#Miriam Margolyes is perfect casting

[freakova]

Beep the meep really said

[denimbex1986]

'When EW last spoke with returning Doctor Who star David Tennant about his appearance in the three upcoming 60th anniversary special episodes, the actor said, "I just hope I look as fast as I did in the 2000s." Well, showrunner Russell T Davies has good news for both Tennant, who is reprising the role of the titular time-traveling alien, and his fans. "Don’t worry. That man limbered up. He's no fool," says the executive producer, laughing, upon being informed of Tennant's concerns. "We didn't need any camera tricks." Like Tennant, the showrunner left Doctor Who in 2010 but is now clearly delighted to be back and working with Tennant again. "He’s as fit as a fiddle," Davies continues about his star. "He's gorgeous!"

The pair are reuniting on the three shows with Catherine Tate, who played Donna Noble, a companion of Tennant's "Tenth Doctor." Tennant reveals that this get-together was inspired by a Doctor Who tweet-along that took place during the pandemic.

"Russell T Davies got involved, and then Catherine Tate and I got involved, and we all tweeted along to an episode," he says. "That led to a conversation between Russell and Catherine going, wasn’t that great, wouldn’t it be great to get the band back together for one last hurrah, which I think was only meant as an aspirational bit of fun really." But then? "It snowballed and, before we knew it, we were coming back to the show with the Doctor and Donna," says the actor. "Russell was running the show again and we were doing three in a row!"

Davies wrote all of the 60th anniversary episodes and describes them as "a mini-season, really. It's three different stories. There's a little link between them, each one kind of cliffhangs into the next, but actually they are three separate stories."

The first of those stories is titled "The Star Beast" and premieres on Disney+ Nov. 25. The tale starts with Tennant's Doctor arriving back on planet earth just as an extraterrestrial craft crashes in the vicinity of Tate's Noble. Davies describes the episode as "a great big family film. An alien spaceship falls in London, which is the Doctor’s meet and drink really. But is it by coincidence that that lands practically on the doorstep of an old friend of his who’s lost all memories of him?" The showrunner says the episode "becomes a huge, great big adventure with fights, and chases, and monsters, and terror, but also some great laughs as well."

"The Star Beast" is based on a comic strip by legendary comics writer Pat Mills and Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons originally published in Doctor Who Weekly more than 30 years ago. The story introduced the alien character of the Meep, voiced in the new episode by Miriam Margolyes.

"It's from 1979, an absolute classic," Davies says of the original strip. "Pat Mills and David Gibbons, they were kids back then, but they created this marvelous thing. It’s always been one of my favorite Doctor Who stories, and coming back I thought it would be such enormous fun to celebrate the 60th, and also to grab hold of a great idea, to adapt it, And for those who might know the comic strip of old, don’t worry, there’s a lot of new stuff woven into it."

Tennant, a lifelong Whovian, admits to being confused when he was initially sent the script for the episode. The actor recalls that "it arrived, and says on the cover page that it’s an adaptation of 'The Star Beast' by Pat Mills and Dave Gibbons, which I remember reading as a child. I was thinking, that can’t be what I’m thinking of. But, of course, Russell is a longterm Doctor Who fan, too, so of course it is. Actually that makes perfect sense, because that kind of storytelling energy that is in that comic strip is very reminiscent of Russell’s storytelling energy. It sort of is a perfect fit."

The cast of "The Star Beast" includes Yasmin Finney (Heartstopper), who plays Donna's daughter Rose. Davies reveals that he had never heard of the actress before casting her, "because that was before Heartstopper had been shown. Luckily enough, the director of Heartstopper is a man called Euros Lyn who is an old Doctor Who director. So I was able to phone him up and say, 'What’s Yasmin like?' He just said, 'Oh, cast her, cast her, cast her.' It’s a very lucky situation. I was writing a trans character, who’s a teenager, part of a London family, of mixed race, and that’s an unusual set of conditions for a character to meet. The list of people who would audition for that is not very long. Along came Yasmin, and we just closed the door after that, because there she was! She’s absolutely terrific, and she has more appearances to come, simply because I adore working with her."

Speaking of veteran Doctor Who directors, "The Star Beast" was helmed by Tank Girl filmmaker Rachel Talalay who, over the past decade, has established herself as one of the show's most important behind-the-scenes creatives.

