Marple has been suspended from ITV1 for four weeks, it was announced today. The Adjudication Panel of the Standards Board for Television took the action following a complaint from the Agatha Christie Society, which described the series as “deeply offensive”. The complaint cited Geraldine McEwan’s awful acting and a string of hammy guest actors.
A spokesman for ITV said the decision was disgraceful. “Millions of people tune in to Marple every week. If they don’t want to watch it, they can turn it off. The three members of the Adjudication Panel don’t even have TVs.”
The chairman of the panel, Colonel Masterson Grange, said it had decided on a ban because Geraldine McEwan had failed to apologise for her performance.
Midsomer Murders will take the role of Flagship Sunday Night Whodunit while Marple serves out the sentence.
But I LOVE Marple. I adore the random hammyness, the ludicrous over-acting, the really bad double-entendres and the utter eccentricity (especially the ‘I want one of those’ costumes)! 😀
Further, I think Geraldine McEwan is really cute for an older lady and, along with Shirley Williams, a comfort to anyone whose ever worried about really minging in old age. She’s so much more cheery than the old Miss Marple.
I guess I’m glad we’ve still got Rosemary and Thyme, and Midsomer Murders to keep me in TV murder mystery silliness.
[incase it isn’t here, I know this is a joke and a good one 🙂 ]
Very,very funny.
Bring back Joan Hickson
Shirley Williams as Miss Marple, now there’s an idea!