Running time: 150 minutes per episode
Language: English
Famous detective Hercule Poirot is invited to join his friend, M. Bouc, fellow Belgian, who is director of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits railway that operates the Orient Express, but it turns out that the train is fully booked. Bouc intervenes, but is only able to secure a second-class berth for Poirot. During the travel Hercule is approached by a passenger, American businessman Samuel Ratchett, who wants to hire him to protect him from someone, who threatens to murder Ratchett. While Poirot tries to establish why would anyone want to kill the American Ratchett offers a large sum of money, but avoids answering any questions about his background or who might have any grudge with him. Poirot declines the offer, but following night the detective is woken up by noises from the next compartment, occupied by Ratchett. In the morning the train is forced to stop due to snowdrift that blocked the tracks near Vinkovci in Yugoslavia. Ratchett’s valet finds the businessman murdered in his compartment that was closed from the inside, American was stabbed 12 times in the chest, but there are no signs of struggle. Bouc asks Poirot to investigate the case before the train will reach the next station.
Radio adaptation of classic Agatha Christie novel, split into 5 episodes that were broadcast from Christmas 1992 to New Year 1993 on BBC Radio 4, starring John Moffatt as Hercule Poirot. Moffatt played that character in 25 different BBC radio adaptations of Agatha Christie novels.
Our rating
4.4
/ 10
Show value
8
/ 10
Train scenes
1
/ 5
Adventure
1
/ 5
Scenery
1
/ 5
as Hercule Poirot
as Bouc
as Samuel Ratchett
as Mrs. Hubbard
as Princess Dragomiroff
as Mary Debenham
as Dr. Constantine