the mayor and everybody else.

And so we were able
to close down roads,

take over museums --
anything we wanted, really.

NARRATOR:
This café location

was lovingly re-created
from old photographs.

OHANIAN: This building,
in fact, was a casino

in the period of time
we are shooting, actually.

Now this casino is a café for us
in 1935.

The daugbter faked her own death
to punish Papa.

Or to escape her husband.

NARRATOR: Roger Lloyd-Pack
finally gets a chance

to not do his French accent...

I don't know.
Both.

NARRATOR: ...and then leads
the exodus back home to England.

Au revoir. Nice.

NARRATOR: The platform scenes
and train exteriors

were shot the following week.

And if you want to film
the Gare de Nice,

the obvious place to go
is Peterborougb.

[ French accent ]
Oh. Hello. Nice to see you.

We're in Peterborougb now,
where the blue train is.

NARRATOR: Nene Valley Railway is
home to Thomas the Tank Engine,

the only genuine blue train
on view.

But TV is a magical thing.

We couldn't find a yard

that would be exactly as it was
in Nice in 1938.

And it's a lot simpler and a lot
more fun to do it by trickery.

Do whatever we like that way.

TESSLER: This is the only place
in the country

that has the right kind
of railway carriage.

It's the blue and cream colors
of the original Blue Train,

so we've come here
and we're pretending

that it's four different
railway stations in France.

We have to try
and think of ingenious ways

to disguise things.

It sometimes tests us.

After we've filmed,

we're going to go introduce
some computerized images

which will kind of reinforce
the period

and the places
that it's supposed to be.

[ Whistle blows ]

There's the train whistle going.
Our murder is about to happen.

My dear Lady Tamplin.

LADY TAMPLIN: Don't.
I think I'm going to be sick.

-What ever is the matter?
-Oh, God.

I shouldn't have to look
at all that blood.

HILLS: This is a very key moment
in the film

where they arrive
after the train journey.

And what you need in a film

are moments when you really see
what you want to see.

The train and all the platform
are going to be shot for real.

And the other half of it will be
done by trickery later on.

So we are seeing Nice in 1938.

[ Indistinct conversations,
steam hissing ]

[ Whistle blows ]

[ Woman screams ]

NARRATOR: There's not just
the station scenes to consider.

The train also has to be filmed
on the move.

TESSLER: Hopefully we'll
convince the audience

that they're seeing the train
travel through France.

[ Train chugging ]

NARRATOR: The traveling scenes
at first look like this.

But add a sprinkling of
computer graphics and voilà --

The Blue Train glides across
a beautiful French landscape.

The last stop on this whirlwind
journey is Shepperton --

Stage K, to be precise,

where Jaime Murray has
an appointment with death.

I'm going to be
a bloody corpse later.

Nice to always get murdered
first thing in the morning.

[ Laughs ]

My agent said to me,
"I've got this wonderful script.

'Poirot.'
It's a wonderful part.

And you get to go to the south
of France."

And then I started reading
the script.

And I read it.

And then I --

"She's murdered?
I'm killed?"

And I was flicking forward
and flicking back

and thinking it must be
some sort of mistake,

because I'm killed on the train
on the way to France,

so I never got to go there.

The rest of the cast all went
to Nice,

and I stayed
in sunny old England.

I was most disappointed.

NARRATOR: But before
you can murder someone,

a number of things need to be
in place.

So to make it look real,
we've got fake blood,

which is glycerin
and food color,

which gives it the consistency
of thick blood.

And when it dries, it still
looks like normal blood again,

so the effect is splashed
everywhere.

CAUX:
Mirror. Smashed.

A bottle of champagne.
Smashed.

MAN: To stop any actors getting
hurt, we use sugar glass.

So you just put it on your head
and...

and it doesn't hurt.

NARRATOR:
Ever wondered how they film

those moving train sequences
with night lights flashing by?

This is how.

And now it's time for Jaime
to meet her maker.

The last scene filmed
for "Blue Train" is the murder.

