User Reviews

Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings are on a cruise in the Mediterranean, heading for Alexandria. Also on board are a variety of characters, including Colonel John Clapperton and his obnoxious wife. One day, after a sojourn ashore, Colonel Clapperton returns to his cabin to find his wife dead, murdered, with her cabin door locked from the inside. Poirot sets to work on the case.

Wonderfully scenic setting. The mystery itself is interesting. Ultimately quite simple but not that obvious who the murderer is and how they did it. This seems to be a trademark of the early Poirot episodes - quite simple murder plots, in keeping with the shorter duration of these episodes (about 60 mins vs the 90 or so mins of the later ones).

Problem at Sea is not one of my favourites of the series, but it is still a well made and interesting episode. Beautifully photographed with splendid costumes and scenery and an evocative atmosphere, Problem at Sea also has a music score that further adds to the mood, intelligent, sometimes funny, sometimes tense writing and a story that while taking some time to get going held my attention right up to I feel the pretty ingenious if slightly gimmicky final solution. The acting is as good as can be, with David Suchet continuing to impress as the dapper detective and Hugh Fraser suitably amusing and naive. Of the support cast, who in general are solid if never always standing out in the way Suchet and Fraser do, Sheila Allen delights as the domineering Mrs Clapperton. Overall, a good interesting episode if not one of the best of the series. 8/10 Bethany Cox

When a woman is murdered on a ship cruising around Egypt, the captain asks Hercule Poirot - who happens to be on board, along with Captain Hastings - to investigate the matter.

This episode boasts the usual high production values, but the mystery itself is transparent. It all relies on a single gimmick, and I was able to call it as soon as it was happening on the screen. Since I'm far from an expert at solving murder mysteries, I imagine that most viewers will solve this one prematurely, too. That leaves us in the position of being AHEAD of Poirot - a position as infrequent as it is undesirable. At least the actual revelation is done in an interestingly offbeat way. (**1/2)

As to be expected in this series, the photography and production values (the bazaar scenes are especially interesting) are excellent. The setting on a cruise ship voyaging around Egypt is also pleasing to watch. Unfortunately, most of the characters excepting Poirot and Hastings are either boring, annoying or unlikeable. The two "silly" girls are annoying, the suburban couple and henpecked husband are boring, and the very disagreeable and arrogant murder victim is unlikeable (which is as it should be in a mystery). The suspects include native hawkers of doodads but every suspect seems to have an iron clad alibi. As another reviewer has said, it's pretty easy to figure out who the culprit is but Poirot's method of publicly identifying this person was clever and interesting. Aside from the bazaar shopping scene, my favorite bit in the show was an older woman singing a music hall number about the army as entertainment for passengers and Hastings' annoyance with the number. While this is a lesser entry in the series it was still worthwhile and fun to watch.

Another holiday goes wrong for poor Poirot, as a passenger is killed, seemingly by a local, with robbery the main motive.

Glorious production values, the music is rather lovely and some stunning scenery. I love the costumes, they are so wonderfully fitting for the period. It would have cost big bucks to deliver this.

Lovely performances from the entire cast, a special mention for the Tolliver's, played by real life husband and wife Geoffrey Beevers and Caroline John, best known for both playing Dr Who characters, assistant Liz Shaw and The Master, Caroline very sadly no longer with us. Sheila Allen and John Normington both delightful.

As has been mentioned it is a bit of a weak plot, but the performances more then make up for it. For a short story it's rather satisfying. The introduction of Hastings is a good change from the short story, he adds a touch of humour.

I love the conclusion, Suchet is brilliant. It is wonderfully brought to life, this is a very good episode. 9/10

Poirot solves a "Problem at Sea" while on a cruise with Hastings. Unfortunately, the audience figures it out, too, probably ahead of him.

Poirot and Hastings are on a cruise around the Mediterranean, with Hastings acting as a sort of social director. An unpleasant woman, Mrs. Clapperton, is found murdered in her stateroom. Since everyone hated her, there should be plenty of suspects. Just one problem. Many of them were off the ship at the time.

Poirot has to solve the problem. By the time he gathers everyone together to expose the murderer, we've been in on it for some time. The how, however, I found both amusing and interesting. So it wasn't a total loss.

This series spares no expense on production values, which, have others have mentioned, are marvelous. It doesn't matter if it's a weaker story. David Suchet is always wonderful to watch, as is Hugh Fraser as Hastings.

Halfway through this episode, I was prepared to give it an 8/10 for the location shooting and witty dialogue alone. On the one hand, the shots of the sunset and the harbor (with Greece substituting for Alexandria) actually rivaled the shots in the previous episode (see my review of "Triangle at Rhodes"). And on the other hand, the writers not only borrowed some of Christie's best lines from the original story, but added some good ones of their own; when Hastings, in Egypt, is posing for a photo in safari costume on a cardboard camel, and the photographer asks him to look brave, Hastings gives it his best effort, and Poirot, looking on, says, "No, Hastings, now you merely look constipated." But I changed the review to a 9/10 with the surprisingly poignant ending, highlighted by the acting of Ann Firbush. Considering that for most of the previous hour, the passengers on the Mediterranean cruise didn't seem awfully broken up by the murder of a very unpleasant woman, I was impressed by how the revelation of the murderer caused things to take such a serious turn.

