User Reviews

Tommy and Tuppence are up and running, beginning their time as a professional Detective duo with two cases, one real, the case of a missing link pearl, the second, a contrived one to get a little notoriety.

I'd have to be honest and say as a Christie lover, Tommy and Tuppence would be my least favourite of her creations, but the stories were good, and the combination of Warwick and Annis bring the duo to life with real style and charisma. Graham Crowden is lots of fun with his booming voice and huge presence.

Very whimsical, it's a light hearted mystery, but a good watch for mystery fans.

These stories are still waiting to be brought to life, The BBC failed, but there is some fine source material. 6/10

Although not as known to today's audiences or maybe I should qualify that as today's American audiences, Agatha Christie's Tommy And Tuppence Beresford were a delightful husband and wife team of sleuths and in this episode we see them start a detective business.

James Warwick as Tommy and Francesca Annis as Tuppence after the First World War are leading a desultory life and buy the Blunt Detective Agency to liven their lives up. Both are like Nick and Nora Charles though Tuppence helps a lot more than Nora.

They get two cases, the first is solved with an extraordinary bit of luck on Annis's part. That brings them a second, a purloined pearl taken at an English country house during a party.

A guest list of suspects is whittled down and eventually leads to the apprehension of the thief. As an Christie stories in the end it all seems quite logical.

For Christie fans the world over.

The first episode moves along nicely. Young Albert is the butler who likes gangster movies. Tuppence is pretty, charming and likes hats. Tommy is well to do, clever and just bought a defunct detective agency.

It is Tuppence who makes a name for the agency. Her ruse to get the aristocratic Lawrence St Vincent to use the services of Tommy on a missing persons case. The word of mouth means Tommy and Tuppence are called in when a pink pearl goes missing.

The rest of the episode includes flashbacks of Colonel Kingston Bruce inviting some people for a soiree. Hamilton Betts a brash American bought a valuable necklace for his wife in Amsterdam. With the stone missing he holds the Colonel responsible.

Suspicion falls on a guest with a reputation of being a kleptomaniac. However Tommy suspects an old trick is being used to hide the valuable gem.

A nicely made breezy episode. It helps that Francesca Annis looks enchanting and there is a touch of The Thin Man movies about it all.

The light-hearted crime-fighting team of Tommy and Tuppence Beresford was created by Agatha Christie, perhaps as a counterweight to the graver Hercules Poirot and Miss Marple mysteries. Christie's grandson has said that her grandmother meant the Tommy and Tuppence stories as somewhat autobiographical , reflecting her happy life as the wife of Col. Christie, her first husband.

These two cheerful detectives are as smart as the other Christie 'tecs, but with a youthful flair that sets them apart.

As played by James Warwick and Francesca Annis, they might remind you of Nick and Nora Charles from "The Thin Man" series --- they have some of the same dash and wit, even if in a different setting. In 1983's "The Affair of the Pink Pearl", one of the British TV "Partners in Crime" series based on Tommy and Tuppence's adventures, they solve a cute little puzzle, while having a little fun.

It's all very light and well-done. The two stars are able farceurs and can keep up with each other in the rapid-fire dialogue. (Francesca Annis is perhaps too beautiful for the part – her looks steal every scene she's in.)

A little bit of TV history. One of the roles is played – and very well indeed -- by the British actress Lynda La Plante, who went on to greater fame as the writer of the remarkable "Prime Suspect" series, which starred Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison, detective extraordinaire.

"The Affair of the Pink Pearl" was a film in the Partners in Crime TV series about Agatha Christie's sleuths, Tommy and Tuppence. In the first feature film, "The Secret Adversary," she was Tuppence Cowley, but she and Tommy have wed so now they are the Beresford's. In this film, Tommy has just taken over The International Detective Agency that was on the brink of closing, due to the proprietor being a "guest of the government." Some clients or dealings he must have had! Scotland Yard approved of Tommy's takeover and when Inspector Marriott visits to deliver his "private eye" license, Tuppence is excited and thrilled. But Marriott tells him the name and proprietor can't be changed right away. The Yard's interest is partly in finding out WHO some of Theodore Blunt's shady clients were, and what they were up to.

