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1 :01x01 - The Body In The Library
Writer: T. R. Bowen
Director: Silvio Narizzano
Guest star: David Horovitch (Inspector Slack), Gwen Watford (Dolly Bantry), Moray Watson (Colonel Arthur Bantry), Ian Brimble (Sergeant Lake), Keith Drinkel (Mark Gaskell), Trudie Styler (Josie Turner), Frederick Jaeger (Colonel Melchett), Ciaran Madden (Adelaide Jefferson), Anthony Smee (Basil Blake), Debbie Arnold (Dinah Lee), Stephen Churchett (Major Reeve), Valentine Dyall (Lorimer), Jess Conrad (Raymond Starr), Andrew Cruickshank (Conway Jefferson), Raymond Francis (Sir Henry Clithering), John Moffatt (Edwards), Sally Jane Jackson (Ruby Keene), Hugh Walters (Mr. Prescott), Sarah Whitlock (Policewoman), Karen Seacombe (Florrie Small), Andrew Downer (Peter Carmody), Astra Sheridan (Pamela Reeve), John Bardon (Police Constable Palk), Martyn Read (Hugo McLean), Arthur Bostrom (George Bartlett), Sidney Livingstone (Mr. Brogan), Colin Higgins (Malcolm), Kathleen Breck (Bridget)
It is seven in the morning. The Bantrys wake to find the body of a young woman in their library. She is wearing evening dress and heavy make-up, which is now smeared across her cheeks.
But who is she? How did she get there? And what's the connection with another dead girl, whose charred remains are later found in a burned out car in a quarry.
The respectable Bantrys invite Miss Marple to solve the mystery - before tongues start to wag.
(Pictured at right are Gwen Watford as Dolly Bantry, and Joan Hickson as Miss Jane Marple).
2 :01x02 - The Moving Finger
Writer: Julia Jones
Director: Roy Boulting
Guest star: John Keenan (Pianist), Gerald Sim (Vicar), Martin Fisk (Owen Griffith), Elizabeth Counsell (Angela Symmington), John Arnatt (Reverend Guy Calthrop), Andrew Bicknell (Gerry Burton), Penelope Lee (Partridge), Gordon Rollings (Mr. Cleat), Victor Maddern (Police Constable Jones), Hilary Mason (Emily Barton), Sandra Payne (Eryl Griffith), Dilys Hamlett ( Maud Calthorp), Imogen Bickford-Smith (Elsie Holland), Ninka Scott (Miss Ginch), Michael Culver (Edward Symmington), Stuart Mansfield (James Symmington), Juliet Waley (Beatrice Dunn), Geoffrey Davion (Superintendent Nash), Deborah Appleby (Megan Hunter), Roger Ostime (Detective Inspector Crawford), Patsy Smart (Mrs. Cleat), Michael Waterman (George Ellis), Catherine Owen (Rose), Sabina Franklyn (Joanna Burton), Carol Gleeson (Contralto), Richard Pearson ( Mr Pye)
Lymstock was a town with more than its share of shameful secrets - a town where even a sudden outbreak of anonymous hate-mail caused only a minor stir.
But all of that changed when one of the recipients, Mrs Symmington, committed suicide. Her final note said 'I can't go on'. Only Miss Marple questioned the coroner's verdict of suicide. Was this the work of a poison-pen? Or of a poisoner?
3 :01x03 - A Murder Is Announced
Writer: Alan Plater
Director: David Giles
Guest star: Paola Dionisotti (Miss Hinchcliffe), Joan Sims (Murgatroyd), Samantha Bond (Julia Simmons), Richard Bebb (Rydesdale), Elaine Ives-Cameron (Hannah), Renee Asherson (Dora Bunner), Ralph Michael (Colonel Easterbrook), Kevin Whately (Fletcher), Sylvia Syms (Mrs. Easterbrook), Matthew Solon (Edmund Swettenham), Ursula Howells (Miss Blacklock), Vivienne Moore (Mrs. Harmon), David Collings (Reverend Harmon), Nicola King (Philippa Haymes), Mary Kerridge (Mrs. Swettenham), Simon Shepherd (Patrick Simmons), John Castle (Chief Inspector Craddock)
The villagers of Chipping Cleghorn, including Miss Marple, are agog with curiosity over an advertisement in the local gazette which reads: 'A murder is announced and will take place on Friday October 29th, at Little Paddocks at 6:30 p.m.'
