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Homepage ► Marple

Photograph of the cast of ITV's Marple starring Julia McKenzie

Marple is a series based on the character of Miss Marple, the amateur detective, from the novels of Agatha Christie. The title character was played by Geraldine McEwan during the first, second and third series after which she retired. She was replaced by Julia McKenzie for the fourth series.

Marple began in 2004 and the episodes have been adapted from original novels and screenplays by Kevin Elyot, Stephen Churchett, Stewart Harcourt, Tom MacRae, Patrick Barlow and Paul Rutman.

Most of the exterior filming has taken place around Turville in Buckinghamshire.

Recent episodes

Murder is Easy ►

Pocket Full of Rye ►

They Do It With Mirrors ►

The Pale Horse ►

The Secret of Chimneys ►

The Blue Geranium ►

The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side ►

Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? ►

Following the positive response to her first outing as the nation’s beloved Miss Marple in 2009 Julia admits that she was able to relax into the character when filming The Pale Horse.

“To put it mildly, I feel quite pleased with the way Marple has been received generally. And I’m enjoying it a lot more now. I think I was rather in shock in the first couple of films because I did take over the role very quickly. I was just so surprised to get the part, added to which was the trepidation of taking over such an iconic role. I feel now that I’m much more secure in the characterisation of Miss Marple. “

“Obviously it was a bit worrying when the first few films came out. I wasn’t sure how it would be received and so it was quite a nerve wracking weekend. I did send Geraldine (McEwan) some flowers saying “thinking of you” because it’s hard to leave a part. And it’s hard to take over a part. But now I feel I’ve settled into it and would like to play her for the rest of my working life if there are enough stories to go round.”

Julia explains how her version of Jane Marple is taken from one of two interpretations of the character by Agatha Christie herself...

I’ve gone for the sturdier version as it were! Agatha Christie wrote Miss Marple in two different ways. When she first invented the character she was a more fragile, rather Victorian soul. Then she rewrote her about 10 years later and she came up a bit tweedier and more solid. I’ve really gone for the latter one because of a modern audience. I think, for her age, Miss Marple is quite a modern woman. She’s certainly got a tremendous intelligence and intellect - that I have to work hard at! I’m not naturally intellectual. But, I’ve based most of her on the fact that she’s a woman who’s very much of her period but also modern.

One of the very sweet things a background artist said to me during filming one of the early films was “I think you’re going to be very good in this Julia because you look like her”. And I just thought that was a marvellous thing to say. I obviously fitted their image of Miss Marple and I hope that people who are fans of Marple accept my image too.”

One thing Julia has found is that playing Miss Marple over the duration of two series has been a learning curve...

“You do learn a lot of lessons along the way. I thought at first it would not be a good thing to have new directors and writers on each episode but, in fact, it’s been refreshing and you learn something new from each one. I do feel when I get a script whether it would suit my Marple and the writers are very good at chatting through things with me. Most of the writers are awfully good at helping you develop your own Marple. On The Pale Horse, the writer (Russell Lewis) looked at the previous films and decided to write the script in very much my vocal patterns, which has been really interesting to do. Suddenly you think, “Oh I see what other people see I’m doing”.

“And of course I get to work with lots of actors I’ve always admired, which is an absolute treat. Certain people you work with, they raise your work. It’s like a game of tennis. And suddenly you become a better tennis player.”

On the subject of the stellar casts Agatha Christie’s Marple attracts, Julia couldn’t be more delighted with the sea of faces which greet her at each read-through. “I think people are more than delighted to come into a Poirot or a Marple because it’s a very prestigious production. So little period drama is made now and this is a very expensive production and the standard is very high, especially in the writing, the photography and the direction. It’s all first class. Also, other actors are very attracted by the period feel. In The Pale Horse Holly Valance said that when she put the wig on she looked just like her grandmother!”

ITV series Agatha Christie’s Marple starring Julia McKenzie

Amateur detective Miss Marple investigates

Starring Julia McKenzie