David Suchet and Hugh Fraser will forever be Poirot and Hastings to me (recently Fraser has become my favorite audiobook narrator for Christie novels.) Seeing "Dumb Witness" with the gloriously handsome Bob was what convinced me that his little Belgian detective had a savior faire that was unmistakable and irrepressible. New stubble to your channel and enjoying it immensely!
This was also one of the earliest Suchet episodes I ever saw. Not sure if it was the first, but I’ve always found it memorable, especially the green smoke, Bob’s cuteness (I’m not even a dog person and I love him!), and the initial clue. Despite this, both the book and episode portray Dr. Tanios so well that I have doubted my memory of the solution more than once over the years, both while reading the book and watching the episode. I’ve been enjoying your reviews very much, so thank you!
I think Bob is sooo cute, too. The Hercules Poirot episodes with David Suchet are all beautifully filmed with wonderful set designs and costumes and always cast with convincing actors. Thank you for your charming comparison of the Dumb Witness film and book stories.
Poirot is one of the best TV shows ever. I start watching and never stop rewatching. Keep going it's very rare that someone is doing something like this on youtube WELL DONE. I'm fan man !
I enjoyed watching this, thank you. I look forward to watching more of your videos. The Adventure of the Cheap Flat was the first of the 70 episodes starring David Suchet. I am attached to it like you are to Dumb Witness. I love Bob, he was quite a wonderful, very expressive dog.
@@sb6678 Oh, my, I do know that.....but, The Adventure of the Cheap Flat was my first introduction to the episodes starring David Suchet. It is the episode which kicked off my absolute attachment to all the 70 episodes
Bob is sooo cute l want to scrunch his cute little face!!! "The ABC Murders" is great!! David Suchet likes that one too. The one at "Styles"is real cool. I really enjoyed watching Poirot in all his "Egypt" adventures and ..."Then There Were None."
I only discovered your 'adaptation' channel about an hour ago, and watched a few of your 'Christie' uploads. Awesome and very interesting. I'll search for more of them. Can't wait to see what you do/did for The murder of Roger Ackroyd', and other adaptations that you've done or will do, on any Poirot and Marple mysteries. Their stories are my main interest in Christie novels. Great job.
Regarding the death by gas scene, up until the discover of natural gas under the North sea which is non toxic the British used gas that was produced by burning coke which was made from coal and this was deadly if breathed in for any length off time. When the UK switched to natural gas the self inflicted death rate plummeted dramatically.
Ohhh, these two feel so different, I had them confused for totally separate stories in my head! Very interesting, thanks for covering such an obscure title.
Just came across your channel and watched this one after the Sittaford Mystery review. I'm very intrigued and hope you do more! As for recommendations, there really are so many. I'd like to see you cover Five Little Pigs or Elephants Can Remember, which I consider two of the most cinematic of the Suchet Era Poirot adaptations. Or perhaps a comparison of The Plymouth Express and its (vastly more interesting) follow up The Blue Train.
Your videos all bring me great joy, with your clarity of analysis, summation, and diction. But Mathnet and Wishbone REALLY sent this one over the top!☺
This is my favourite adaptation, but more to do with the fact that I live in the region where this production was filmed! One scene that was very wrong was when Poirot and Hastings first arrived by train. They arrived at Windermere train station and the scene is set to have the lake (or rather mere) located right next to the train station, this is not the case. The lake is located quite some distance from the train station and you need to take a long walk to reach it.
One thing I do like about the adaptation is that Bob is smart enough to clear his name to Poirot why he couldn't have been responsible for Emily's fall down the stairs.