A murder which Poirot solved
weeks ago.

[ Screams ]

NARRATOR: That is the strange
and wonderful world of TV drama.

The police,
they will have to be involved.

NARRATOR:
On the same day

Jaime Murray is being murdered
on Stage K,

a short distance away,
David Suchet is arriving

for a read-through
of his next Poirot mystery.

I'm going to read this script,
see how it sounds off the page,

and see whether any editing
or corrections

or revisions need to be done.

It's also timed.

Action!

NARRATOR: Within a week,
the crew and a cast

which includes Geraldine James
and Robert Bathurst

are on location to shoot
"After the Funeral"

At magnificent Rotherfield Park
in Hampshire.

SUCHET: It's possibly one of
the most extraordinary locations

in which I've filmed

because it is a running
private family estate.

It's like walking back
into time.

Welcome to Enderby, Mr. Poirot.

Merci.

Ah.
C'est magnifique.

TULLO:
You read the script.

It sort of just sprung up
and went, "Oh, yes.

It must be Rotherfield."

And as you come up the driveway,

you kind of see the house set up
on the hill.

And it just suits the story
really well.

And the interior is fantastic.

Though we're here for two weeks,

you won't get bored
at this location.

There are a lot
of different things there

which are good to look at.

[ Down-tempo jazz playing ]

It's very nice to sort of swan
around here

and believe that it's 1936
or whatever it is

and this is my husband's
family home.

[ Clicks tongue ]

We should be so lucky, frankly.
It's great.

[ Music continues ]

PHILLIPS: The interiors required
almost no dressing at all.

All the furniture
and the paintings

and the antiques were perfect
for the period,

so that was a big, big plus.

What's important is the outside
and the grounds,

because all that is evocative.

The views, where it's situated.

What time of the year is it?
What color stone is it?

All that will have a bearing
on the atmosphere of the piece.

So it is very vital.
Yes.

NARRATOR: The house has been
used for several film shoots,

including Daphne du Maurier's
"Rebecca"

and "Four Weddings
and a Funeral."

For the owners, show biz isn't
always a fun business.

I suppose we must be
on various databases.

And, of course, you also get
eager young men

driving up the drive on spec,
looking for a likely location.

Sometimes it gets too much,

but we don't have them
in our bedroom

and sitting room and kitchen.

But I certainly had to move out
of my office.

It's a bit of an inconvenience,
really.

I would say that.

Turn over!

SCOTT: The upside is it's quite
a fun thing to be associated,

particularly when you have
a quality production

with some actors and actresses
that you admire.

And thank you
for your hospitality.

Thank you, Mr. Poirot.

And obviously there is a check
as well.

NARRATOR:
"After the Funeral"

Is a very English
Agatha Christie story

featuring a dysfunctional family

which comes together following
the death of Richard Abernethie.

I am the family solicitor
who is having to deal with them.

He doesn't particularly
like them, but he sort of has

a professional relationship
with them.

And he gets his old mate Poirot in.

Who benefited from the death
of Richard?

The whole family.
Apart from George, of course.

And myself, to a small degree.

Ah.
So you yourself are a suspect?

NARRATOR:
Once again, the cast features

some of our finest
acting talent,

including Geraldine James,
whose CV ranges from "Gandhi"

and "Jewel in the Crown"

to "Calendar Girls"
and "Hearts of Gold."

-[ Laughs ]
-It must be quite terrifying.

She's done everything from
Shakespeare to "Little Britain."

And a great sense of humor,
great timing,

and just seems always so natural
in the part

and is always
incredibly prepared

and is an absolute joy
to work with.

I felt there was
something wrong that day.

In what way wrong, madame?

Unexpected or surprising?

Sinister, even?

Not sinister, no.

More a sense of something
not being quite right.

BATHURST:
Some people are brittle.

They might feel as though
they're being directed

or in any way having their
performance interfered with.

But with Geraldine,
it's a complete two-way thing.