"One of the episodes she directed with, called 'Heaven Sent,' has just been voted by fans the greatest Doctor Who episode in history, so she's so steeped in it," says Davies. "We had a whale of a time and the episode is epic, we’re absolutely delighted with it."

Tennant and Davies are much more tight-lipped about the second special episode, "Wild Blue Yonder," which premieres Dec. 2, though the latter teases that it is "a much more weird story. We're trying to keep it secret until transmission." Tennant is happier to discuss the third and final special, "The Giggle," which starts streaming Dec. 9 and costars Neil Patrick Harris as a villain called the Toymaker, originally played on the show by Michael Gough back in 1966.

"Oh, he’s good," says the actor of the How I Met Your Mother star. "I don’t quite know if he knew what to expect, but he dived in with such gusto and brio. I don’t want to give away too much about what might be required of the Toymaker, but you need a sort of all-round entertainer to play that part and a very good actor, so there aren’t a lot of people who could have ticked all the boxes required. We were really excited when Neil said 'Yes' and actually it’s impossible to imagine who else it might have been."

Davies confirms that "The Giggle" will also introduce Ncuti Gatwa, the actor who is playing the next version of the Doctor.

"Yes, in some shape or form you will be seeing a brand-new Doctor," says the executive producer. "You will have some questions answered, you will have more questions raised, leading into Christmas Day when Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor arrives properly (on the Doctor Who special holiday episode). But I can promise you some surprises, and some things that have been done in ways they’ve never been done in Doctor Who before, and an awful lot of fun."

While Davies is staying on as executive producer for Gatwa's first full season as the Doctor, which will premiere next year, Tennant will once again depart the TARDIS to make room for Gatwa, though maybe not forever. The actor did previously appear on the special 50th anniversary episode alongside Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor back in 2013. Has he told his agent to keep some time free ahead of the show's 70th anniversary in 2033?

"What age will I be then?" muses the actor. "Who knows if I will still be able to run up and down corridors. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t damage my knees this time out, so I wouldn’t want to tempt fate. But should my joints still be in working order, I will certainly consider any offers if they come through in ten years time."

The Doctor Who 60th anniversary special episodes will stream on Disney+.'

[zombeesknees]

Omg, Miriam Margolyes would be the perfect Nanny Ogg! What a dream casting! Thank you! ❤️

I KNOW, RIGHT? i am so very happy to have brought that concept into your life. <3

[letteredlettered]

Sorry if you’ve mentioned this somewhere else, but since you said Tom Felton was miscast as Draco, who would you cast as Draco? Any ideal castings for any other characters?

I'm afraid I'm not well-versed enough in blond British boys to really know who should have been Draco at the time.

I got another ask about Adrian Brody as Snape, which is a fancasting I like appearance-wise, but I really do think they should have British actors, which I guess is one thing the films did get right.

Another popular fancast is Ian McKellan as Dumbledore, which obviously would have been perfect, but Sir McKellan isn't the only old twinkly British dude. Obviously he would have been much better than what we got, though.

While the movies were coming out, I really rooted for Raymond Coulthard as Lockhart. I really wanted Miriam Margolyes as Umbridge, but she was already Professor Sprout. I really pictured someone like Christine Baranski as Rita Skeeter, but obviously she's American so it wasn't really a fancasting. No one was ever good enough for Remus.

Honestly, Jason Isaacs wouldn't have been that bad if it wasn't for that GOD AWFUL wig.

[bjsmall]

