Product Details

• Actors: David Suchet
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Acorn Media
• DVD Release Date: January 4, 2005
• Run Time: 153 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00068RYZK
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #24,731 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  #20 in	Movies & TV > Mystery & Suspense > British Mystery Theater > Poirot
  #43 in	Movies & TV > Mystery & Suspense > British Mystery Theater > Agatha Christie

• This is item 11 in The Agatha Christie's Poirot Series.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Hercule Poirot lives to solve mysteries, and the three episodes included in this boxed set provide him with perplexing cases at home and abroad. "The Third Floor Flat" begins with Poirot suffering from a terrible cold brought on, he believes, by a lack of cases and the subsequent decay of his "little gray cells." A trip to the theater fails to cheer the sleuth, but when Poirot returns home he finds a murder mystery unfolding on his own doorstep. "Triangle on Rhodes" finds Hercule enjoying the final days of a vacation on the Greek island. When a woman is poisoned in his hotel, only Poirot can untangle the threads of passion and betrayal that will eventually lead him to the murderer. In "Problem at Sea" Poirot and Hastings take a Mediterranean cruise to Egypt, but their trip turns out to be anything but relaxing when a murder takes place. The passenger list is filled with fascinating suspects, and Poirot sets to work to solve the crime.

Unfortunately these 50-minute TV episodes suffer in comparison with the feature-length stories in the series. The supporting characters are frequently weak and the plots underdeveloped--there is simply not enough time to build much suspense. Thankfully David Suchet's definitive performance as Poirot is as delightfully eccentric as ever, and an abundance of period detail makes for entertaining viewing. --Simon Leake

Product Description
No detail is too small, no crook too clever to escape the keen eye and razor-sharp intellect of Agatha Christie’s famous sleuth. As played by DAVID SUCHET in this British television production, Poirot became the most-watched detective in the history of the PBS Mystery! series and an A&E favorite. These three stories feature Poirot on the case at home in London and in two exotic holiday locales. Elegant art deco settings and lush period costumes add to the fun. With Hugh Fraser as Captain Hastings, Poirot’s affable assistant.

Mysteries include:
The Third Floor Flat—Poirot is at loose ends until he finds a mystery to solve very close to home.
Triangle at Rhodes—Alone on a holiday in Greece, Poirot cracks a murder case with the help of two capable Brits.
Problem at Sea—Their Mediterranean holiday is interrupted when Poirot and Hastings are called on to investigate a shipboard murder.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 11 down, 1 to go, January 13, 2002

By	F. Behrens "Frank Behrens" (Keene, NH USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Poirot - Set 11 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Only one to go! This is Set 11 of the Acorn Media "Poirot" 12 box series that will include all the shorter Poirot episodes we enjoyed so much on PBS way back when and later (in much mutilated form) on A&E. Starring the "definitive" Hercule Poirot, David Suchet, this series includes (I believe) all or most of the Poirot short stories penned by Agatha Christie, three to a VHS box, while the longer tales are available on VHS and DVD with running times of about 110 minutes.

The three episodes in Set 11 are pretty good. "The Third Floor Flat" brings a murder very close to Poirot's very own flat, just below it in fact. The solution is not very satisfactory and comes a little too early; but the setting more than makes up for it all.

"Triangle in Rhodes" (1937) bears a strong resemblance to "Evil Under the Sun" (1941), and the solution to the former is more credible. Hastings is absent from this episode and the scenery is gorgeous. Be sure to see "Evil" with Ustinov as Poirot and Diana Rigg as the victim for comparison purposes.

Hastings (Hugh Fraser) is back in "Problem at Sea," in which some of the characters are more interesting as believable humans than in most of the Poirot tales. You might guess not only the guilty party but even the modus operandi early on; and while Poirot's forcing a confession from the murderer is a little overdone, this is (correct me if I'm wrong) the only Poirot story in which he is strongly criticized for being "cruel."

A very good set, despite small story faults.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The English Abroad, February 3, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Poirot - Set 11 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The "Poirot" Box Set #11 contains "The Third Floor Flat," "Problem at Sea," and "Triangle at Rhodes." The first episode is set largely within Hercule Poirot's apartment building, Whitehaven Mansions; the other two take place very far from home, in Egypt and in Rhodes, Greece. I didn't care for "The Third Floor Flat"; its ending was far too predictable. "Triangle at Rhodes" is much more intriguing, a story about a "love triangle" that is not quite what it appears to be. The location shots and the décor in this episode are absolutely gorgeous. Like the previous reviewer, I did notice parallels between this story and that of "Evil Under the Sun," an excellent "Poirot" novel that I would recommend to anyone who enjoyed "Triangle at Rhodes." In "Problem at Sea," Poirot and Hastings investigate a murder aboard a cruise ship bound for Alexandria. The episode features interesting characters and an uncanny denouement. Though "The Third Floor Flat" is only average, the two "abroad" episodes are well worth the price of the whole box set.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Poirot on holiday, May 28, 2006

By	Sheila "art lover" (Santa Monica, CA USA) - See all my reviews

According to the IMDB these three episodes of Poirot appeared during the show's first season, in 1989. I knew I had been watching Poirot for some time, but it surprised me to find out just how long. The series doesn't show any signs of becoming dated. Agatha Christie's stories were adapted and filmed with care and the recurring players (David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, Pauline Moran) are delightful. Naturally, I prefer some episodes over others. Of these three, my favorite is Problem at Sea. Agatha Christie is often maligned for creating two-dimensional characters but in most of her books I will find one or two characters to be compelling in some way. I had a similar experience watching this adaptation--Miss Henderson (Ann Firbank) is a poignant figure but has so much dignity. It's a lovely performance.

The other two stories, Triangle at Rhodes (a variation on a favorite plot of Christie's) and The Third Floor Flat are solid and entertaining, the latter taking place chiefly in Poirot's apartment building, always fun, and featuring both Miss Lemon and Hastings. In Triangle at Rhodes Poirot has lost Hastings (he's gone off shooting we're told), but is given a sidekick--an appealing 40-ish woman who takes an interest in the goings-on around her.

I don't find the Poirot stories to be gripping entertainment, but they are entertaining. Excellent for unwinding at the end of the day.