You can say one thing, and she
says, "I don't agree with that,"

Or vice versa.

And it's a complete free
and easy working relationship.

But at least you're all rigbt.

Your visits to him
were a great help.

Oh, for heaven's sake.

It's George I'm concerned with.

NARRATOR: Geraldine once married
David Suchet --

on-screen, of course --
in "Blot on the Landscape."

So I am a suspect
in your investigations.

Madame, I only wish to discover
the truth.

NARRATOR:
And there is also another

of David Suchet's old friends.

I didn't like to say to Timothy,

"Your youngest sister
is completely batty."

NARRATOR:
Anna Calder-Marshall

gives a feisty performance
as Maude.

But there are some scenes where
she gets a little bit of help.

[ Up-tempo jazz playing ]

Yes, thanks to the magic
of television,

the old lady at the wheel
is in fact a man.

And talking of drivers,
did you recognize this face?

Here's a reminder.

Yes -- David Suchet's driver,
Sean O'Connor,

plays the part
of Poirot's chauffeur.

And though the title "After
the Funeral" doesn't suggest it,

the drama still bristles with
typical Agatha Christie humor,

courtesy of our leading man.

MISS GILGHRIST: They're
Mrs. Gallaccio's own paintings.

They're very good, aren't they?

Oui.

He has a humor in him, Poirot.

And I think the way David plays
lets it through --

the sneaky things that come
through that you suddenly see,

which I absolutely love.

But why would anyone
want to do that?

Ah.

You enjoy watching him.
You sort of relish his thought.

And he always has that
Columbo moment in every episode,

when Columbo used to turn,
about to leave a room, and say,

"Oh, and just one more thing."

Poirot, every episode,
has that Columbo moment as well.

Monsieur, tell to me,
if you please,

the two horses on which you won
some money.

What were their names?

Gaymarck and lsambard ll.

Ah.

Merci.

NARRATOR: The third film in the
new run is "Cards on the Table,"

an intriguing story
based around a dinner party

and a game of bridge.

And once again,
the stars have come out to play.

One, in fact, has actually come
from the stars.

Although I did "Star Trek"
for seven years

and we did a lot of bizarre
stuff on that show,

I still hadn't done
any '30s drama, period drama.

We all grew up on these shows.

These are the staple diet

of so much of the world
of fiction and drama.

It's just a real pleasure to be
on such a class one as "Poirot."

NARRATOR:
Alexander Siddig,

Dr. Julian Bashir
in "Star Trek,"

plays Shaitana,
one of the world's richest men,

who just happens to have
a fascination for murder.

SIDDIG:
He's difficult to pin down.

Weird character.

He's sort of very louche
and very big

and incredibly
sort of gregarious.

Has a huge amount of energy.

So when I wake up,
I have to really be on it

every time I come into work.

But it's great fun.

If I were to commit a crime,

I should like to keep it
very simple.

An accident, perhaps --

a shooting accident,
for example.

SIDDIG:
He collects a group of people

who have all gotten away
with murder in their lives.

Oh, Mr. Shaitana,
I must protest.

When we poison our patients,
it's entirely by accident.

He has them come to his house
to play a game of cards.

And at the same time,
he's got four sleuths,

four criminal masterminds.

The only thing he's missing
is the murder victim,

and that turns out
to be himself.

I'm very sorry to have to inform
you that Mr. Shaitana...

is dead.

Dead?

HOPKINS:
It's up to our crime solvers

to either figure out
if it's one of them

or indeed one of the other four
card players that have done it.

Bien.

What we are searching for
is a murderer who is impulsive,

who will seize the opportunity,
whatever the risk.

[ French accent ]
It was someone in the apartment.

And so they are questioned.

And everybody has a past.

A dark past.

What is this past?

It is for Poirot to find out.

Mme. Lorrimer,
she holidays in Egypt.

Mme. Craddock,
she dies in Egypt.

And Shaitana,
always he is there, in Egypt.

I was hoping for a trip to Egypt
in this one.

