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Viewers outraged as BBC CHANGES killer in Ordeal by Innocence

The adaptation deviated from Agatha Christie's original

Furious Agatha Christie fans have lambasted the BBC for changing the ending of its latest Agatha Christie whodunit.

Viewers were left shocked when the Ordeal by Innocence killer was revealed last night as Love Actually star Bill Nighy’s character Leo Argyll.

In the original book, housemaid Kirsten Lindstrom, played by Morven Christie, murdered Leo’s wife Rachel (Anna Chancellor).

Kirsten (Morven Christie) didn’t do it! (Credit: BBC/Mammoth Screen/ACL/James Fisher)

While some praised the “bold” decision by writer Sarah Phelps to change the culprit, many took to Twitter to criticise BBC1’s adaptation.

One said: “So some arrogant BBC writer thought they could do better than the phenomenal Agatha Christie?

“Why adapt something if you’re going to change everything, even the killer?! Just write something new instead, it’s much better I think.”

Another wrote: “Can people stop messing around with Agatha Christie’s stories please? At least go by the correct murderer.”

Bill Nighy and Anna Chancellor as the Argylls (Credit: BBC/Mammoth Screen/ACL/James Fisher)

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A third fumed: “What is the point of making a drama based on a well known story & totally changing the bloody story? Wasn’t Agatha Christie a good enough story teller?!”

The three-part murder mystery was initially earmarked for Boxing Day as one of the highlights of BBC1’s Christmas schedule.

But it was pulled after actor Ed Westwick was accused of historic sexual assault allegations, which he denies.

Philip Durrant (Matthew Goode) and Mary Durrant, played by Eleanor Tomlinson (Credit: BBC/Mammoth Screen/ACL/James Fisher)

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He was replaced by Christian Cooke and many of his scenes had to be re-shot in the first few weeks of 2018.

The cast also included Poldark’s Eleanor Tomlinson, US star Catherine Keener, Downton Abbey actor Matthew Goode, Anthony Boyle and Luke Treadaway.

Was the BBC right to change the ending? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor

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