User reviews

I remember watching this series when I was about 10-11 years old with my parents every Friday night at 9:00 on MYSTERY. Ever since that time, whenever I think of Tommy and Tuppence, I think of Francesca Annis and her male actor friend, as I truly loved this series and all of the lush period detail. The only downside was the effect the series had on my late mother, possibly more profound than I believed when she was still alive. Every time we were together in the family care and she saw a period automobile, she would cry: "Oo, look, Anthony! A Tommy and Tuppence car!" Despite this, PARTNERS IN CRIME has remained amongst my favorites of the original MYSTERY! TV series.

You could depend on British TV to produce solid dramas in the early 1980s, and this show is similar to the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes and Joan Hickson Miss Marple in terms of attention to period detail, particularly Tuppence's awesome clothes.

Francesca Annis does a very good job portraying Tuppence, even though she was about ten years too old for the role. Some of the stories are a bit weak, but I think the fault lies in the source material rather than with the show's crew.

I read a few other reviews, of this series, & felt like saying that they seemed to miss the point. Being familiar with the original novel "The Secret Adversary" (which was made into a full-length TV feature after these) as well as the "Partners in Crime" short stories I believe that those involved with this series captured the spirit the author intended very well indeed.

The tone of the original stories was much lighter than that of other Agatha Christie novels and the playfulness & risque humor (which come across clearly in the dramatizations) came right from the characters in the books. I also believe the overly stylized performances were perfect for the period & mood of the pieces. The acting actually comes across more as a good staging of a Bernard Shaw or Oscar Wilde play in the style of the early 20th century than as a current modern TV program & I for one completely enjoyed the contrast.

2 side notes: I've purchased these on DVD as well as the sets of the Poirot series & while the Poirot are exceptional (wonderfully made & acted) I actually enjoy re-watching the "Partners in Crime" Series more because the emphasis is much less on the crime than on the characters, compared to the Poirot series which always seems to need a twist (right out of Christie) and some kind of action/chase sequence (not so much from Christie).

Also, I'd personally love to see James Warwick and Francesca Annis reprise these roles 20 years on, since there were several novels ("By the Pricking of my Thumbs" and "Postern of Fate" are the two I remember) which caught up with Tommy & Tuppence later in their lives.

Absolutely and gorgeously great. The fact that it was made almost 25 years ago only adds a peculiar charm to the production. I even love the old video feel to it - feels almost like watching something 'live', not the edited scenes shot over several sessions. They didn't usually pay too much attention to period details in the early 80s, but this show is a refreshing change, even though a modern viewer might be distracted by the sometimes too obvious studio sets. Annis and Warwick are so good that the characters might easily have been written especially for them. The acting style might appear a bit theatrical for some tastes, but they have found the key to playing the protagonists the way actors did in the twenties and thirties. I trust times and people were more "artistic" than they are nowadays, therefore I feel secure that they did take the right direction and succeeded remarkably well. Perhaps one wouldn't be allowed to create such characters in a modern hi tech TV series, but back then it seems they just had a lot of fun doing what they did.

Tremendous fun to watch, and fortunately available on DVD.

I am a huge Agatha Christie fan, and of the TV series "Agatha Christie: Poirot". I wanted to see this series for the lovely Francessca Annis and I really love it. It is entertaining and light-hearted, it is not as complex as Poirot and Marple and that is not a bad thing really. James Warwick and Francessca Annis are perfect as Tommy and Tuppence, and Reece Dinsdale is amusing as Albert. The period detail is splendid, Annis looks stunning in her costumes and the scenery is beautiful. The music is playful and fun, and the dialogue is nice. The mysteries are suspenseful and keeps to Christie's style decently enough. If anything, this series should've lasted longer in my opinion, it is not the best mystery series out there, but it is pleasant to view. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Married Couple Tommy and Tuppence set up as private Detectives, and hunt down killer and thieves, using all manner of disguises and techniques.

Christie was of course The Queen of Crime, but each Detective had a different tone, I've always thought that the Miss Marple novels were some of her darkest, Nemesis and The Body in The Library two of the darkest, Partners in Crime were always on the lighter side, this series really did capture that essence.