A childish practical joke? Or a hoax intended to scare poor Letitia Blacklock? Unable to resist the mysterious invitation, a crowd begins to gather at Little Paddocks at the appointed time when, without warning, the lights go out.
4 :01x04 - A Pocket Full Of Rye
Writer: T. R. Bowen
Director: Guy Slater
Guest star: Merelina Kendall ( Mrs. Crump), Clive Merrison (Percival Fortescue), Frances Low (Patricia Fortescue), Timothy West (Rex Fortescue), Stacy Dorning (Adele Fortescue), Martyn Stanbridge (Vivian Dubois), Laurin Kaski (Police Constable White), Tom Wilkinson (Detective Inspector Neele), Annette Badland (Gladys Martin), Jon Glover (Detective Sergeant Hay), Rachel Bell (Jennifer Fortescue), Frank Mills (Mr. Crump), Charles Pemberton (Sergeant Rose), Selina Cadell (Mary Dove), Fabia Drake (Miss Henderson), Peter Davison (Lance Fortescue)
Rex Fortescue, king of a financial empire, was sipping tea in his 'counting house' when he suffered an agonising and sudden death. On later inspection, the pockets of the deceased were found to contain traces of cereals.
Yet, it was the incident in the parlour which confirmed Miss Marple's suspicion that here she was looking at a case of crime by rhyme -
Sing a song of sixpence, A pocket full of rye;
Four and twenty blackbirds, Baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened, The birds began to sing;
Was not that a dainty dish, To set before the King?
The king was in his counting-house, Counting out his money;
The queen was in the parlour, Eating bread and honey.
The maid was in the garden, Hanging out the clothes,
There came a little blackbird, And snapped off her nose.
5 :01x05 - The Murder At The Vicarage
Writer: T. R. Bowen
Director: Julian Amyes
Guest star: Barbara Hicks (Miss Hartnell), Polly Adams ( Anne Protheroe), Jack Galloway (Bill Archer), Michael Browning (Dr. Haydock), Kenneth Keeling (Ned Abbot), Paul Eddington (Reverend Leonard Clement), Tony Brandon (Fred Abbot), Rosalie Crutchley (Mrs. Price-Ridley), Rachel Weaver (Mary Wright), Cheryl Campbell (Griselda Clement), Kathleen Bidmead (Miss Wetherby), Tara MacGowran (Lettice Protheroe), James Hazeldine (Lawrence Redding), David Horovitch (Inspector Slack), Ian Brimble (Sergeant Lake), Robert Lang (Colonel Lucius Protheroe), Christopher Good (Christopher Hawes), Norma West (Mrs. Lestrange), Deddie Davies (Mrs. Salisbury)
'Anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe,' declared the parson, brandishing a carving knife above a joint of roast beef, 'would be doing the world at large a service!'
It was a careless remark for a man of the cloth. And one which was to come back and haunt the clergyman just a few hours later.
6 :01x06 - Sleeping Murder
Writer: Kenneth Taylor I
Director: John Howard Davies
Guest star: Kenneth Cope (Jackie Afflick), Ken Kitson ( Jim Kimble), Sheila Raynor (Shop Assistant), Eryl Maynard (Lily Kimble), Gary Watson (Kevin Halliday), Jean Anderson (Mrs. Fane), John Bennett (Richard Erskine), John Ringham (Dr. Penrose), Peter Spraggin (Detective Inspector Last), David McAllister (Raymond West), Jack Watson (Mr. Foster), Geraldine Alexander (Gwenda Reed), John Moulder-Brown (Giles Reed), Struan Rodger (Ferdinand), Terrence Hardiman (Walter Faine), Donald Burton (Bosola), Esmond Knight ( Mr. Galbraith), Amanda Boxer (Joan West), Jean Heywood (Edith Paget), Frederick Treves (Dr. James Kennedy), Edward Jewesbury (Mr. Sims), Georgine Anderson (Mrs. Hengrave), Joan Scott (Miss Crocker), Geraldine Newman (Janet Erskine)
Soon after Gwenda moved into her new home, odd things started to happen. Despite her best efforts to modernise the house, she only succeeded in dredging up its past. Worse, she felt an irrational sense of terror every time she climbed the stairs.