10.01.21

We watched Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010) IMDb link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219342/ Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole is a 2010 computer animated fantasy adventure film based on the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series of books by Kathryn Lasky. It was developed by Village Roadshow Pictures and Animal Logic and distributed by Warner Brothers. The film is directed by Zack Snyder and produced by Zareh Nowbandian. With many characters in the film, there is an extensive voice cast. Jim Sturgess as Soren Emily Barclay as Gylfie Miriam Margolyes as Mrs. Plithiver Abbie Cornish as Otulissa Ryan Kwanten as Kludd Helen Mirren as Nyra The film follows Soren, a young owl enthralled by his fathers epic stories of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, a band of winged warriors who have fought a great battle to save all of owl kind from the evil pure ones. For full plot, see wiki link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_the_Guardians:_The_Owls_of_Ga%27Hoole It is very difficult to pick out individual scenes from Legends of the Guardians as the film unravels in a continuous thread of action and adventure. For those interested, here is a link to the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8RKCmkOyB4 The film was developed by the digital visual effects company Animal Logic, following the success of the 2006 film Happy Feet. The film was in production for over three years at the Animal Logic studios in Sydney, Australia. A team of over 500 artists and technicians designed and developed the film, finally stitching it all together using Pixars Renderman software. The hardest task for the Animal Logic animators was to design the 15 unique species of owls as well as other forest animals such as snakes, bats, bees, beetles and even a Tasmanian devil. The end credits deserve a mention in their own right. The plot is told through the eyes of young owls using Shadow Play. Its child like quality took over three months to perfect and is legible without 3D glasses. Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole is shown in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The soundtrack was scored by David Hirschfielder and released by WaterTower Music. The soundtrack also includes the song ''To the Sky'' by Owl City exclusively written for the film. Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole has been highly praised for its dazzling visuals and clever animation. The voice cast were also praised for their ability to invoke drama and tension. The film was criticised for its story line, which some felt never lived up to its full potential. The film has an average rating of 5.7 with 52% positive reviews.

However, I think the story is easy to understand and really enjoyable. There are currently no plans for a sequel. Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on December 2010. It features a documentary about owls entitled True Guardians of the Earth. I enjoyed watching Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole again. The animation is excellent and there are some really interesting well developed characters. One of the reasons that I like this film so much is that I am particularly interested in owls. I particularly enjoy listening to Owl City's song in the film. For a guide to owls that can be found in Britain, follow this link: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/owl-family/

[thoughtsaboutsnape]

Because life isn’t very fun at the moment, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the world of the Discworld. I adore the Discworld. If you haven’t read any Discworld, I highly, highly recommend you do (but don’t start with ‘The Colour of Magic’...it’s not bad but it’s just not the best introduction).

I’d start with the second Watch book ‘Men at Arms’. It introduces some wonderful characters who become very important in later books (like Angua & Detritus). That or one of the more ‘stand alone’ ones like ‘Small Gods’, ‘Soul Music’ or ‘Monstrous Regiment’. 

Anyway...

I’ve been thinking about casting a live action series. Sky did brilliantly, I thought and I wish they’d carried on. 

So some casting thoughts...

Vetinari - Charles Dance or Mark Gatiss Charles Dance was perfect as Vetinari in the Sky adaptation. Mark Gatiss would be equally awesome...or as Mr Bent. 

Drumknott - Steve Pemberton Steve Pemberton was awesome as Drumknott. I honestly can’t think of anyone who would be more perfect. 

C.M.O.T Dibbler - Reece Shearsmith Keeping a little with the League of Gentlemen theme, Reece Shearsmith would either be perfect as Dibbler or as a one-off character like Mr Pin. 

Lady Sybil - Philippa Haywood  Lady Sybil is a tricky cast. Gwendolyn Christie would be perfect if she was 20yrs older, Miranda Hart is an option but I still think she’s too young. Philippa Haywood is too slim, but I can absolutely picture her with a dragon under each arm.

Sam Vimes - Peter Capaldi Vimes is also a tricky cast. Pete Postlethwaite was perfectly cast as Vimes in the radio series so you need someone like him...and Capaldi is such a phenomenal actor it would be awesome.

Carrot - Matthew Lewis He might not have red hair but think about it. 

Colon - Paul Ritter or Phil Davis Either would be brilliantly, more Paul Ritter I think but I could definitely see him as Colon.

Nobby - Ryan Sampson Nobby is so bloody hard but Ryan Sampson played Grumio in ‘Plebs’ so think of his performance in that + make up. 

William de Worde - Eddie Redmayne I wondered if he’d make a better Moist but then I thought about William de Worde. Seriously, think about it.

Sacharissa Cripslock - Charlotte Ritchie Tricky again (all the female characters are tricky, tbh) but Charlotte Ritchie is a brilliant comic actress. 

Otto - Mackenzie Crook or Chris Addison More Chris Addison really, but Mackenzie Crook has the physicality which would make him a perfect vampire. 

