Blu-Ray Review - Poirot Series Twelve

 With the summer 2014 premiere of Series 13, David Suchet will have portrayed Agatha Christie’s iconic detective Hercule Poirot for 25 years, encompassing all 70 stories Christie wrote featuring Poirot. On May 6, 2014, Acorn, an RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) brand, debuts the newly remastered Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Series 12 on Blu-ray and DVD, featuring the star-studded Murder on the Orient Express. Series 12’s four TV movies premiered on PBS’s Masterpiece Mystery! in 2010-2011. The DVD and Blu-ray sets include all four mysteries, restored to their original U.K. broadcast order, the documentary David Suchet on the Orient Express (47 min.), and SDH subtitles ($49.99/$39.99, AcornOnline.com). In March 2014, David Suchet was awarded Royal Television Society’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for his extraordinary 25 years as Poirot. The final three episodes of Agatha Christie’s Poirot will be available ONLY on Acorn TV (www.Acorn.TV) in August 2014.

Putting his brilliant intellect and fastidious nature to the test, Agatha Christie’s famous Belgian detective solves the most mystifying crimes of the Art Deco era. Brimming with opulent 1930s period details and pitch-perfect performances, these lavish adaptations look better than ever in this remastered edition.

Series 12 guest stars include Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty, The Help), Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Barbara Hershey  (Black Swan), Toby Jones (Captain America), Eileen Atkins (Upstairs, Downstairs), David Morrissey (The Walking Dead), Martin Shaw (George Gently) and Zoë Wanamaker (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone).

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

Three Act Tragedy—After guests at successive dinner parties mysteriously drop dead, Poirot teams up with an old friend to find the killer.

Hallowe’en Party—Crime novelist Ariadne Oliver calls Poirot to investigate the macabre murder of a young girl at a children’s costume party.

Murder on the Orient Express—Poirot searches for a killer among the travelers aboard a snowbound train.

The Clocks—Poirot journeys to Dover to solve a case involving an unidentified corpse and four timepieces all stopped at the same time.

Street: May 6, 2014 - 4 mysteries; U.K. broadcast order; SDH subtitles

Blu-ray 2-Disc Set (SRP: $49.99, Approx. 371 min.) – UPC: 054961217991 

DVD 2-Disc Set (SRP: $39.99, Approx. 371 min.) – UPC: 054961217892

BONUS: David Suchet on the Orient Express (47 min.) and a photo gallery

*RLJ Entertainment owns a 64% share in Agatha Christie Ltd, which manages Christie’s extensive literary works including iconic characters Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.

My Thoughts 

 I've been following this series for a while now and was looking forward to the release of the next set. This box set includes four exciting mysteries with Poirot leading the investigations as only he can, but with lots of fabulous guest stars sprinkled in along the way. 

Three Act Tragedy - A parson dies suddenly at a party along the coast. At first it appears natural but when a similar death occurs at another party, the hostess becomes a top suspect. The drama comes in when Poirot rein-acts the death on stage.

Hallo'ween Party - A young girl is murdered at a costume party and a crime novelist calls in Poirot to collaborate. It turns out the girl had been a possible witness to another murder and the pair set out to find a killer in the quaint little town.

Murder of the Orient Express - A train gets stuck in a snowstorm and when a murder takes place, only Poirot came find the killer aboard a train filled with rich foreigners and royalty. 

The Clocks - Poirot heads to Dover to help with a naval investigation. An unidentified body and clocks stopped at the same odd time lead to a slew of suspects. As more murders take place, including the death of a German spy, Poirot must determine who the real villain is.

I really enjoyed Series 12 of Poirot. It's packed with lots of mystery, intrigue, and humor.  Poirot remains an engaging character with a lot of personality (and a really cool mustache). In this series, the story of the renown Poirot 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 12 on Blu-ray for only $49.99 at Acorn Media. Series 1-11 are also available for various prices on both DVD and Blu-ray.

***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. *