Poirot's David Suchet to retrace Agatha Christie's steps for documentary

The series will see him replicate a journey taken by the legendary crime writer in the 1920s, taking him to Canada, Hawaii, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, with one episode dedicated to each of those locations.

It will begin filming this summer, and is expected to air on Channel 4 later in 2024 – although an exact launch date is not clear at this stage.

"Having spent a quarter of a century personifying Agatha Christie’s iconic character of Hercule Poirot, I now feel so honoured to embark upon a journey around the world, as myself — in the footsteps of possibly the greatest crime writer of all times," Suchet said of the series.

"I feel that she will be sitting on my shoulders at every moment, urging me on to share her passion for knowledge, travel, archeology and, of course, mystery."

Meanwhile, producer Jonathan Ford said that the series would see Suchet take viewers on a "fascinating journey to discover more about one of the world's literary enigmas".

He added: "Immersing himself in the countries as they are now, David will explore locations she visited and learn about people she met that eventually featured in or inspired her work."

Fellow producer Ian Lamarra described Suchet's knowledge of Christie and passion for her work as "unrivalled", and said that there was "no better person to embark on this pilgrimage to the author".

"This will be a sumptuous series, premium in its content and look, with huge international appeal," he said.

There's a lot to look forward to for Christie fans at the moment: in addition to this documentary series, two separate star-studded adaptations of her novels have announced their casts in the past week, one each for the BBC and Netflix.

The BBC's take on her 1944 mystery Towards Zero will star Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ella Lily Hyland and Anjelica Huston among others, while Netflix's version of The Seven Dials Mystery – written by former Doctor Who boss Chris Chibnall – is led by Mia McKenna-Bruce, Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman.

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