Agatha Christie's Poirot - Complete Series 1-11

Before I actually review the box set I would like to state that I am a huge fan of the David Suchet Poirot series. This show has been running for more than 20 years and although it has had its ups and downs the show has been generally very good to excellent. David Suchet is THE Poirot and all of the cast play theire roles wonderfuly. The productions themselves are another reason to watch this show. The period detail is perfect. Costumes, hair, and makeup are all very well done. many episodes are just beautiful to behold, especially when Poirot travels to different countries. Doing an in depth review of the entire run of the show would take up too much space so now without further adieu, the DVD set itself. I am writing this review from the United States. Here getting Poirot DVDs is difficult, expensive and confusing. The Poirot discs we get have virtually no extras. It sould cost up to $350 to collect all of the Poirot episoes, compare that with 60 pounds. It's sets like these that convinced me I should buy a Region Free DVD player. All I was expecting were the great episodes but what I found was so much more. Compared with the clutter of all the individual sets you would have to buy in the US this Poirot comes in one nice cardboard box package. It has a nice design and is easy to open. The discs themselves are neatley housed and the booklet is on top of all of the sets. Its a nice package to look at. So, on that score this DVD set absolutley leaves the American sets in the dust. One of the most important parts of a DVD is its picture. I was very much suprised to find that compared with the American discs the early Poiorts were much better looking full screen transfers on this set then they were on the American set. I thought the transfers would be the same but I was pleasenteley suprised at the quality of these transfers. In America all of the Poirots made from 2000 to 2006 are in full screen they are also cut. I was so happy to find that all of the episodes shot in wide screen are in wide screen on this DVD set, this is worth buying the set from the UK alone. These are also the uncut editions. The later transfers look astounding and almost Blu Ray quality. The biggest suprise was the fact that there were EXTRA FEATURES! Amazon did not list any, but there are actually quiete a number of fantastic documentaries and interviews. The best ones are on the last two discs of collection 5 which specifically talk in depth about each individual episode on that disc. Overall this set is a reason to get a region free player and is one of the greatest values I have ever gotten on DVD. A fantastic show in a great set with an even greater value, this is a must buy!

Bought this as a present for my mother who loves the series with David Suchet. Watched several episodes during the Christmas holidays and all the discs worked perfectly. Packaging is great, just sturdy enough and very space-efficient, considering that the collection includes 28 DVDs. (Only series 12 is missing.) Everybody was quite annoyed by being forced to watch the anti-piracy videos at the beginning of each disc, however. We bought this collection, so obviously there was no intention to watch pirated versions and once would have been enough, thank you, got the message! David Suchet does not play Poirot, he must just the Poirot that Agatha Christie had in mind when writing the books. His acting is perfect, just as the other actors who are all pushed aside by his presence on the screen. Wonderful entertainment by ITV at a great price. One of the few times I like the movies better than the book.

I live in South Africa and visit the UK from time to time. On my last visit I picked up on Poirot which has apparently been broadcast there since the late 80s. The programmes were beautifully made, the raw materials - actors, Agatha Christie, lovely settings - and attention to detail (lack of roadmarkings etc - though in the first episode you see a burglar alarm on a house in Clapham) made me enjoy it immediately. Of course, here local tv is atrocious and the chances of it ever being shown nil. I had toyed with the idea of dvds; surely the modern way of enjoying tv without the ever increasing and intrusive adverts but it's difficult here since the post is so unreliable. When I saw this item at a truly knock-down price I cast caution to the winds and bought it. After two months it still hadn't arrived but Amazon came up with the goods and sent another copy which got through. The picture quality is a bit grainy and faded which might be intentional since it gives the impression the episodes were filmed in the 30s but that aside I can only recommend these episodes as good quality, clean entertainment. I agree with another reviewer that it is slightly irritating to have to watch the anti-piracy video before each disk which surely a pirated version wouldn't have but that's a minor quibble. I unhesitatingly recommend this product.

This box set is simply marvellous. When purchasing there was some confusion as to which box set to get, after some research I opted for the latest release - 2009. (Even though it says 1989, the release date was march 2009). (I understand there have been one or two new episodes since - but this contains nearly the whole lot, more than enough to satisfy the Agatha enthusiast). It contains 3 cases inside the outer box; discs 1-10, discs 11-20 and discs 21-28. Each set clearly marks the episode index on the back which is helpful - but better still is the booklet inside which gives a plot synopsis of each episode, outlining characters and has sections about the Actors involved, which is extremely useful and a pleasure to read. If you are an Agatha fanatic like myself these are a delight to watch. Admittedly, some episodes involve slight plot changes to the books, but that is so often the case these days. However, the acting is always first rate and David Suchet is without a doubt the definitive Poirot. Overall a steal at the price, neatly packaged with Amazons usual hasty dispatch and smooth delivery, an absolute MUST for all Poirot fans

Apart from one clear flop (Ackroyd) excellently well done.

I love Poirot!!Sure wish they were back on Netflix.