It's such a watchable series, they're fun and light viewing. The best element for me, the visuals, this series gorgeous looking, the sets and costumes are fabulous, Annis always steals the show.

The acting is a little hit and miss at times, but Warwick and Annis are excellent, sometimes it plays out like a stage play.

My favourites were Finessing the King, The Secret Adversary and The Crackler, the one I struggle with is The Man in The Mist.

Such a shame they didn't make N or M and Oh The Pricking of my thumbs, I'd have loved to see the direction they'd have gone in.

7/10.

Being an Agatha Christie fan,it bothers me when someone adapts one of her works and never bothers to read the source material. This outing has an enjoyable cast,crisp direction,nice period touch in the sets,cars and costumes. Much to my amazement,they actually followed the original stories. Francesca Annis is fun as Tuppence,James Warwick muskies a great Tommy and Reese Dimsdale is fun as Albert,the office mainstay. It's a glance at English Life in the twenties in the upper brackets. Manor houses,servants,costume balls,things that are out of date nowadays but fun to look at. Too bad Francesca and James never reteamed for N or M,or By the Pricking of my Thumbs. The other adaptions I liked were "Why Didn't They Ask Evans?" with Francesca and James,and "The Seven Dials Mystery" with Jame Warwick,all of them excellent.

I really enjoyed this series - especially after suffering through the more recent version. They are perfect!

This show is chock full of good dialog, engaging characters and tons of fun. Tommy and Tuppence are equal partners with tries at one upping each other which is unique for the time period. And the costumes! Tuppence has a fetish for hats and a wardrobe to die for. The period details are lovely as well.

Delightful adaptation of Agatha Christie's light Tommy and Tuppence stories.

These productions are rich in period detail, delightful lead performances, and charm and whimsy to spare. This isn't typical Christie fare; it's light as a soufflé and as bubbly as champagne. James Warwick and the stunning Francesca Annis make a yummy twenties couple who solve crimes and flirt with each other. The scripts are sometimes padded out to flesh out Christie's admittedly thin short stories, but always done with humor, style and flair. The whole series has a wonderful Noel Coward type feel to it that will appeal to those who appreciate the style of the 1920's. I just wish that the producers would bring the leads back for Christie's later Tommy and Tuppence novels.

I have grown fond of this series. The 1920s sensibility can so easily come across as dodgy to the modern viewer, and so can some of Agatha Christie's writing. The best way out is to play up the comical ingredients, and this show does so with plenty of elegance and wit. Tommy is just the right kind of dashing and just the right hint of gay. Francesca Annis's Tuppence is just effortless - which is no mean feat, combine as she must the character's and the time period's sense of guile, androgyny, wild fashion and childlike wonder coupled with the budding women's lib. It works! Not a heavy, cathartic sort of fare, but charming and uplifting in its own way. Well done.

I am an Agatha Christie scholar, who has researched her work for years. Does that make me a better viewer? Not necessarily, but a more attentive one. Trust me, this adaptation comes very close to the atmospheric and witty early Agatha Christie, recreating the more fun output of hers. The magnificent actors, locations and music contribute to a sublime viewing experience that everyone should allow themselves to have. It's an old production but has aged extremely well, like good wine.

Married couple Tommy and Tuppence Beresford run their own private detective agency in 1920s London. Through some good detective work, clever marketing and sheer good luck they build up a solid reputation, to the point that Scotland Yard often comes to them for help.

Based on the Tommy and Tuppence series of novels and short stories by Agatha Christie, this series captures well Christie's love of intrigue as well as making for engaging viewing. The mysteries are reasonably clever, though not without the occasional plot-hole, and aren't all of the murder and violence type, making for a decent variety of cases.

What lifts this series beyond a figure-out-the-perpetrator show is the characters and how they are played. Tommy (played by James Warwick) and Tuppence (Francesca Annis) are wonderfully drawn, with some great lines and banter - the comedy aspect is well done and the chemistry between them is great. Francesca Annis is particularly enchanting as Tuppence, giving her character a wonderful warmth, frivolity and sense of humour.

Kudos too to the production staff - 1920s London and 1920s fashion (and sense of fashion) are captured very accurately and appealingly. Tuppence's wardrobe, especially her series of hats, deserves some sort of award!

