web analytics

The stateside Summer of Poirot kicked off last Sunday with “The Big Four,” and how merveilleux was it to see David Suchet return to the screen as our favorite Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. But there is more of Suchet in store beyond the four remaining episodes of Agatha Christie’s Poirot. He also takes us on a behind-the-scenes journey when the special, Being Poirot, comes to local public TV stations starting today.

David Suchet Being Poirot
Courtesy of ITV Studios, Acorn Productions

Oui, mes amis, there is more David Suchet and Poirot on the way.

In addition to starring in the last four feature-length Poirot episodes — “Dead Man’s Folly” (August 3 on PBS) and “Elephants Can Remember,” “The Labours of Hercules” and “Curtain” (August 11, 18 and 25, respectively, exclusively on Acorn TV) — Suchet takes us where viewers have never been before in Being Poirot.

Stanley Tucci host of Being Poirot
Stanley Tucci, courtesy of © Dennis Allen

Hosted by Academy Awards nominee and Golden Globes winner Stanley Tucci, Being Poirot is a tribute to Hercule Poirot by David Suchet, the actor who, over the course of 25 years, portrayed the iconic character in 70 films that comprise every Poirot story written by Agatha Christie.

More than 700 million viewers in more than 100 countries have watched the Agatha Christie’s Poirot series, and Englishman Suchet has become synonymous with the Belgian sleuth. For most, if not all, of us, Suchet is Poirot.

For Suchet himself, Poirot is “much more than the character on the written page. Hercule Poirot, for me, almost is a real person.”

Suchet’s relationship with Poirot, both in inhabiting the character and having the character inhabit him, is an experience to behold in Being Poirot — from Suchet becoming Poirot as soon as the mustache goes on in the makeup chair, to his referring to props used in the series, now on exhibit in the Agatha Christie Gallery of the Torquay Museum, as “my desk” and “my radio.”

Suchet takes us through how he used his own little grey cells to know and understand Poirot and to get into the character, which raises the questions of “Who is Poirot?” and “Why is Poirot so popular with so many people around the world?” To answer them, Suchet takes us with him on several trips — on a journey of discovery — to the birthplaces (yes, plural) of Poirot and on the Orient Express, amongst others.

David Suchet reading Murder on the Orient Express
Courtesy of ITV Studios, Acorn Productions

Along the way we meet individuals who have worked with Suchet on Poirot, such as  “Dead Man’s Folly” costar Sean Pertwee, as well as those who have been central to the TV series, including Agatha Christie’s grandson Mathew Prichard, and Christopher Gunning, the composer of the now instantly-recognized Poirot theme. Others who shed light on Christie’s relationship with Poirot, the appeal of Poirot (such as among Belgians), and the character of the character include Suchet’s friend and Poirot biographer Geoffrey Wensell, archivist John Curran, and Belgian crime writer Stan Lauryssens.

Poirot Moustache CU David Suchet Make Up
Courtesy of ITV Studios, Acorn Productions

There is much more to the story of Poirot in Being Poirot, and no one tells it better than Suchet, who says of his alter ego:

“[Poirot] is the person who was responsible for my life for 25 years… I got to know him, I’ve lived him… He’s my invisible, closest, and best friend.”

The following public TV stations are confirmed for airing the Being Poirot special starting today. Local premiere dates and times are provided for those stations whose information was available prior to publishing this post. For all others, check your local listings or contact the station serving your area via the logo links below.

Note that these stations will also broadcast the final three Poirot episodes beginning November 1, 2104 (check your local listings), and that the DVD for Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Series 13 will be released on November 4, 2014 (available for preorder now).

