Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? is a 2022 three-part miniseries, adapted and directed by Hugh Laurie. The story is based on the homonymous 1934 novel by Agatha Christie. The filming took place in Surrey, mainly in the village of Shere, between June and August 2021, and at Three Cliffs Bay in Swansea. The series was commissioned by BritBox North America and produced by Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited. It was first aired on BritBox on 12th April 2022, starring Will Poulter (Bobby Jones), Lucy Boynton (Frankie Derwent), Maeve Dermody (Moira Nicholson), Hugh Laurie (Dr James Nicholson), Jim Broadbent (Lord Marcham), Emma Thompson (Lady Marcham), Conleth Hill (Dr Alwyn Thomas), Daniel Ings (Roger Bassington-ffrench), Jonathan Jules (Ralph ‘Knocker’ Beadon), Miles Jupp (Henry Bassington-ffrench), Amy Nuttall (Sylvia Bassington-ffrench), Alistair Petrie (Reverend Richard Jones), Paul Whitehouse (the landlord), Morwenna Banks (Mrs Cayman), Joshua James (Dr George Arbuthnot) and Richard Dixon (Leo Cayman).
Synopsis: Bobby Jones, the son of the vicar of the Welsh seaside town of Marcbolt, discovers a badly injured man who has apparently fallen off the cliff. The man soon dies, but not without briefly regaining consciousness and saying “Why didn’t they ask Evans?”. As a string of fishy incidents unfurls, Bobby becomes convinced that the man’s death was no mere accident. Reunited with his childhood friends Lady Frances “Frankie” Derwent and Knocker, they decide to play the part of amateur sleuths and uncover the truth.
Yesterday evening Begoña and I had the chance to watch and enjoy the third and last episode of this miniseries. An excellent example of a superb Agatha Christie’s adaptation. Highly recommended.
Further reading: On the Genuine Delights of Hugh Laurie’s Murder Mystery Why Didn’t they Ask Evans? by Olivia Rutigliano at Crime Reads
A Crime is Afoot 