Moist - Tom Rosenthal It’s easy to forget that Moist is fairy young and is supposed to be a little bit non-descriptive. Tom Rosenthal is a fantastic comic actor.

Adorabella Dearheart - Michaela Coel I really struggled here. Michaela Coel is such an amazing actress and how utterly amazing would she be as Adorabella? 

Mr Bent - Mark Gatiss or Mark Heap Either would be perfect, Mark Heap is a natural clown so it might give it away but if Mark Gatiss isn’t going to be Vetinari then he would be perfect as Mr Bent. 

All Golems with voices - Roger Allam (yes, this includes Gladys). I don’t think I have to say anything xD

I have no idea about Angua or Detritus. It goes without saying that Nanny Ogg is Jo Brand or Miriam Margolyes and Magrat is Jane Horrocks. Little unsure about Granny Weatherwax. 

People who should be cast include Olivia Coleman, Stephen Mangan and Geoffrey McGiven (Ridcully?) but there’s so many characters they could be it’s hard to pick. 

[oldshrewsburyian]

If there were to be a new tv series of the Harriet Vane novels, who would you like to see as Harriet, Peter, Bunter, and the Dowager Duchess (and any of the other characters, if you like)?

Ahh, this is such a hard question (and, I know, a very fraught one.) That said -- and my deep devotion to the ‘80s casting being known -- here goes.

Lord Peter Wimsey: I keep being tempted stoic blond Englishmen who might do it, but are too handsome. And I keep coming back to the idea of Burn Gorman, who has an elastic face and an incredible talent. And a really unsettling capacity for vulnerability on screen. That said, out of loyalty: Steven Mackintosh I have wanted to play Lord Peter FOR TWENTY YEARS. Why, universe? Why have I been denied? Could he still do the Vane cycle just about? Please, universe?

Harriet Vane: (okay I love Harriet Walter so MUCH, I must just say it again.) Ruth Negga. She’d be 37 to Gorman’s 45, which is fudging it a bit, but anyway. She’s gorgeous, fiery, thoughtful, good with language. And her eyes and skin and voice are right, and these are all so important to Peter (WHO IS A DORK IN LOVE.) If Mackintosh as Lord Peter, Indira Varma as Harriet.

Bunter! This is so hard, but: John Light. Deadpan comedy, classic good looks, understated snark. And a nice voice.

Look, would Judi Dench do the Dowager Duchess just for the hell of it? Because physically, she’s perfect. And can you not just hear her doing the mile-a-minute monologues? The dream. You know who would do it, and who would be great? Miriam Margolyes.

Ed Stoppard as Charles Parker, by the way; thank you for your question and your time.

[alexandrawilbraham]

Best of BBC First 2018 with a cheeky look at 2019

By Alexandra Wilbraham

First published in Dutch translation: https://www.bbcbenelux.com/blog/?article=bbc-first-benelux-best-of-18-19

Joy to the world and welcome to our round-up of BBC First’s best of 2018. Prepare to get festive as we celebrate a fantastic year of BBC series. Stick around to the end to find out what amazing new content you can look forward to in 2019.

So, pull on your Christmas jumper, the one you keep stashed away at the back of your wardrobe and pop on a Santa hat. Make yourself hot cocoa, go the whole hog and decorate your beverage with whipped cream, marshmallows and chocolate shavings. Light some cinnamon candles and snuggle up on the sofa as we dive into the pile of presents this year had to give.

In the first month of 2018, the BBC gave to me! Well, it kind of works. January started with fireworks and a new series of Silent Witness. First broadcast in 1996, the series has seen many cast changes over the years. Series 21, however, saw the return of the amazing Emilia Fox as forensic pathologist Dr Nikki Alexander. She and her dedicated team (Liz Carr, Richard Lintern, David Caves) work closely with the London police to solve a slew of mystifying murders. Sometimes the best witness is a dead one.

Travelling back in time, if I can remember where I parked the T.A.R.D.I.S., to London in the early 1960s, we were again joined by the nuns and nurses of Nonnatus House convent. As they provide care to the expectant mothers of London’s East End, they find themselves tested both personally and professionally. Series 7 of Call the Midwife puts a bit of a downer on the festivities as we said goodbye to the beautiful Barbara (Charlotte Ritchie) whose grave, decorated with a red rose and toy carousel, we lingered on in the poignant final moments. However, with sadness comes joy and we saw both new and familiar faces appear at the convent. Leonie Elliot (Black Mirror) joined the cast as Caribbean midwife Lucille Anderson and a return of Nurse Trixie (Helen George) was heavily hinted at.

