“As it has been for the last few yuletides, this new adaptation has been gifted us by Sarah Phelps (in a few more years I’m going to be able to relax and consider it an unbreakable BBC tradition).

“This year, an extra-special treasure lies inside, in the form of John Malkovich as Poirot.

“Of course there has been much disapproving muttering, especially in the village of Much Muttering which I think is where most of the Marple murders take place.

“But he is quite magnificent as a suffering Hercule, beset by flashbacks to what seems to be his younger self during the invasion of Belgium and letters from someone signing himself “ABC” and promising mayhem.”

Read more at The Guardian