Very interesting video. (spoilers for whoever reads this) I must say that I had never really thought of Dumb Witness as a 'the one where X did it' novel at all - obviously someone did, but I hadn't thought of this murderer falling into the category of 'the obvious suspect with the perfect alibi who did it after all', 'the narrator', 'the one whom it looked the murderer was trying to kill'. Bella, to me, isn't someone I'd thought of as falling into the latter category, perhaps because the 'Bella as the victim' plot doesn't start until relatively late in the novel. You make a good case for it, and therefore why the adaptation spoils it. I agree with you both on the novel being superior to the adaptation and that still being no reason to write off the latter (if only because at least it gives faces to these people from the novel, and there are some good scenes). The main part that bugs me about the adaptation is probably the overhaul of the start of the book and all the consequences that brings with it - a huge theme from the book is how Poirot is an outsider piecing together the puzzle, who only discovers things by conversations with people who seem only peripherally related to the case and often under false pretenses (a theme that is common in many Christie books) whereas in this adaptation... it's basically gift-wrapped to him, as he's there on the scene. All these amusing idiosyncrasies like Emily Arundell fussing about whether calling in a detective is really the proper thing to do, or the lingering question of whether Poirot might have helped save Emily had he only been there on time, are just gone. A slightly different aspect of this - not about Poirot's initial absence, but in the way things just go so much smoother in the adaptation and Poirot's hard work is underplayed - is that scene you showed where Dr. Grainger finds out about the phospherous thing by talking to Millie as her lover, while in the book Poirot makes a point of the fact that Grainger would never have found out about that fact because he only could have done so by talking to the Tripp sisters and not dismissing what they said out of hand. Which shows Poirot's usual characteristic of focusing on precisely those unimportant clues and people that seem so irrelevant and realizing how relevant they actually are.
I loved the beautiful Lake District setting and the wonderful architecture..Emily Arundels home was gorgeous and of course the Clubhouse. I believe they were designed by well known early 20th century architects in the Arts and crafts style
I believe a major change from the book and the TV film is in the book Poirot adopted Bob the dog in the end, while in the TV version he had the two Spinsters to adopt Bob.
There are also Christie adaptations in other languages. I direct the interested viewer's attention to Les Petits Meutres d'Agatha Christie. They did play fast and loose with the books, but Agatha Christie Inc. just heard the ka-ching.
I much preferred the book, and recently listened to a fairly faithful adaptation for BBC radio… There’s a the-pretend-butter-did-it Christie, Three Act Tragedy.
How about Agatha C.. that use Doctor Who actors/actresses- Tom B, Tim Dalton, even girl you didn't say her name (I liked earlier versions choice to do makeover into a very Diana look) & my fav. Peter Davidson. I'd have rewritten his story as a kid, see now why.. a little better. Not shore if any Miss M's actresses was in Who, GM maybe?
I'm going thru this with my family . 1 has promised to murder me because she wants my house. A new will is going to be made now. Several people are aware if anything happens to me who to look for.
*NOT PoiRRot!*😠 French has no R as in caRRot, but a gravelly rolling in the upper throat. To make such a strong point, make it *correctly*🤨 - especially saying the name many times!!🫨
the bits i like are when poirot asks hastings "What make of dog is BOB and also he asks why charles calls you BATTLER , HASTINGS says BATTLER HASTINGS
The ending with Bob watching Poirot sail away on the boat always makes me so sad. You KNOW he wanted to go with Poirot.
David Suchet and Hugh Fraser will forever be Poirot and Hastings to me (recently Fraser has become my favorite audiobook narrator for Christie novels.) Seeing "Dumb Witness" with the gloriously handsome Bob was what convinced me that his little Belgian detective had a savior faire that was unmistakable and irrepressible.
New stubble to your channel and enjoying it immensely!
This was also one of the earliest Suchet episodes I ever saw. Not sure if it was the first, but I’ve always found it memorable, especially the green smoke, Bob’s cuteness (I’m not even a dog person and I love him!), and the initial clue. Despite this, both the book and episode portray Dr. Tanios so well that I have doubted my memory of the solution more than once over the years, both while reading the book and watching the episode. I’ve been enjoying your reviews very much, so thank you!
Bob is so gorgeous. I teared up when he was not wanted after his Mistress died. I will have Bob. 🐶 loved your video. Thank You. 👏🇦🇺
I think Bob is sooo cute, too. The Hercules Poirot episodes with David Suchet are all beautifully filmed with wonderful set designs and costumes and always cast with convincing actors. Thank you for your charming comparison of the Dumb Witness film and book stories.
Poirot is one of the best TV shows ever. I start watching and never stop rewatching. Keep going it's very rare that someone is doing something like this on youtube WELL DONE. I'm fan man !
I enjoyed watching this, thank you. I look forward to watching more of your videos. The Adventure of the Cheap Flat was the first of the 70 episodes starring David Suchet. I am attached to it like you are to Dumb Witness. I love Bob, he was quite a wonderful, very expressive dog.
No, the first episode to be aired was The Adventure of the Clapham Cook. The Adventure of the Cheap Flat was episode 7 from series 2.