It may not be one of the most mysterious or intriguing Poirot's but it's well done and a very faithful adaptation of the Christie story. Pretty good.

Poirot and Colonel Hastings, in this adventure, find themselves on a holiday headed for Egypt, with the usual mix of interesting or objectionable passengers. One in particular, a rich woman who constantly diminishes and berates her husband, is disliked by virtually everyone aboard.

Imagine their dismay (and probable relief) when she is found murdered by her husband, in front of witnesses, after he returns from a day ashore accompanied at all times by two young women, and after he has been observed (and heard) talking to his wife through their locked cabin door just before he departs?

I figured out the intended victim and the method of deception even before the murder occurred, as it was telegraphed pretty clearly, and so I docked the score a couple of stars since the mystery was NOT well conceived and the culprit concealed.

Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings are on a sightseeing cruise of the Mediterranean in this Agatha Christie mystery. This episode of the super sleuth TV series has a nice cast with a larger pool of suspects. It's a good mystery shot on location in Greece as well as in the Twickenham Studios in London.

Hastings is teaching some young ladies trap shooting from the top deck of the small passenger boat. That, and occasional shore trips for visiting historic sites occupy him. Poirot, as usual, enjoys his study of people while relaxing on deck or indoors. That prepares him for his solving the case when one of the passengers is murdered

This is an intriguing and fun episode, with more than the usual funny and clever lines. Here are some favorites.

Mrs. Clapperton, "You're so alive, Adeline, they'd say to me. But really, Monsieur Poirot, though, what would one be if one wasn't alive? Lighting her cigarette, Poirot says, "Dead, madam."

General Forbes, "He got into her hospital somehow." Ellie Henderson, "Did it have anything to do with his being wounded, do you think? Forbes, "Oh, yes. You had to be wounded."

General Forbes, "You should get a bit of exercise, Miss Henderson. Does you no good sitting around thinking, you know. Ellie Henderson, "No, I know. Unfortunately, my religion forbids it at this time of year." Forbes, "Oh, ...Oh!"

Hercule Poirot, "Oh, Hastings, Hastings." Captain Hastings, "What?" Poirot, "Whatever is the use of me introducing you to nice young ladies if all you do is talk about the shooting of the clay pigeons?" Hastings, "But I like it. You heard what Miss Henderson said. She'd like to talk about it tomorrow." Poirot, "Oh, Hastings, Hastings, Hastings."

Hercule Poirot, "Ah, my dear Mademoiselle Cregan. If everyone on board who had said unpleasant things about Madam Clapperton were to make as much noise as your friend, this vessel would be a danger to shipping."

Hercule Poirot, "What about mademoiselle Henderson?" Captain Hastings, "Really? No." Poirot, "Oh, I think perhaps she has the motive, no?" Hastings, "She's a lady, Poirot." Poirot, "And you think, mon ami, that ladies do not commit murder?" Hastings, "Ladies don't get found out."

Hercule Poirot, "Ah, you may say, the little Belgian detective is taking leave of his rocker, huh? But I can assure you, behind my madness is -- as you English say, method."

Poirot needs to STOP going on vacation. Think about it...in "Death on the Nile", "Murder on the Orient Express", "Triangle at Rhodes" AND "Problem at Sea", Poirot is on vacation...and someone is murdered! The only detective I can think of with a similar track record is Jessica Fletcher...and I have no idea why others don't go running in fear when he goes on one of his trips!

"Problem at Sea" finds Poirot on a small cruise ship headed to various North African ports. Of the guest aboard, one is particularly annoying and loathesome...so you KNOW she will soon die. Following this, Poirot figures out who did it...though the number of reasonable choices rests at one. This, combined with telegraphing who will die make this a weak one. Worth seeing, of course, but no great mystery here.

Poirot continues with its lavish overseas location budget with Greece standing in for Egypt.

Poirot and Hastings are on board a cruise ship voyaging round North Africa and chit chatting with the guests. One of them Mrs Clapperton is most unpleasant to everyone and who relishes in humiliating her husband Colonel John Clapperton, an amiable man who amuses others with his card conjuring skills.

However when her dead body is found, it seems anyone who might have had a motive for murder were out on an excursion and thus had an alibi.

However for someone to resort to murder, there could only really be one main suspect and I was rather unsure of the gimmicky way the murderer was revealed by Poirot or that they gave themselves up so easily.

An enjoyable episode, for all the usual reasons -- the gentle humour, the note perfect performance of David Suchet -- but this is somewhat spolit by the identity of the killer being made far too obvious. If someone goes to pains to "prove" that someone else is not yet dead, you can pretty much guarantee that the second someone is already dead and the first someone is the murderer.