Poirot Series 9 DVD Review

 Newly remastered and restored to their original U.K. broadcast order, Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Series 9 debuts on Blu-ray and arrives on DVD on October 29, 2013 from Acorn, an RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) brand. David Suchet stars as Agatha Christie’s mustachioed mystery-solver in these four feature-length episodes from the hit series. Poirot solves these complex cases with flair and finesse with the help of Hugh Fraser (Sharpe) as Captain Hastings, Philip Jackson (Little Voice) as Chief Inspector Japp, and Pauline Moran as Miss Lemon. Brimming with opulent 1930s period details and pitch-perfect performances, these lavish adaptations look better than ever in this remastered edition. ITV Studios’ Poirot has aired on ITV1 in the U.K. since 1989 and on PBS and A&E in the U.S. The episodes from Series 9 debuted in 2003-04.The 2-disc Blu-ray and 2-disc DVD sets include all four mysteries from Series 9, now with SDH subtitles ($49.99/$39.99, AcornOnline.com). With the filming of Series 13 completed, David Suchet has now filmed all of Agatha Christie’s works with Poirot (70). The final series of five episodes airs in the UK in 2013-14 with the U.S. premiere in 2014.

Series 9 guest stars include Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada), Kelly Reilly (Above Suspicion, Sherlock Holmes), Toby Stephens (Jane Eyre), Aidan Gillen (The Wire), Edward Fox (Gandhi), Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey), Barbara Flynn (A Family At War), Judy Parfitt (Call the Midwife), Marc Warren (The Good Wife), JJ Feild (Captain America: The First Avenger), Paul McGann (Alien 3), and Gemma Jones (Bridget Jones’s Diary).

THE MYSTERIES (original U.K. broadcast order):

Five Little Pigs—Fourteen years after Caroline Crale was executed for murdering her husband, Lucy Crale asks Poirot to prove her mother’s innocence.

Sad Cypress—A beautiful young socialite stands convicted of murder, and Poirot races to reinvestigate before her sentence is carried out.

Death on the Nile—Poirot intervenes when a jilted woman harasses a newlywed couple, but their honeymoon river cruise turns deadly nonetheless.

The Hollow—Invited for a weekend in the country with the Angkatell clan, Poirot untangles the family’s love affairs in the quest for a killer.

Acorn released Series 1 – 6 on DVD and Blu-ray in 2012 and Series 7&8 in October 2013.

Street: October 29, 2013

4 mysteries; U.K. broadcast order; SDH subtitles

Blu-ray 2-Disc Set (SRP: $49.99, Approx. 392 min) – UPC: 054961893096

DVD 2-Disc Set (SRP: $39.99, Approx. 392 min.) – UPC: 054961892990

 My Thoughts

Only the British could find a way to take a classic mystery novel and turn it into an equally entertaining series. That is exactly what they've done with the Agatha Christie's Poirot. They have brought the Belgian Detective to life, right down to his classic mustache and I have been hooked on this show since series one. Series nine brings in the following four episodes.

Five Little Pigs

Sad Cypress

Death on the Nile

The Hollow

Unlike so many television shows, Poirot loses none of its entertainment or realism as the series progresses. Some of the exciting challenges Piorot faces this time around include saving a socialite from the death penalty and searching for a killer amidst a family's scandalous love affairs.  Then the daughter of a woman who was convicted of murder fifteen years earlier wants Piorot to help her find the killer.  But my favorite of episode  of all was the Death on the Nile when a honeymoon cruise turns deadly. Fantastic costumes, spectacular settings, and suburb acting make Poirot a classic series. I anxiously await the chance to watch Series 10 and hope the shows keep coming.

In this series, the story of the renown  is told in a way that Agatha Christie would be proud off. If you want to take advantage a whole set of great mysteries, this is the series for you. You can order Poirot Series 9 on DVD for only $39.99 at Acorn Media.


***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a sample of the product to try in order to write a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way. ***