@@sb6678 Oh, my, I do know that.....but, The Adventure of the Cheap Flat was my first introduction to the episodes starring David Suchet. It is the episode which kicked off my absolute attachment to all the 70 episodes
Bob is sooo cute l want to scrunch his cute little face!!!
"The ABC Murders" is great!! David Suchet likes that one too. The one at "Styles"is real cool. I really enjoyed watching Poirot in all his "Egypt" adventures and ..."Then There Were None."
He is the best Hercule!!!!
Bar none!!!
I only discovered your 'adaptation' channel about an hour ago, and watched a few of your 'Christie' uploads. Awesome and very interesting. I'll search for more of them. Can't wait to see what you do/did for The murder of Roger Ackroyd', and other adaptations that you've done or will do, on any Poirot and Marple mysteries. Their stories are my main interest in Christie novels. Great job.
Regarding the death by gas scene, up until the discover of natural gas under the North sea which is non toxic the British used gas that was produced by burning coke which was made from coal and this was deadly if breathed in for any length off time. When the UK switched to natural gas the self inflicted death rate plummeted dramatically.
Ohhh, these two feel so different, I had them confused for totally separate stories in my head! Very interesting, thanks for covering such an obscure title.
Thank you for this. This is a fun comparison/review of the book versus the adaptation. You make good points, and have fun along the way.
Just came across your channel and watched this one after the Sittaford Mystery review. I'm very intrigued and hope you do more! As for recommendations, there really are so many. I'd like to see you cover Five Little Pigs or Elephants Can Remember, which I consider two of the most cinematic of the Suchet Era Poirot adaptations. Or perhaps a comparison of The Plymouth Express and its (vastly more interesting) follow up The Blue Train.
Génial ! I look forward to watching more of your videos!
Your videos all bring me great joy, with your clarity of analysis, summation, and diction. But Mathnet and Wishbone REALLY sent this one over the top!☺
I love Bob in this ep, like you said, he is sooooo cute. Such a sweet face.
That is like everyone’s definition of “Dumb Witness”
One person: “Which Poirot book are you reading?”
Second person: “The one with the dog!”
Tks for this. Really good video.
How have I not come across your channel before? Subbed immediately! Thank you for this awesome content 😍
This is my favourite adaptation, but more to do with the fact that I live in the region where this production was filmed! One scene that was very wrong was when Poirot and Hastings first arrived by train. They arrived at Windermere train station and the scene is set to have the lake (or rather mere) located right next to the train station, this is not the case. The lake is located quite some distance from the train station and you need to take a long walk to reach it.
One thing I do like about the adaptation is that Bob is smart enough to clear his name to Poirot why he couldn't have been responsible for Emily's fall down the stairs.
I love David Suchet's poirot. He is so awesome
He’s the best ❤❤❤
Of my favorite Agatha Christie stories is "The Unexpected Stranger".
Originally a stage play, I believe.
A movie adaptation I would surely enjoy.
Yes, there was a novelization of it.
Unexpected Guest, I think.
@@HuntingViolets I think your correct. Maybe I should've looked that up before I posted. Thanks
"Dumb Witness" is hands down one of the best episodes in the series. Adaptations were a huge help!
Thank you!
Very interesting video.
(spoilers for whoever reads this)
I must say that I had never really thought of Dumb Witness as a 'the one where X did it' novel at all - obviously someone did, but I hadn't thought of this murderer falling into the category of 'the obvious suspect with the perfect alibi who did it after all', 'the narrator', 'the one whom it looked the murderer was trying to kill'. Bella, to me, isn't someone I'd thought of as falling into the latter category, perhaps because the 'Bella as the victim' plot doesn't start until relatively late in the novel. You make a good case for it, and therefore why the adaptation spoils it.
