David Suchet ‘gutted’ to say farewell to Poirot

David Suchet has said he will feel like he had ‘achieved a dream’ when he completes his role as Hercule Poirot but will be ‘gutted’ to bid farewell to the famous Belgian detective.

ITV has confirmed that it has ordered the remaining Agatha Christie novels featuring Hercule Poirot to be adapted for television. That means by the time production has finished on the new episodes actor David Suchet will have played Hercule Poirot in all the stories written by Agatha Christie featuring him.

The actor has long stated his desire to complete the Poirot series by adapting all of Christie’s works for television. In a new interview with BBC News, to promote his new play Long Day’s Journey into the Night, the actor discussed completing Christie’s works and playing Poirot for the final time. The actor said ‘I’m excited, I will feel as though I have achieved a dream…..but I’ll also be gutted, because I will be saying a real farewell and a goodbye and then I will have to bury him.’

David Suchet first portrayed the Belgian detective in 1989 when LWT launched the detective series. Poirot proved to be a ratings and critical success for ITV with Suchet’s portray defined as the definitive Hercule by many. Although the format of the series has changed since its launch – from weekly hour episodes to feature length films – the drama still remains popular with audiences. The success of Poirot prompted ITV to adapt Christie’s other famous sleuth, Miss Marple, for television despite the BBC series starring Joan Hickson still being fresh in the memories of many viewers.

The final works by Christie, featuring Poirot, to be adapted for television are  Labours of Hercules, Dead Man’s Folly, The Big Four, Elephants Can Remember and Curtains – the final book featuring the sleuth. The films are likely to air on ITV1 next year bringing to an end over twenty years of television history.