Guess what, we’re still in January! But we’re off on our first holiday of the year as we join Detective Jack Mooney (Ardal O'Hanlon) on the sun-soaked island of Saint-Marie. Peaceful isn’t it? Sadly not. Because, even in the beautiful Caribbean, crime will always spoil your day. Series 7 of Death in Paradise has Jack rise to the challenge in a bid to impress the commissioner and make his mark on the island. Luckily, he has his team to support him as he has some almost impossible mysteries to uncover.

Wake up! We’re back from our island vacation and straight into February. Before heading back to city life, we get to spend some time in the English countryside, rolling hills dotted with small villages, rural parish churches and large country houses. There is also a fair bit of murder.

Don’t worry though, as series 6 of Father Brown sees Mark Williams (Harry Potter) return as the charming local priest and amateur detective. Although he is at risk from old foe Katherine Corven, who looks for revenge on Father Brown when she is suddenly released from prison. I think we should move on to March and hopefully, we’ll find ourselves in a safer environment.

To sleep, perchance to dream as March arrives with a series completely new to the BBC – Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators. No, not William and Anne. Although this comedy-drama mystery is filmed in Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon. Two well-known TV faces, Jo Joyner and Mark Benton, star as chatty ex-hairdresser Luella ‘Lu’ Shakespeare and out-of-shape and short-of-money private inspector Frank Hathaway. The highly unlikely and hugely entertaining detecting duo quickly discover that all is not as peaceful as it seems in their picture-perfect theatre town.

Brace yourself. Our next March series drops us straight to the front line of series 3 of Our Girl. We do get to travel internationally, but this is no holiday. Series 3 takes female army medic Georgie (Michelle Keegan) and the tightknit unit of soldiers in 2 Section from a humanitarian mission in Nepal, across Afghanistan and to a Nigerian refugee camp. With the arrival of old flame Elvis (Luke Pasqualino) and new recruit Maisie (Shalom Brune-Franklin) tugging at her sleeve, Georgie must face the highs and lows of army life while also fighting her own personal battles.   As the soldiers face kidnapping and assassination attempts, they have to confront the ultimate battle: head versus heart.

May the merriness be with you. Or rather the conflict, since this family is already in the divorce court before the relationships start crumbling. New family drama The Split follows Hannah Defoe (Nicola Walker), a member of a family who all work as divorce lawyers in the same firm. Following a bitter argument, Hannah takes a new job at a rival firm where she reconnects with the only other man she ever imagined sharing her life with, and her estranged father returns after 30 years. It sounds exhausting but makes for a smashing series.

Ring the bells everyone! The month of June means we are halfway through our TV year. A perfect time for the first Agatha Christie story to be adapted for the BBC by screenwriter Sarah Phelps, who also penned the script for J.K. Rowlings’s A Casual Vacancy. A wealthy philanthropist is murdered and her son Jack dies in prison, accused of her murder. A year later, a mysterious stranger arrives to prove Jack’s innocence. If his story is true, the murderer is still in the family. In one of Christie’s most satisfying stories, the cast presents a host of well-known faces, including Bill Nighy and Anna Chancellor. Murder, plot twists and a fantastic cast. Can it get any better?

It most definitely can! September brings with it the second instalment of Christie magic. Now, how well do you know the person next to you? It’s the question that made Agatha Christie the best-selling novelist of all time. And Then There Were None sports an all-star cast, including Charles Dance (Game of Thrones) and Aidan Turner (Poldark). Ten strangers, each accused of a terrible crime, are lured to an island mansion and quickly find themselves at the mercy of their unknown host. And Then There Were None has seen many adaptations, but this is the first screen version to include Agatha Christie’s original, less cheery, ending.

It’s time for the home stretch everyone! With October we welcome a third Agatha Christie series. In Sarah Phelps’s second Christie adaptation for the BBC, the cast is headed by Toby Jones and Kim Cattrall. Witness for the Prosecution is the perfect Film Noir for a 1920s London. It’s a thrilling two-part drama about the murder of the rich and glamorous Emily French. All evidence points towards her young lover Leonard, but how will the jury decide?