Une remarquablement bien faite serie, d'apres les nouvelles d'Agatha Christie. Poirot demeure une figure culte de notre fiction policiere, en marge d'une realite revolue. Pas tellement revolue a l'epoque de l'ecriture et bien reconstituee pour l'ecran. Bien, pas tres bien. Car la serie Poirot n'a pas la «classe» de la serie Sherlock. Londres d'apres 1918 est moins reussie que celle d'avant 1900, vous y retrouverez des decors visiblement «carton» et des details qui collent pas. Mais l'important c'est Poirot et David Suchet fait le role de sa carriere. Les intrigues ont quelques variations sur des stereotypes et le deroulement des episodes «saute» parfois des etapes d'enchainement epique (c'est explicable, les histoires d'Agatha choquent, elles analysent moins que celles d'Edgar Poe ou de Conan Doyle et n'ont pas l'experience du vecu direct), mais - encore - cela conte moins que le professionnalisme theatral de l'heros. Si vous etes fan retro, achetez cette serie, chaque episode vous «volera» pour une heure au siecle XXI que nous vivons. Si vous aimez Agatha, la serie offre du plaisir avec moins d'effort que sa lecture. Et si vous voulez exercer votre anglais, l'accent so british (hommage a «l'ecole» Old Vic) des personnages est un regal. Didactique, si vous choisisez les sous-titrages anglais. En somme : du classique de marque, a bon rapport qualite/prix.

This is so much better than the US version but you do need a region free dvd player. I have a Pioneer Elite which upconverts to 1080i. David Suchet is an incredible actor anyway, but his performance as Poirot is faultless. I am a Brit resident in the US and if you can get the region (PAL) 2 dvd and the right player it is so much better than the NTSC version.

Über die Geschichten Agatha Christies und ihren berühmten Detektiv, Hercule Poirot, muss nicht viele Worte verlieren, außer dass es sich hier durchweg um nicht allzuschwere, aber immer spannende und unterhaltsame Krimikost handelt. Um so mehr über diese Besetzung: Allen voran natürlich Hauptdarsteller David Suchet! Ich kannte bis Anfang der 90er des vergangenen Jahunderts nur die Ustinov-Poirot-Filme. Ich liebte die Geschichten, mochte (diesen) Poirot aber nie - obwohl ich die Bücher erst später gelesen habe. Und dann kam diese Serie auf VOX - welch eine Offenbarung! Suchet _ist_ Hercule Poirot und spielt so seinen viel bekannteren Kollegen locker an die Wand! Auch Hugh Fraser als Captian Hastings und Philip Jackson als Chief Inspector Japp überzeugen auf der ganzen Linie. Pauline Moran zeigt als Mrs.Lemon eine durchweg gute Leistung, aber ihr recht häufiges Auftauchen ist für "Buchfetischisten" gewöhnungsbedürftig. Auf 28 (!) DVDs liegen die kompletten, zur Zeit verfügbaren Staffeln 1-11 vor. In der Mache bzw. geplant sind die Staffen 12-14. Man kann jetzt zuschlagen u. nachkaufen oder warten. Das muss mann / frau selbst entscheiden, aber diese Serie ist eines der wenigen absoluten MUST-HAVEs! Tipp: Wegen der relativ schwachen (dt.) Synchronisation ab Box #4 und der Unsicherheit, ob (und wann/wie) es nach Box #6 weitergeht, sollten alle, deren Englischkenntnisse besser sind als die der Herren Oettinger o. Westerwelle, beim Original zugreifen. Was noch für diese Box spricht: 1) Wenn ich mich nicht verguckt habe, fehlt in der dt. Box #1 der Fall "The mysterious affair at Styles"; 2) Angeblich - hab' ich nicht überprüft, aber in amazon.de-Rezensionen gelesen - sind einige dt. Folgen gekürzt. Zu meiner Schande muss ich gestehen, nur die deutschen Titel zu kennen, so dass nachfolgende Aufzählung fehler- oder lückenhaft sein mag: Es fehlen - nach Überfliegen der Folgenliste im Booklet - m.M.n. noch die Romane "Mord im Orient-Express" (kommt 2010), "Nikotin", ,"Elefanten vergessen nicht", "Auf doppelter Spur", "Wiedersehen mit Mrs.Oliver", "Schneewitchen-Party", "die großen Vier" und "Vorhang" (Poirots definitiv letzter Fall) sowie die Kurzgeschichtensammlungen "die ersten..." und "die letzten Arbeiten des Hercules" à 6 Fälle und - last but not least - die Kurzgeschichten "Das Erbe der Familie Lemesurier" u. "Stille vor dem Sturm" :-( Aber kann das sein? Das wär' m.E. für 3 Staffen doch zuviel, wenn die Anzahl DVD pro Box u. Filmminuten pro DVD konstant bleiben. Werden einige Geschichten nicht mehr verfilmt, gibt es eine 15. Staffel, von der jetzt noch niemand weiß oder - die wohl wahrscheinlichste Möglichkeit - habe ich mich geirrt u. ob meiner Unwissenheit bereits verfilmte Fälle aufgezählt? Streichungen o. Ergänzungen zu o.g. Liste bitte als Kommentar hinterlassen!