Two young adventurers stumble into a world of political conspiracy and espionage in this adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel.
In 1919 London, demobilised soldier Tommy Beresford (James Warwick) and former war volunteer Prudence “Tuppence” Cowley (Francesca Annis) are restless, penniless, and eager for excitement. They form “The Young Adventurers Ltd,” willing to do anything and go anywhere for the right price. Their new enterprise is immediately put to the test when Tuppence is mistaken for a mysterious Jane Finn, a survivor of the sinking of the Lusitania who holds the key to a secret treaty. Their search for the real Jane Finn plunges them into a dangerous conspiracy orchestrated by the shadowy master criminal known only as “Mr. Brown,” who is working to trigger a general strike and overthrow the government. They find allies in the shrewd intelligence officer Mr Carter (Peter Barkworth) and Jane’s American cousin, Julius Hersheimmer (Gavan O’Herlihy).
This feature-length production was constructed to serve as the pilot for the subsequent series, Agatha Christie’s Partners in Crime. It successfully reunited Francesca Annis and James Warwick, whose screen chemistry had been established in Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, and its reception confirmed their appeal as the definitive Tommy and Tuppence. The adaptation captures the high-spirited, adventurous tone of Christie’s early thriller, a notable departure from the more cerebral puzzles of her later work. Set against the backdrop of post-war London, the story is a tale of bright young things caught up in Bolshevik plots and secret societies, and the production values work to evoke the period with a sense of buoyant optimism rather than gritty realism.
Broadcast: ITV – LWT, 1 Episode, 9 October 1983
Adapted by: Pat Sandys
Director: Tony Wharmby
Producer: Jack Williams
Executive Producer: Pat Sandys
Music: Joseph Horovitz
Main Cast: Francesca Annis (Tuppence Cowley), James Warwick (Tommy Beresford), Gavan O’Herlihy (Julius Hersheimmer), Alec McCowen (Sir James Peel Edgerton), Honor Blackman (Rita Vandemeyer), Peter Barkworth (Mr Carter), Toria Fuller (Annette / Jane Finn), George Baker (Whittington)