But no, alas, we didn't.

We are shooting it
on a green screen,

a computer-generated image.

I think it took a lot of courage

for the writers to set this show
on a planet with a green sky.

It's one of the wildest things.

It will probably work
on the day, though.

I think the green-screen work
nowadays is so good

that it will look terrific.

MAN: 127, take two.

And marks.

Action!

SIDDIG:
Egypt is a pretend thing.

A postcard on a picture.

May I take your picture?

You look so romantic
looking out across the Nile.

NARRATOR: One of the guests
at the bridge party

is Ariadne Oliver,

a crime writer partly based on
Agatha Christie herself

and brilliantly played here
by Zoë Wanamaker.

It's jolly curious.

Here are the four of us.

And we're all, well, for want
of a better word, sleuths.

WANAMAKER:
She is a friend of Poirot's.

And she's a sort of a spur
for him

and a complete opposite to him,
a mess.

But full of ideas and helps him
solve some crimes.

MRS. OLIVER: Miss Meredith
only stayed a couple of months.

She's never mentioned it,
has she?

Excellent, madame.

You have done better
than any of us.

What attracted me
to Mrs. Oliver --

She was completely eccentric.

Lord.
[ Chuckles ]

I went to Egypt once.
It was dismal.

The Pyramids are actually tiny.

And slightly barking.

A Welsh name.

Never trust the Welsh.

I just thought it would be fun,
it'd be a gas.

And also because I've worked
with David Suchet before

and we had such a good time
together.

I think it's a good coupling.

See you?

You commence to think
like a detective.

Do I?

Oui. Bien sûr.

Zoë has created such a vivid
portrayal of Ariadne Oliver

that you really do feel you are
seeing a bit of Agatha Christie.

MAN:
Action.

I don't know what you think,

but I haven't the least doubt
it was the doctor.

What was his name?

-Roberts.
-That's it.

SUGHET: [ French accent ]
Ariadne is the only lady at all

that Poirot ever called
by her Christian name.

This does not mean
that he is in love with her.

I hasten to add,
he is definitely not.

But she is a friend.

What if they're all leading you
up the garden path?

No, it is not possible to take
Hercule Poirot along the path.

NARRATOR: Ariadne appears in no
less than nine "Poirot" stories,

so we may well be seeing more
of Zoë and her alter ego

in the future.

HOPKINS: She and David Suchet
make a fantastic couple.

I'd hope they'd do many more
of the nine stories.

I think it's all possible.

NARRATOR: "Cards on the Table"
also features an appearance

by the "Foyle's War" star
Honeysuckle Weeks,

who thoroughly enjoyed living
a decade earlier.

WEEKS:
So classy, isn't it?

The whole setup
and the way it's done

and the characters are so great.

I think Agatha Christie
really knew about people.

I wish you would tell him

what happened
at my Aunt Benson's, Annie.

I feel sure it'd be better
to mention it,

because if something
does come out,

it might look rather bad.

My character is a rather
jolly-hockey-sticks,

if you want, kind of a character

who's also a little bit
on the maybe AC/DC.

I don't know.

I want to get married.

I shall be forced
to tell the police what I know.

You've been telling on me
ever since we were at school!

WEEKS:
I love doing period drama

because you get given so much
to help you with the character.

You get the hats.
You get the gloves.

You get the stockings.
We even get the underwear.

NARRATOR: The producers
of the "Poirot" films

are sticklers for detail,

especially when it comes
to getting that '30s look.

Wardrobe is vital.

GILL: I've really grown to like
the '30s as a period

because what we're seeing
is this spectacle of people

sort of living the high life
and really enjoying it.

But, of course, it's usually
spotted around the place

with the odd murder or two.

She has killed before,
mademoiselle.

No, she hasn't.

Mais oui.

She killed Mme. Benson.

GILL:
We've got Zoë Wanamaker in,

and her character's
quite colorful and eccentric.

And there's a couple of outfits
we've got here.

This is her evening dress.

