CASTIN' MARPLE

I tend to drift away from a TV character, sometimes even the whole show, once there has been a re-casting. Such is the case with Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. For me, she's Joan Hickson; I never did see the series of mysteries with Geraldine McEwan in the role.

But I did watch last night's presentation of "A Pocketful Of Rye" which presented the American audience of 'Masterpiece Mystery' with the new Jane Marple, played by Julia McKenzie. I wasn't at all taken by her performance, but I wasn't watching it for her. Instead, I was eager to see the following actors in the cast:

KENNETH CRANHAM as Rex Fortescue ("Hot Fuzz")

RUPERT GRAVES as Lance Fortescue

MATTHEW MACFADYEN as Inspector Neele ("MI-5")

HELEN BAXENDALE as Mary Dove ("An Unsuitable Job For A Woman", "Friends")

WENDY RICHARD as Mrs Crump ("Are You Being Served?", "EastEnders")

LIZ WHITE as Jennifer Fortescue ("Life On Mars")

PRUNELLA SCALES as Mrs Mackenzie ("Fawlty Towers")

And not one of them disappointed!

Still and all, Joan Hickson was in the 1985 version of this story and that's the one that belongs in the main Toobworld. This series will be off in a third TV dimension, with Geraldine McEwan in the second Toobworld, perhaps even the 'West Wing' one?

BCnU!