In this respect the show foreruns the greatest ever Agatha Christie show - the David Suchet-starring Poirot (1989-2013). One of the best things about the show was the feeling of being transported to 1920s/30s Europe. Partners in Crime does a great job at that too.

The LONG review version - First off I apologise in advance. After no joke 3hrs of typing and retyping (cursing my OCD). I've just decided to post it + not reopen my phone. Haha

My 1st review (ASD+ADHD here so decades of rating + never posting words to ANYONE)...More mind-boggling is the cause of this phenomenon, a 1980s Christie...My sympathies cause once the info dump starts it doesn't stop...if you're deciding 2 read this...please bare with me :D

1st step is to embrace that this is an OLD Series - so picture, production, sound etc etc cannot possibly compare 2 now. Yes, sometimes their voices are pitched a bit annoying but you get used to it. What does compare, (rare to find in any decade) is loyalty 2 source material...I am quite picky when it comes to these types of movies. So sole reason I have spent so long trying to word this review is the accuracy of this series. I was so disappointed by the modern remake of PinC, which fails spectacularly, ignoring its namesake, trying to adapt multiple full T+T spy thrillers into Eps rather than the "Wodehouse-like" tone of the book it claims to be based on. If the only thing kept from the "source" is it's title...Why bother?... Previously the best "loosely" T+T film was a "Marple", By The Pricking of my Thumbs, (infuriatingly the story was changed greatly, obliterating Tommy's character in ever way) but I did give it props for keeping true to the creepier vibes of that novel. (I frustratingly turned off yet another new Christie show last night before I got 1/2 way thru E2, it looked cool and creepy but it was not Christie.)

I was sure if I'd make it past 2 Episodes (Painful flashbacks of 80s Why Didn't They Ask Evans constantly reoccurring). However, each Ep is true to the story chosen, not just to the "solution" (yay!!) but the characters, dialogue, era, setting, + humour. PinC is the complete opposite end of AC spectrum from say... "And Then There Were None" (Also a good adaption) + is very diff my usual pref for complicated plots (*insert Christopher Nolan Title here) but as a lover of English wit, Mystery/puzzles (of the British variety), + fan of Dame Agatha for almost 20yrs (my thrilling intro occurring via ATTWNone @ aged 12), I find this the best attempt at favs Tommy + Tuppence.

For anyone not familiar, T+T books are more "war/spy genre" rather than MurderM. Partners in Crime tho is unique among AC works by being truely light hearted. The 2nd Book in T+T Series, set in Roaring 20s between their "WW MI6" eras, these short stories purely embrace humour, healthy relationships and vibrant personalities. They honestly remind me so much of myself both their chaotic tornado personalities and their random brain thoughts...I can't help but love them. Partner's in Crime is just...FUN... not a word I even knew AC had in her repertoire, it's unexpected even within own T+T series. (Don't get me wrong, AC's are often wickedly humorous, clever, sarcastic, dark, or just plain funny but not FUN).

The show writers have done well, not getting caught up in the popular "secret agent" aspect of T+T. By not choosing to adapt the 3 short "spy" stories + also not having the actors attempt impressions of other fictional defectives (the only 2 points that truely differ from the novel) they could focus on embodying the essence of the entire collection...(along with ofc a decent helping of good old British Inuendo - PG). I found myself both chuckling + rolling my eyes. It is slightly hard to reconcile my brain, as my eyes are watching 1980s Francessca Annis, while my ears are hearing the voice I am so familiar with from BBC now. I have also never liked James Warwick, but I do wish they had done more T+T.

Let's hope for a modern director/writer who likes TRUE Christie to make some (eg. Hugh Laurie - who we can thank for a mostly uncompromised adaption of WDTAE)...I'm particularly surprised no one has really attempted their characters and novels...especially in the age of remakes ...N or M particularly.

If you've made it to the end of my rambling review (with all the bonus contextual thoughts) I applaud you, + I hope you were entertained a little. Thanks, I hope you can appreciate this series for what it is...OLD but ultimately Fun, Thinking not required.

PS gets much better after Ep 2...