STATE CITY STATION PREMIERE
Alabama Birmingham, Decatur, Demopolis, Dozier, Florence, Huntsville, Louisville, Mobile, Montgomery, Mount Cheaha, Selma 8/17/2014 7:00PM
Arizona Phoenix 8/10/2014 8:00PM
Arkansas Arkadelphia, El Dorado, Fayetteville, Ft. Smith, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Mountain View 8/10/2014 9:00PM
California Fresno TBA
California Huntington Beach, Los Angeles TBA
California Sacramento 9/6/2014 10:00AM
California San Diego 8/17/2014 9:00PM
California Monterey, Salinas, San Francisco, San Jose, Watsonville 8/17/2014 7:30PM
Colorado Colorado Springs, Denver, Durango, Grand Junction, Pueblo, Steamboat Springs TBA
Connecticut Fairfield, Hartford, New Haven, Norwich TBA
District of Columbia Washington, DC 8/7/2014 8:00PM
Florida Ft. Myers, Naples 8/17/2014 8:00PM
Florida Gainesville 8/17/2014 9:00PM
Florida Jacksonville 8/17/2014 8:00PM
Florida Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-West Palm Beach 8/17/2014 9:00PM
Florida Orlando TBA
Florida Panama City, Tallahassee 8/9/2014 9:00PM
Florida Pensacola 8/17/2014 7:00PM
Florida Tampa-St. Petersburg 8/17/2014 9:00PM
Georgia Albany, Athens, Chatsworth, Cochran, Columbus, Dawson, Pelham, Savannah, Waycross, Wrens TBA
Georgia Atlanta 8/10/2014 8:00PM
Hawaii Honolulu, Wailuku 8/10/2014 7:00PM
Idaho Boise, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Falls, Moscow, Pocatello, Twin Falls TBA
Illinois Champaign, Urbana 8/17/14 8:30PM
Illinois Chicago TBA
Illinois Jacksonville, Macomb, Quincy, Springfield TBA
Illinois Peoria-Bloomington 8/14/2014 9:00PM
Indiana Indianapolis TBA
Indiana South Bend-Elkhart 8/17/2014 8:00PM
Iowa Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Fort Dodge, Iowa City, Mason City, Red Oak, Sioux City, Waterloo TBA
Iowa Rapid City Via KRNE/Nebraska Education Television TBA
Kansas Topeka 8/17/2014 8:00PM
Louisiana Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, Shreveport 8/10/2014 8:00PM
Maine Auburn, Augusta, Bangor, Biddeford, Calais, Orono, Portland, Presque Isle TBA
Maryland Annapolis, Baltimore, Frederick, Hagerstown, Oakland, Salisbury 8/8/2014 9:00PM
Massachusetts Boston TBA
Massachusetts Springfield-Holyoke 8/10/2014 9:00PM
Michigan Detroit 8/10/2014 9:30PM
Minnesota Minneapolis, St. Paul TBA
Minnesota Rochester Via KYIN/Iowa Public Television TBA
Missouri Columbia, Sedalia TBA
Missouri Kansas City 8/10/2014 2:00PM
Missouri St. Louis 8/10/2014 8:00PM
Nebraska Alliance, Bassett, Hastings, Lexington, Lincoln, Norfolk, North Platte, Omaha 8/14/2014 8:00PM
Nevada Las Vegas 8/10/2014 9:30PM
Nevada Reno 8/17/2014 8:00PM
New Hampshire Durham, Hanover, Keene, Littleton 8/10/2014 9:00PM
New York Albany, Schenectady, Troy 8/17/2014 9:00PM
New York Binghamton TBA
New York Buffalo TBA
New York New York Via WEDW/Connecticut Public Television TBA
New York Norwood, Watertown 8/17/2014 7:00PM
New York Plattsburg 8/10/2014 7:00PM
New York Rochester TBA
North Carolina Asheville, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Concord, Edenton, Greensboro, Greenville, Jacksonville, Linville, Lumberton, Raleigh-Durham, Roanoke Rapids, Wilmington, Winston-Salem TBA
North Dakota Bismarck, Devil’s Lake, Dickinson, Ellendale, Fargo, Minot, Valley City, Williston; Crookston MN TBA
Ohio Akron, Alliance, Youngstown TBA
Ohio Cleveland TBA
Oregon Corvalis, Eugene, La Grande, Portland TBA
Oregon Bend, Klamath Falls, Medford TBA
Pennsylvania Allentown, Philadelphia 8/13/2014 10:00PM
Pennsylvania Altoona, Clearfield, Johnstown TBA
Pennsylvania Erie TBA
Pennsylvania Pittsburgh TBA
Rhode Island Providence Via WEDN/Connecticut Public Television TBA
South Carolina Allendale, Augusta, Beaufort, Charleston, Columbia, Conway, Florence, Greenville, Greenwood, Myrtle Beach, Rock Hill, Spartanburg, Sumter 8/10/2014 9:00PM
Tennessee Chattanooga Via WNGH/Georgia Public Broadcasting TBA
Tennessee Memphis TBA
Tennessee Nashville 8/22/2014 7:00PM
Texas Austin 8/17/2014 8:00PM
Texas Dallas TBA
Texas Houston TBA
Texas Lubbock TBA
Texas San Antonio 8/10/2014 7:00PM
Utah Richland, Salt Lake City, St. George 8/10/2014 8:00PM
Vermont Burlington, Rutland, St. Johnsbury, Windsor TBA
Virginia Charlottesville, Richmond TBA
Washington Centralia, Tacoma 8/3/2014 8:00PM
Washington Kennewick, Pasco, Richland 8/10/2014 9:00PM
Washington Seattle, Yakima 8/14/2014 9:30PM
Washington Spokane TBA
West Virginia Bluefield-Beckley, Charleston, Clarksburg-Weston, Grandview, Huntington, Morgantown TBA
Wisconsin Green Bay-Appleton, La Crosse-Eau Claire, Madison, Menomonie, Park Falls, Wausau-Rhinelander 8/10/2014 8:00PM
Wisconsin Milwaukee TBA
Wyoming Casper-Riverton, Lander TBA

__________________

Add your comments on our Facebook, Google+, and Twitter pages.

 

David Suchet on Being Poirot: Special Premiering on Public TV