And to go with that,

she has a coat
which is an evening coat.

And these are for the scenes

when they go
to Mr. Shaitana's party.

Mrs. Oliver was the guest
of honor.

Oh, yes. It was the Crime
Writers' Circle, wasn't it?

WANAMAKER:
I did have an image of Ariadne

quite early on, when I started
reading the books.

So it can't be her.

And I never thought
Roberts did it.

WANAMAKER: I was quite
determined to have this wig,

which I think is sensational

because we can do things
with it,

and I can scratch my head and it
looks like it's happening.

RHODA:
How wonderful.

Unfortunately,
it's not just the writing.

One has to think as well.

I've got, um, false bosoms
which I am --

They're called
"medium beauties,"

You'll be pleased to hear.
[ Laughs ]

All these things sort of help
to create a real person.

NARRATOR: Keeping costumes
looking good on set

is vital, too.

Especially when the leading man
is encased in foam rubber

for most of the day.

It's a fairly lightweight
foam padding,

but it does get incredibly hot
in there for him.

And especially when you're
filming in summer, like now.

It can at times be
quite unbearable.

NARRATOR:
And there are tools of the trade

to keep things looking
their best.

In Hollywood in the olden days,
when the actresses

or even the chorus,

in period costumes
with big frills,

they couldn't sit down.

So they had what is called
a leaning board.

It always provides a point
of interest for anybody looking

because they wonder why am l
getting special treatment.

But it's not.

The special treatment is given
to my suit.

Not me.

[ Up-tempo jazz plays ]

NARRATOR:
The attention to detail

also extends to the props,

some of which are
reassuringly expensive.

SIDDIG:
All this stuff is real.

It comes from
this amazing Aladdin's cave

of a prop house.

They cost enormous amounts
of money.

There's a fork somewhere
that was like £2,000

and a lighter
that's £10,000 pounds.

So everyone has to watch
these things

before they go
into people's pockets.

I'm forever just nicking stuff
by mistake.

Ah.
l pounce upon it now!

NARRATOR:
It's okay, Alexander.

Poirot doesn't investigate
petty theft.

Murder is his thing.

And the evil, it is disclosed.

NARRATOR: More than five months
after shooting the first frames

in the south of France,

the Poirot team are back
at Shepperton,

filming the closing scenes

of the fourth and final episode
of the series.

And it's a darker version
of Agatha Christie

than we've been used to.

Now we're being more truthful
to how she wrote

and why people were so gripped
by her novels.

It was not because
she was just jokey

but because they were
serious novels

that contained
English eccentricity

and Belgian eccentricity.

Hercule Poirot.

You killed what?

NARRATOR: "Taken at the Flood"
starts with a bang --

literally --

and proceeds with the usual
combustible mixture of greed,

jealousy, blackmail,
and, of course, murder.

[ Woman screams ]

Once again it features a
dysfunctional English family --

the Cloades.

You have a lot of unresolved
indigo in your aura.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

HOPKINS: Today we're shooting
the denouement,

which is the point
in every "Poirot" story

where Poirot has come to the
conclusion of who has done it.

Because you murdered her.

HOPKINS:
The scene is in the Stag's Head,

which is the local pub.

POIROT: You leave for the police
to find a little clue.

HOPKINS: Poirot has called
the entire clan to the pub

to unveil who the villain is.

POIROT:
At half past 6:00,

you return here to say yes...

SUCHET: [ French accent ]
Some people say,

"Why doesn't he just say,
'You did it'"?

Well, he's far too arrogant
for that

and he's far too proud for that.

This is his party piece.

This is his moment of thėâtre --
theater.

And so he gets everybody
in the room and he plays.

But today, mes amis.
Poirot shall produce a murderer

of whose viciousness
he stands in awe.

NARRATOR: As has become the norm
on "Poirot,"

David Suchet is joined

by some of the best-known actors
on British television.

There's no way anybody's gonna
be able to tell who's done it.

