jamesraeburn2003 Hercule Poirot agrees to investigate a series of petty thefts from a London students hostel on behalf of his secretary's sister, Mrs Hubbard, who is employed as the housekeeper there. The culprit is quickly identified as the shy chemistry student Celia Austin who pretended to be a kleptomaniac in order to attract the attentions of psychology student Colin McNabb whom she fancies. Yet, while Miss Lemon and her sister are relieved that it is all over, Poirot fears that something far more sinister is about to unravel. And his fears are proven when Celia is murdered by someone who switched her sleeping draught for a lethal dose of morphine. Chief Inspector Japp arrests McNabb after a phial containing morphine is found in his room, but after two more murders occur, Poirot links the case to a diamond smuggling operation in which the hostel acts as a legitimate front and a well respected Labour politician, Sir Arthur Stanley, who recently died from ill health and, several years before, Japp suspected him of poisoning his wife. Are one of the students behind the smuggling ring and is he or she connected to Sir Arthur in some way that they felt the need to kill in order to keep that connection a secret?The film makers' decision to switch the setting of Agatha Christie's classic novel from the 1950's to the 30's is something of a disappointment, but apart from that this is yet another winner from ITV's celebrated series. It was by far the best ever adaptations of Christie's works to be put on the screen (it was a pity it never made it on to the big screen - it wasn't as if they were short of suitable material) and David Suchet made the part of the eccentric, but highly intelligent Belgian detective with the egg-shaped head Hercule Poirot his own. His performances were the highlights of each episode, but there were many others including first rate dramatization, rich period detail, excellent supporting casts and intriguing and absorbing storylines. Director Andrew Grieve succeeds in creating a spooky atmosphere in the murder scenes. For instance, there is a clever play on the old Hickory Dickory Dock nursery rhyme in which a mouse literally runs up the grandfather clock in the hall of the hostel as it strikes the midnight hour accompanied by a deathly sounding orchestra and choir chanting "Hickory Dickory". The said mouse also appears as a "dumb witness" in every murder scene too and it startles Poirot's audience of suspects as he presents the solution to the case enabling the killer to attempt a getaway. There is some amusing chemisty and light comedy here between Suchet's Poirot and Philip Jackson's Chief Inspector Japp in which the latter is home alone as a result of his wife being away on holiday. Poirot invites him to stay with him at his flat and, while the two men are very close friends, Japp cannot adapt to Poirot's lifestyle which is rather eccentric to say the least. Anthony Horowitz's dramatization is first class and his attention to period detail is brilliant. He relocates the story to the time of the Jarrow march (an important time in the labour movement's calendar), which adds both interest and a hint of realism to the story. Although I would liked to have seen Poirot in the fifties (check out the original novel for that), what the film makers do to justify their change of setting to the thirties makes that decision forgivable. All in all, and I repeatedly say this about most of the Poirot episodes - so, please forgive me if I sound a little repetitive - Hickory Dickory Dock is another top notch entry in the series and fans of high quality TV drama and rattlingly good whodunits should by no accounts miss it.

Prismark10 Hickory Dickory Dock suffers from some random ingredients thrown together and a plot was cooked up. Ironically as a subplot involves Inspector Japp staying with Poirot as his wife is away and he has to eat fancy food when he just prefers a fry up.Miss Lemon introduces her sister who is all at sea. The student boarding house she runs has been stricken with some minor thefts of some inconsequential items. A diamond ring, a shoe, a stethoscope, a rucksack that has been ripped up are some of the missing items. Poirot suspects there is something more sinister afoot and then one of the student is found dead.Although one of the guest in the house admits to being a kleptomaniac, she does state that a few of the items missing were nothing to do with her. Poirot finds that the boarding house is mixed with a diamond smuggling ring and in the background of the Jarrow march, a dying socialist MP is of interest to Inspector Japp.The director has gone for some arty shots of a mouse running about and the repeating riff of a nursery rhyme but it rather detracts from a plot that does not flow too well.

grantss Hercule Poirot's secretary, Miss Lemon, has a sister, Florence Hubbard, who runs a university hostel in Hickory Road. During a visit, Mrs Hubbard informs Miss Lemon that there has a been a spate of robberies from the hostel of late. Miss Lemon suggests that Hercule Poirot investigate under the pretext of giving a talk to the students on crime solving. He does just that and uncovers some details. A few days later, Mrs Nicoletis, the owner of the hostel, is murdered. Poirot suspects that the robberies and the murder are linked. Aided by Chief Inspector Japp, he uncovers more than just robberies and a murder.Quite intriguing, with a seemingly unrelated parallel story having a great bearing on the case. Some good twists and turns with the murderer not obvious until the end.One of the standout features of this episode is the wonderful sub- plot involving Poirot and Japp and their culinary and cultural differences. Some quite funny scenes involving their rather diverse eating habits, and the contrast between the sophisticated Poirot and the more basic Japp.Cast includes Damian Lewis, later of Band of Brothers and Homeland fame, in only his second screen role. If the actor who plays Nigel Chapman reminds you of Colin Firth, that's because it's his brother, Jonathan Firth.

Iain-215 This story was never among my favourites in Christie's works so I was pleasantly surprised to quite enjoy this adaptation. The mouse motif was effective if a little overdone, the bones of the story are there although more emphasis is placed on the 'crime in the past' subplot. The students were all pretty much as I imagined them although its a pity they weren't a more cosmopolitan bunch - perhaps the revised thirties setting didn't allow for that! I thought some very daring risks were taken with the filming; perhaps its because I've not long re-read the book but it seemed pretty obvious to me who the murderer was from their appearance in some reveal shots quite early on.Humour was much more prevalent in these early Poirots. Sometimes it works but I found a lot of it rather heavy handed in this episode (though I did smile at the 'Lemon sole' throwaway line). Altogether though, a solid entry in the series though not one of the best.