The cold days and Idris Elba go together like bread and butter, or an attractively greying beard and a warm woollen coat. In Series 4, Luther introduces himself very non-dramatically: ‘There are some things you might have heard about me that could be true.’ If that is how Luther introduces himself to his colleagues, you should take care not to become his enemy. After a leave of absence living a reclusive life on the English coast, Luther is back in London on the trail of a cannibalistic killer, while also attempting to uncover the truth behind Alice's apparent death. With trouble following him wherever he goes, the case is fast becoming a test that will push Luther closer to the edge than he’s ever been before.

There we are. 2018 is all wrapped up, but there are more presents under the tree. 2019 is just around the corner and there is so much BBC content to look forward to. Why don’t you have a peek?

In 2019, fans can look forward to Emilia Fox’s 14th outing as Dr Nikki Alexander. Cast members David Caves, Liz Carr and Richard Lintern are also confirmed to return. Although not much is known about the 22nd series, actor Richard Lintern has said the new series will focus on bringing in London more as a character than has been done before.

New year, new Call the Midwife. Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes, who will always be Professor Sprout to me, joins the cast for the Christmas special and the first episode of series 8. Fenella Woolgar (Victoria & Abdul) and Ella Bruccoleri (Genius: Picasso) move to Poplar as newcomers Hilda and Frances and (yeah!) Helen George returns as Nurse Trixie Franklin.

In series 8 of Death in Paradise, Shyko Amos joins the cast as officer Ruby Patterson. She has, what shall we say, a unique take on crime fighting. From a local radio DJ murdered while live on air to a zookeeper killed by a poisonous dart, Jack and his team definitely have their work cut out.

Welcome back to the beautiful English countryside. Let’s just take some deep breaths of fresh air and ignore Father Brown trapped outside on what is a dark and stormy night, with a murderer on the loose. Don’t bother yourself with the kidnap of Lady Felicia and Mrs McCarthy. I’m sure everything will be fine.

A new adaptation of Victor Hugo's 19th-century classic Les Misérables is packed full of big-name actors and this time none of them has to sing. A brave choice, considering the success of the long-running musical and Oscar-winning Hollywood film. Dominic West will lead the cast as Jean Valjean, with David Oyelowo as the obsessed and villainous policeman Javert. Olivia Colman takes on the role of the abusive Madame Thénardier, while Lily Collins will play Fantine. Adapted by Andrew Davies (War and Peace, House of Cards), the six-part drama will delve deeply into the story of love, revolution and survival, vividly bringing to life the vibrant and engaging characters.

When you manage to book Richard Geer (Chicago, Pretty Woman) in his first major television role for 30 years, you’d better have a story to match. MotherFatherSon is an eight-part original drama created and written by Tom Rob Smith (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story). The story revolves around the toxic relationships of a mother, a father and, err, I forget the last one. Anyway, Gere plays Max, the owner of one of the world’s most influential media empires. When his son Caden’s (Billy Howle) self-destructive lifestyle spirals out of control, he and his estranged wife Kathryn (Helen McCrory) have very different ideas about how best to support him.

And finally, he might not be sporting Hercule Poirot’s trademark moustache, but John Malkovich as the iconic detective is already heading the list of 2019 must-watch television. Malkovich is joined by a collage of well-known faces, including Ron Weasley, I mean Rupert Grint, as Inspector Crome. 2019 sees the adaptation of the ABC Murders by the incomparable Sarah Phelps. 

Poirot faces a serial killer known only under the alias ABC. Using the British railway network, the killer strikes methodically, leaving behind nothing but a copy of the ABC railway guide. Poirot must find a way to match his nemesis and, in the process, everything about him will be called into question: his authority, his integrity, his past, his identity.

And finally, that’s 2018 dusted off and stored back in the attic. I hope you enjoyed our little excursion through the best of BBC First. With 2019 almost upon us there is so much more amazing BBC content to come. What were your favourite series and moments of 2018? Are you looking forward to a fabulous 2019 on BBC First? I definitely am.

From me and all of us at the BBC a very merry festive season and a happy new year!

Written for BBC First Benelux