There has never been a shortage of Agatha Christie adaptations from fan favourites like ITV’s Poirot serials with David Suchet to a more mixed set from the BBC since 2015; it feels like there is something for everyone, covering all corners of her extensive oeuvre. The latest adaptation of her work is Netflix’s Seven Dials, based on the 1929 novel The Seven Dials Mystery. All three episodes are now available to stream.
Christie’s original novel is a loose follow-up to her earlier book The Secret of Chimneys with several returning characters. It is separate from her long-running Marple and Poirot series. The TV adaptation is self-contained, introducing us to the characters in 1925 amidst a string of deaths and other goings on. It follows the same general beats as the source material, with Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent drawn into a conspiracy following a death at the Chimneys estate. The central mystery concerns the titular seven dials, found at the crime scene and referred to elsewhere.
Here’s the lowdown on what to expect from this Christie tale.
Mia McKenna-Bruce plays Bundle, an amateur sleuth who takes a particular interest in the case. Martin Freeman is Superintendent Battle, frequently at odds with Lady Eileen. Helen Bonham Carter is Lady Caterham, Bundle’s free-spirited mother. In Christie’s original novel we meet not her mother but her father, Lord Caterham.
Fans of Christie’s work and the source material will find plenty to enjoy. Filmed on location in Bristol and Bath, it looks the part, capturing the spirit of 1925. While there are changes to the source material beyond the gender swapping of Lord Caterham, mini series creator Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch) retains the core plot and structure of the novel, adding flourishes to make it suit a modern audience.
Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials consists of three hour-long episodes. The series is available globally on Netflix.
If you haven’t read it, why not try the book?