In fear, Gwenda turned to Miss Marple to exorcise her ghosts. Between them, they were to solve a 'perfect' crime committed many years before.
7 :01x07 - At Bertram's Hotel
Writer: Jill Hyem
Director: Mary McMurray
Guest star: Kate Duchêne (Rose), Henrietta Voigts (Alice), Daphne Neville (Woman At Airport), Joan Greenwood (Selina Haze), Robert Reynolds (Ladislaus Malinowski), Charlotte Barker (Bridget Sotheby), Douglas Milvain (Sir Ronald Graves), James Cossins (Colonel Derek Luscombe), Neville Phillips (Henry), Helena Michell (Elvira Blake), Brian McGrath (Michael Gorman), Rashid Karapiet (Indian waiter), Edward Burnham (Dr. Whittaker), Preston Lockwood (Canon Pennyfather), Caroline Blakiston (Lady Bess Sedgwick), Helen Horton (Mrs. Cabot), Randal Herley (Richard Egerton), Amanda Royle (BEA stewardess), Donald Burton (TV Commentator), George Baker (Detective Inspector Fred Davy), Philip Bretherton (Detective Inspector Campbell), Peter Baldwin (Mr. Humfries), Irene Sutcliffe (Miss Gorringe)
When Miss Marple comes up from the country for a holiday in London, she finds what she's looking for at Bertram's Hotel: traditional decor, impeccable service and an unmistakable atmosphere of danger behind the highly polished veneer.
Yet not even Miss Marple can foresee the violent chain of events set in motion when an eccentric guest makes his way to the airport on the wrong day.
8 :01x08 - Nemesis
Writer: Trevor Bowen
Director: David Tucker
Guest star: Diane Agnew (Receptionist), Margaret Tyzack (Clotilde Banbury-Scott), Liz Fraser (Mrs. Brent), Anna Cropper (Elizabeth Temple), Ann Queensberry (Miss Wimpole), Peter Copley (Archdeacon Brabazon), Peter Tilbury (Lionel Peel), Jonathan Adams (Carter), Valerie Lush (Lavinia Glynne), Marlene Sidaway (Mrs. Trollope), Reginald Stewart (Mr. Hallowes), Jonathan Adams (Carter), Jane Booker (Miss Cooke), Barbara Franceschi (Miss Kurnowitz), Roger Hammond (Mr. Broadribb), Jackie Downey (Florence), David Blake Kelly (Tramp), Helen Cherry (Anthea Banbury-Scott), Frank Gatliff (Jason Rafiel), John Horsley (Prof. Wanstead), Oliver Parker (London Policeman), Bruce Payne (Michael Rafiel)
In utter disbelief Miss Marple read the letter addressed to her from the recently deceased Mr Rafiel - an acquaintance she had met briefly on her travels.
Recognising in Miss Marple a natural flair for justice, Mr Rafiel had left instructions for her to investigate a crime after his death.
The only problem was, he had failed to tell her who was involved or where and when the crime had been committed. It was most intriguing.
9 :01x09 - The 4:50 From Paddington
Writer: T. R. Bowen
Director: Martyn Friend
Guest star: Bernard Brown (Harold Crackenthorpe), Jill Meager (Lucy Eyelesbarrow), David Waller (Duckham), Christopher Haley ( Alexander Eastley), Ian Brimble ( Sergeant Lake), John Hallam (Cedric Crackenthorpe), Maurice Denham (Luther Crackenthorpe), David Horovitch (Inspector Slack), Andrew Burt (Dr. Quimper), Robert East (Alfred Crackenthorpe), David Beames (Bryan Eastley), Joanna David ( Emma Crackenthorpe)
For an instant the two trains ran together, side by side. In that frozen moment, Elspeth witnessed a murder. Helplessly, she stared out of her carriage window as a man remorselessly tightened his grip around a woman's throat. The body crumpled. Then the other train drew away.
But who, apart from Miss Marple, would take her story seriously? After all, there were no suspects, no other witnesses - and no corpse.