I agree with you both on the novel being superior to the adaptation and that still being no reason to write off the latter (if only because at least it gives faces to these people from the novel, and there are some good scenes). The main part that bugs me about the adaptation is probably the overhaul of the start of the book and all the consequences that brings with it - a huge theme from the book is how Poirot is an outsider piecing together the puzzle, who only discovers things by conversations with people who seem only peripherally related to the case and often under false pretenses (a theme that is common in many Christie books) whereas in this adaptation... it's basically gift-wrapped to him, as he's there on the scene. All these amusing idiosyncrasies like Emily Arundell fussing about whether calling in a detective is really the proper thing to do, or the lingering question of whether Poirot might have helped save Emily had he only been there on time, are just gone. A slightly different aspect of this - not about Poirot's initial absence, but in the way things just go so much smoother in the adaptation and Poirot's hard work is underplayed - is that scene you showed where Dr. Grainger finds out about the phospherous thing by talking to Millie as her lover, while in the book Poirot makes a point of the fact that Grainger would never have found out about that fact because he only could have done so by talking to the Tripp sisters and not dismissing what they said out of hand. Which shows Poirot's usual characteristic of focusing on precisely those unimportant clues and people that seem so irrelevant and realizing how relevant they actually are.
Perhaps the most darling dog ever in a film!
Nicely done... subscribed 🎉
Miles: “That’s not how asphyxiation works”
Me: *how do you know that then hmm?*
I wondered that 🤔
It was my second Poirot film to! I watched Halloween Party first.
I loved the beautiful Lake District setting and the wonderful architecture..Emily Arundels home was gorgeous and of course the Clubhouse. I believe they were designed by well known early 20th century architects in the Arts and crafts style
I believe a major change from the book and the TV film is in the book Poirot adopted Bob the dog in the end, while in the TV version he had the two Spinsters to adopt Bob.
Bob is the real star of this episode. ❤❤❤
I haven't read this book in a long time, but as well as I can remember, it was Hastings who adopted Bob at the end of the story.
Poirot and Hastings kind of fight over him, but yes, I think Hastings gets Bob in the end.
David Sucher is the best * Dumb Witness is my favourite one and perfect Five little Pigs the secound place on my list.
Miles loved it pls put up all☺😚😊from India 2022
This is a nice adaptation with a cute dog. I have to admit it’s one of my favourites.
Bob ❤❤❤❤❤❤
There are also Christie adaptations in other languages. I direct the interested viewer's attention to Les Petits Meutres d'Agatha Christie. They did play fast and loose with the books, but Agatha Christie Inc. just heard the ka-ching.
0:39 - Is that Katie Leung?
Yes!
OMG, I think it is!
Miles: I know this video is 2 yrs old but fun fact: Perot (as in Ross) was an English name not French and was originally pronounced Pea rot.
I much preferred the book, and recently listened to a fairly faithful adaptation for BBC radio…
There’s a the-pretend-butter-did-it Christie, Three Act Tragedy.
It wasn’t the only one where the victim did it, what about ‘Curtain’?
David Suchet is the best Poirot ever.
Definitely 😊
Hard to dislike when it has that dog.
Bella didn’t kill herself in this episode. Did she in the original story?
That's right!
How about Agatha C.. that use Doctor Who actors/actresses- Tom B, Tim Dalton, even girl you didn't say her name (I liked earlier versions choice to do makeover into a very Diana look) & my fav. Peter Davidson. I'd have rewritten his story as a kid, see now why.. a little better. Not shore if any Miss M's actresses was in Who, GM maybe?
Obviously Hastings dialogue with Bob and Bob's thoughts aren't doable. That's Mel Brooks territory. But omitting Mrs. Peabody is a darn shame!
I'm going thru this with my family . 1 has promised to murder me because she wants my house. A new will is going to be made now. Several people are aware if anything happens to me who to look for.
Evil under the sun please. Talk about that one😊
Thanks! I appreciate requests! EUtS is scripted, so I'll make it into a video by the end of this year (I hope!).
Suchet. Accent the first syllable.
Sadly it took me a while to realize that. Apologies.
And Basil Rathbone and Ronald Howard were the two best Sherlock Holmes actors.
But the dog sure is cute 😍
Not carbon monoxide normal gas
*NOT PoiRRot!*😠 French has no R as in caRRot, but a gravelly rolling in the upper throat. To make such a strong point, make it *correctly*🤨 - especially saying the name many times!!🫨
Fine analytical work otherwise
No one under 40 gets that Ross Perot joke.
When I first saw this movie I immediately googled the dog breed, but sadly it seems to be a little bit too high maintenance for me. 🥲
I'm a big Tintin fan so seeing a real life snowy and on one of my favourite shows was incredible. Never seen one of these little guys in my country.
@@kaykutcher2103 wait, that's Snowy's breed?! It's even better now. 😭💕