1983 - 1984 TV eleven episodes

Made for TV and fairly transparent, this film still has all the ambiance of a BBC Agatha Christy production. It is a period piece and employs many major English actors:

Detective Inspector Marriott (Arthur Cox)

• The Crackler (1984)
• The Ambassador's Boots (1983)
• Finessing the King (1983)
• The Affair of the Pink Pearl (1983)

Arthur Cox played the newspaper reporter Salcombe Hardy in Dorothy L. Sayers's Have His Carcase (1987).

Tuppence Beresford, Tuppence Cowley (Francesca Annis)

• The Crackler (1984)
• The Case of the Missing Lady (1984)
• The Man in the Mist (1983)
• The Unbreakable Alibi (1983)
• The Ambassador's Boots (1983)
• The Clergyman's Daughter (1983)
• The Sunningdale Mystery (1983)
• The House of Lurking Death (1983)
• Finessing the King (1983)
• The Affair of the Pink Pearl (1983)
• The Secret Adversary (1983) as Tuppence Cowley

Francesca Annis played Lady Jessica in Dune (1984)

The series had potential but some of the episodes are directed in a bizarre fashion. The costumes are very good, James Warwick is watchable and gives the idea of what might have happened if Roger Moore had ever taken the acting lessons that he so desperately needed. Reece Dinsdale is amusing enough as a young cocl-er-nee type. The problem is that Annis' performance is so arch, brittle and OTT that it makes the entire thing unwatchable.

The character she plays was a nurse and there is no hint of worldliness in Francesca's performance (although in fairness the scripts get the character completely wrong too). She is far too old for the role and her make up is extraordinary ( in a negative way).Its like watching an aging amateur drama diva in a lead role in a television series.

Dodgy acting aside ( and Annis has given fine performances in several other productions)the series seems rather insubstantial and lightweight. It has not aged well.

I had hoped to enjoy this and was rather let down by the whole thing.

I remember first watching these episodes on PBS Mystery back in the mid '80's and waited 20 years to find it on DVD. And well worth the purchase price. I love the atmosphere of these stories - terrific 1920's flavor and beautiful filming of rural England. The mysteries themselves are not very challenging, you'll figure most of them out well before the ending, but the chemistry between the two leading actors is really what makes the show. It's so nice to watch a program about a young husband and wife who really do love one another and enjoy adventures together.

Warwick looks every bit the solid young Englishman, and Francesca Annis, looking ten years younger than the 37 she actually was, is perfect as a bright and plucky young flapper. And do love the old cars in this.

Great way to spend an enjoyable 50 minutes of wholesome entertainment.

I couldn't review Partners in Crime until now because they first appeared on TV in the 1980s, before the advent of IMDb and personal computers (forget about the newer godawful version). My husband and I watched these "old things" when they first were broadcast and also read the Partners in Crime short stories over the decades (my, how time flies); however, our brains, also aging, have forgotten most of the plots so re-watching is like seeing them for the first time: "Such fun!" as Tuppence Beresford would squeal, with a few correct Charleston steps thrown in (the glorious Francesca studied ballet as a girl). Recently while plodding thru the excruciatingly slow brain-almost-dead but sometimes hilarious "Postern of Fate," dictated but not typed in her golden years by Agatha Christie, I decided to view the "old things" again (all on BritBox) and found them even more charming than I recalled. Francesca Annis is always so beautifully turned out from head to foot -penciled eyebrows, art deco lips, pin-curled bob, cloche hats, slinky flapper dresses, painted nails, ecru stockings, matching pumps, beaded bags in every hue, fringed throws, enormous fluffy fur wraps and cigarette holders - the works - and dressed like this just to visit a suspect being held in the Pokey! James Warwick is remarkable as the dignified but wry husband Tommy, co-owner of a post war detective agency, tactfully pointing out little flaws in his wife's reasoning but always bowing to her shrewd insights and overwhelming need to boogie the night away. I've come to love these old things, even more than the amazing Poirot and Marple, all of which we have on DVDs. Can't have too much of the legendary Agatha Christie, especially Partners in Crime. My only complaint is that there are so few of them and so many of us.

There were 11one hour episodes plus a preliminary two hour tv movie. The movie was an adaptation of Christie's second novel (which also was the first novel to feature Tuppence and Tommy), entitled The Secret Adversary. The follow 11 episodes was each an adaptation one of the short stories about these same two characters, now married to one another and running a detective agency under a couple of aliases. Each episode is very faithful to the original source. However, the original short stories were actually very short, and in order to make the material last a full 50 minutes, additional dialogue, often of a romantic bantering nature, was added. Additionally, a bit more travelling to takes place in the television series to old manor houses and quaint villages than occurs in the written sources.