As one can tell by now, with their previous discussions and butler Albert's funny imitations of a gangster, this is going be a mystery comedy, or a comedy mystery of sorts. Indeed, looking for a missing pearl isn't much of a plot, with very little intrigue. Certainly not of the type that would have Hercule Poirot exercising his little gray cells, or Miss Marple sleuthing shrewdly.

I have read several Christie books, but not any of the stories with this couple. So, I don't know how much the film is true to the novel, especially the characters. Did Christie write such a light, fun story - sort of as a breather from her very involved and complex mysteries of her great sleuths? In that first film, "Adversary," Tommy and Tuppence were in a typical complex Christie story. The humor was light, with most focus on the mystery. This film is quite different. The story is more about their relationship with considerable comedy, than in the mystery. It's somewhat fun and entertaining, but this story falls way short of the more compelling Christie mysteries.

Again, considering that this novel was written at the start of her career (1922), one can't help but wonder if Christie's couple, Tommy and Tuppence, didn't inspire some other mystery writers. One in America, in particular, was Dashiell Hammett. Mystery fans will surely be familiar with the Nick and Nora Charles film mysteries that were made after Hammett's 1934 novel "The Thin Man." William Powell and Myrna Loy especially made Nick and Nora so well known to movie audiences. That was in the mid-1930s to mid-1940s, and then on late night TV runs in the 1950s and beyond.

Christie followed her 1922 novel with a few more books of her couple, many years apart, into the late 1960s. I've only seen two of the movies about Tommy and Tuppence. "Adversary" was a complex and intriguing story. This one is a simple plot. It's a far cry from the great mystery plots that had Hercule Poirot exercising his little gray cells or Miss Marple sleuthing shrewdly. The result here is a light comedy that overshadows the mystery, crime and justice. Where Powell and Loy were great in their films, they had a good mix of light comedy, but with complicated mysteries to be solved. And the crimes and intrigue were serious with just touches of occasional humor, that didn't make light of the mystery.

Still, most people should find this film entertaining. But serious mystery aficionados may not think too highly of it. I enjoy great mystery myself, but my liking for this film was mostly for the relationship of the two leads and the comedy that includes their butler Albert. Here are a few favorite lines from this film.

Tuppence, "I wish something would happen." Tommy, "This craving for vulgar sensation alarms me."

Tommy, "Hmmm... shall I neglect you a little? Take other women out -- that sort of thing?"

Tuppence, "You're not starting the crossword, are you? We were having a conversation." Tommy, "Mm hmm." Tuppence, "Oh,, where has your spirit of adventure gone?"

Tuppence, 'You're getting fat. And comfortable." Tommy, "I am not." Tuppence, "Sweet, and prosperous, and comfortable."

Tommy, "What on earth is that?" Tuppence, "Do you like it? It's my disguise tree." Tommy, "Your what?"

Tuppence, "I'd say we will find a house full of snobs."

Tuppence, "If you don't mind, I think I'll skip being your secretary and become your assistant."

Again, Francesca Annis and James Warwick and the whole cast are all very good and full of charm, I hope Agatha Christie herself would be proud of it.

Episode aired Oct 16, 1983 after The Secret Adversary Season 1 Episode 0

A pearl of great price.

After their re-introduction in "The Secret Adversary", it looks like Tommy Beresford (James Warwick) and Tuppence (Francesca Annis) are married and after finishing their first case are looking for a little more action. They get the opportunity to purchase the international detective agency and with the help of their new friend Albert (Reece Dinsdale) set up shop.

Before Tommy can stop her Tuppence promises their first client their 24-hour guaranteed special. If they can pull this off then they will be in with the right crowd to be thought of in case a pink pearl should end up missing.

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 actors of the time.