Because everybody is so famous,

there's no way you could guess,
I don't think.

Having got ourselves
completely in knots

and not knowing what's happened
and who's done what to whom,

we find that Poirot
actually has worked it all out.

And we discover all the
nastiness that's been going on,

simmering underneath
in the Cloade family.

MAN:
Cut. Let's run out.

PIGOTT-SMITH: This dreadful man,
Poirot, this awful Belgian

reveals to everybody
the full extent of my addiction.

The sort of signs are,
you know...this sort of thing.

And he's spotted this early on.

The physician, whose own
digestive system is crippled...

PIGOTT-SMITH: He lays it out
in front of everybody.

So really, it's a pretty
wretched afternoon for me.

NARRATOR:
And for Patrick Baladi,

it's a pleasant diversion

from having to sort out
the mayhem caused by David Brent

in the hit TV comedy
"The Office."

It's very rare
to do period stuff now.

It used to be a mainstay.

And to work with Mr. Suchet,
of course --

There's a lot to learn from him.

Non.
Pas possible, monsieur!

SUCHET: [ French accent ] The
one big difference in this one

which is most exciting
for me to play --

and forgive me for talking
with my accent,

but I'm going on
in a minute --

is his Catholicism.

You wanted to crush
the very soul

of this simple Catholic girl.

SUCHET: This story is absolutely
rooted in his faith.

If God should withhold His mercy
from anyone on earth...

NARRATOR: The final scenes
in "Taken at the Flood"

see David Suchet
at his brilliant best,

bringing all his stage
experience to the small screen.

MAN: Cut.
That was absolutely brilliant.

IMRIE: Andy Wilson,
our brilliant director,

has allowed David to do the
whole story of the denouement

so that we've had it in about 11
or 12 minutes or something.

Poirot shall talk.

IMRIE: I've never seen an actor
have to do such long takes

and do it so utterly superbly
each time.

MAN:
Cut. Perfect.

[ Cheers and applause ]

We quite rightly gave him
a round of applause yesterday.

Fantastic.

NARRATOR: As shooting on the
fourth film draws to a close,

it's time to take stock.

HOPKINS: It's turned out even
better than I could have hoped.

Each of the films has come out
as a completely individual film.

And they're very entertaining.

No one can always be right.

But I am.

Always I am right.

HOPKINS:
We've been lucky enough

to attract some fantastic actors
to it.

Of course, Agatha Christie
writes great, great characters.

Have you or bave you not engaged
the services

of the greatest detective
in the world?

As far as this filming
is concerned this year,

I have to say
it's been my favorite year

of all or any year
I have filmed this series.

Bravo.

I genuinely mean this --
nontheatrically.

My happiest year of all.

Peter's been with me
for a few years now

and has grown the same mustache.

[ Laughter ]

Poirot, he sees things, madame.

It is a habit
that he cannot change.

NARRATOR: So, what next
for Suchet's Poirot?

C'est très mystérieux.

NARRATOR: There is one story
everyone wants him to do,

including the man himself.

I'm desperate to do
"Orient Express,"

the same as I was so excited
to do "Death on the Nile."

Yeah.
These are big ones.

These are big landmarks
in Poirot's career.

NARRATOR:
According to the company

that own the rights
to the Agatha Christie estate,

David's wish
could soon be realized.

CLYMER:
There's an appetite here.

There's an appetite
internationally.

And I think as long
as Mr. Suchet has the time

and the disposition
to carry on making them

and we can find the money
to carry on making them

and the ITV audience wants us
to carry on making them,

we'll keep going.

Now, that is information
that is most intriguing.

NARRATOR: David Suchet
has been turning into Poirot

for nearly 20 years now

and has almost completed
the Agatha Christie catalog.

Enfin.

All of the pieces of the puzzle
are in place.

NARRATOR:
And there's no reason to suggest

that he won't collect
the full set.

If we do get to the end,
I will be so thrilled to bits

that I've accomplished
a life's dream as an actor.

And that, no one can say
very often.

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