One aspect of Christie's stories was frequently left out - the original stories, published in magazines during the early 20's, were each a spoof of a then well known mystery writer. By the time the television series aired 60 years later, a lot of this aspect was dropped or downplayed because some of those old writers and their characters were no longer well known by the general viewership.

Great attention is played to period detail - cars, clothing, hairstyles and so forth are spot on. The mysteries themselves are not generally that difficult for the viewer to solve, but the characters are so very likeable, the atmosphere is so inviting and the dialogue is so enjoyable, you won't mind at all if you've figured out the villain halfway through the teleplay.

An overlooked little classic.

As a lifelong Agatha Christie fan, and devotee of Joan Hickson's late 80s/early 90s Miss Marple adaptations, I had hoped that these early 80s curios would help fill my need for more Agatha. I can't imagine that these stagey productions would have met with the great lady's approval. Slow moving (especially when Tommy and Tuppence are on screen), and so lacking in dramatic tension that I am surprised more than a couple of episodes were ever screened.

Francesca Annis is dreadfully OTT and arch. Her stage make-up makes her look like a doll or a clown in some sequences. James Warwick is very wooden and emotionless. Reece Dinsdale's comedy cockney is even more annoying.

Tommy and Tuppence are totally unlikeable, and their laboured attempts at flirtation and humour fail at every attempt. Every witticism and remark in the script clunks to the floor under the deadly delivery of Annis and Warwick.

There's a nice range of guest appearances from some actors who went on to great things (Anita Dobson as a maid who bites the dust after two minutes on screen), but the supporting roles are obviously less significant to the two leads. As a result, anyone who tries to bring a bit of life to things (Liz Smith and Joan Sanderson, for example) are shot down as soon as they appear on the same set as Tommy and Tuppence.

The studio sets and studio lighting have aged very badly, and the whole production feels dated.

This is a must have DVD for every Agatha Christie fan ! It is just as i imagined Tommy & Tuppence from the short stories. There is a lot of humor and Annis and Warwick are superb as are most of the rest of the cast. The whole series has an intimate feel about it that i liked very much. Every episode is a spoof on one of the famous detectives of the time the stories were written like Sherlock Holmes, Father Brown etc. as Agatha Christie intended. It would be nice if ITV decided to use Warwick and Annis again for a follow up on this series, they could use the novels about Tommy and Tuppence this time as they are written about the couple when they are older. It would be a good idea to do this instead of remaking Miss Marple or Poirot movies.

I have to agree with Gerry, the acting was very hammy. So much so it spoilt the whole thing. Francesca Annis and James Warwick were not acting novices, so why they were so poor I cannot fathom, but the two of them seemed to be having fun doing a spot of spoofing of the am-dram form of over acting. I have read some of the books with Tommy and Tuppence in, and they seemed far fuller and more down to earth than portrayal here suggests. The potential, as always with any Agatha Christie book, was there, but unlike other productions, let down badly. This lead to the feeling that the hero and heroin were not even a real couple.I am running out of things to say to fill 10 lines of text on this production. By all means form your own opinion on this series, but don't expect to much, or to find that you vie for the couple to win over the baddies, none of them seemed real enough to warrant that to me.

I received (sorry if I spelt it wrong) the DVD collection as an Easter present two years ago. I thought the whole lot was absolutely charming, exactly as i imagined Tommy and Tuppence and all the other characters to be. I think the costumes; especially Ms Annis's (Tuppence's) wardrobe. My own personal favourite episodes are "The Affair of the Pink Pearl" and "The King of Clubs", the one where they dress up as Sherlock Holmes (Tuppence) and Dr Watson.

Although the plots are a bit slow to start, and some of the acting is a bit over the top, I still thought it was charming. I agree with some of the others; ITV should do the other Tommy and Tuppence stories with Francesca Annis, Tommy Warwick and Reese something or other back in their original roles.

It's about time Tommy and Tuppence came back to our screens.

Thank you for reading this