10 :01x10 - A Caribbean Mystery
Writer: T. R. Bowen
Director: Christopher Petit
Guest star: T. P. McKenna (Dr. Grahame), Shaughan Seymour (Napier), Frank Middlemass (Major Palgrave), Gregory Munroe (Pathologist), Trevor Bowen (Raymond West), Adrian Lukas ( Tim Kendall), Robert Swan (Greg Dyson), Donald Pleasence (Jason Rafiel), Joseph Mydell ( Inspector Weston), Stephen Bent ( Jackson), Isabelle Lucas (Auntie Johnson), Valerie Buchanan (Victoria), Michael Feast (Edward Hillingdon), Barbara Barnes (Esther Walters), Sue Lloyd ( Lucky Dyson), Sheila Ruskin (Evelyn Hillingdon), James Curran (Piers Musgrave), Sophie Ward (Molly Kendall)
As Miss Marple sat basking in the Caribbean sunshine she felt mildly discontented with life. True, the warmth eased her rheumatism, but here in paradise nothing ever happened.
Eventually, her interest was aroused by an old soldier's yarn about a strange coincidence. Infuriatingly, just as he was about to show her an astonishing photograph, the Major's attention wandered. He never did finish the story.
11 :01x11 - They Do It With Mirrors
Writer: T. R. Bowen
Director: Norman Stone
Guest star: Jake Wood (Bert), David Doyle ( Neville), Todd Boyce (Walter Hudd), Brenda Cowling (Mrs. Rodgers), Jean Simmons (Carrie Louise), Joss Ackland (Lewis Serrocold), Matthew Cottle (Ernie Gregg), Jay Villiers (Stephen Restarick), Neal Swettenham (Edgar Lawson), Gillian Barge (Mildred Strete), John Bott (Christian Gulbrandsen), David Horovitch (Inspector Slack), Christopher Villiers (Alex Restarick), Faith Brook ( Ruth van Rydock), Stee Billingsley (as Dancer), Saul Reichlin (Dr. Maseryk), Tom Kerridge (Keithie), Holly Aird (Gina Hudd), Anne Atkins (Woman Police Constable), Rachel Bond (as Dancer), Bryn Walters (as Dancer), Ian Brimble (Sergeant Lake)
Miss Marple senses danger when she visits a friend living in a Victorian mansion which doubles as a rehabilitation centre for delinquents. Her fears are confirmed when a youth fires a revolver at the administrator, Lewis Serrocold. Neither is injured. But a mysterious visitor, Mr Gulbrandsen, is less fortunate - shot dead simultaneously in another part of the building.
Pure coincidence? Miss Marple thinks not, and vows to discover the real reason for Mr. Gulbrandsen's visit.
12 :01x12 - The Mirror Crack'd
Writer: T. R. Bowen
Director: Norman Stone
Guest star: Judy Cornwell (Heather Babcock), Rose Keegan (Gladys Dixon), Celia Ryder (Mrs. Hopkins), Amanda Elwes (Margot Bence), David Horovitch (Inspector Slack), Barry Newman (Jason Rudd), Constantine Gregory (Ardwyck Fenn), Stuart Harrison (Court Equerry), Norman Rodway (Dr. Gilchrist), Anna Niland (Cherry Baker), John Cassady (Giuseppe Murano), Rhoda Lewis (Mrs. Brogan), Michael Stroud (Delancey), Margaret Courtenay (Miss Knight), John Castle (Detective Inspector Craddock), Ian Brimble (Sergeant Lake), Vince Rayner (Station master), Barbara Hicks (Miss Hartnell), Elizabeth Garvie (Ella Zeilinsky), Gwen Watford (Dolly Bantry), Jon Croft (Inch), Christopher Good (Revd. Christopher Hawes), Claire Bloom (Marina Gregg), Glynis Barber (Lola Brewster), Christopher Hancock (Arthur Badcock)
What was it that Marina Gregg, the famous film actress, saw just before a murder was committed in her house? What or who caused her expression to change so violently that one observer was reminded of Alfred Lord Tennyson:
Out flew the web and floated wide;
The mirror crack'd from side to side:
"The curse is come upon me," cried
The Lady of Shallot.
A few minutes later a body lay in Marina's large house - the second time a victim of wilful murder had been discovered there. Miss Marple, whose house in St Mary Mead is close to the scene of the murder, finds a perfect opportunity to indulge in the particular kind of 'unravelling' at which she is adept.