Based on Agatha Christie’s well-liked, but perhaps lesser-known, characters, BritBox’s “Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence” is the first contemporary English-language adaptation of the detective duo. Set in modern-day London, the series follows Tommy (Josh Dylan), a crime novelist doing a favor for an old friend when he encounters his college sweetheart, Tuppence (Antonia Thomas). An aspiring actress, Tuppence has returned to the U.K. following a stint in Los Angeles where she was trying to get her big break.
Reeling from their unexpected reunion, neither of them expects to be thrust into the middle of a murder investigation. Though the show takes a moment to get its bearings, “Tommy & Tuppence” blossoms, becoming an engaging mystery drama. It doesn’t quite break the mold, but still carries its audience on an adventure-filled journey of murder and mayhem.
The six-episode series opens at an Alice & Wonderland-themed wedding. Tuppence is there to work as part of the serving staff, and Tommy, a friend of the groom, steps in to take photos after the hired photographer is a no-show. When the pair collide, Tommy is eager to catch up.
However, Tuppence is skittish about revisiting the past, especially because her life is currently in limbo. The twosome briefly part ways, but are thrust back together after a guest is found dead, and the groom is arrested for the murder. Shell-shocked after such a harrowing evening, Tommy and Tuppence find themselves reminiscing about old times in Tommy’s flat.
Confused by the brutality of the crime and the resulting arrest and inspired by Tommy’s Aunt Ada (Imelda Staunton), a retired private investigator, the duo begin digging into what really happened at the mad-hatter-themed nuptials. Though the series’ opener begins promisingly, the lackluster clues and haphazard narrative weigh it down. It feels especially taxing since the duo’s first investigation spills over into Episode 2.
Moreover, when the duo focus on their messy relationships — particularly Tuppence’s familial and romantic life — instead of the mystery, the series becomes frustrating and tiresome. Aunt Ada, the show’s narrator and guide for Tuppence and Tommy, shares a nugget of information that alters the show’s direction. Aunt Ada’s reveal will undoubtedly compel audiences to press play on Episode 3, where the pair’s newly formed agency, Blunt’s Brilliant Detectives, officially gets up and running.
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