ITV’s Poirot being ‘rebooted’ on BBC after 13 years

Agatha Christie’s Poirot, based on Agatha Christie’s famous crime fiction series, was a mystery drama that aired on ITV from 1989 to 2013.

The show revolved around the fictional private investigator Hercule Poirot, with David Suchet starring as the titular character.

Now, according to reports, a new Poirot series is in the works at the BBC.

ITV’s Poirot being ‘rebooted’ on BBC after 13 years

The BBC has committed to reimagining Hercule Poirot in a “major” new TV series, according to Deadline.

The publisher is reporting that the broadcaster secured the adaptation in a “highly competitive situation”, with other networks and streamers also keen.

They added: “The BBC is understood to have made a significant commitment to the project, meaning it could run for up to three seasons over the coming years.”

The first series is rumoured to premiere in the second half of 2027.

Deadline reports that the Poirot reboot is housed at Mammoth Screen, with founder Damien Timmer having been an executive producer of many episodes of Poirot on ITV.

Casting for the role of Poirot is underway, with several high-profile actors having played the detective in the past.

As well as David Suchet, who played the character in the ITV series, he has also been played by John Malkovich and Kenneth Branagh.

The beloved ITV show ran for 13 series and 70 episodes in total, spanning four decades.

Each episode was adapted from a novel or short story by Christie that featured Poirot.

The final series aired from  June to November in 2013, averaging more than five million viewers in the UK.

ITV reviving classic show after 28 years

Poirot is not the only classic series that is being brought back, with ITV also working on a reboot of Game show Name That Tune.

The British version first aired on UK TV back in 1976 and became a 15-minute slot on the popular entertainment series Wednesday at Eight, which went on to become London Night Out.

However, because the game was so popular, producers Thames Television decided to turn Name That Tune into a half-hour weekly series in 1983.

From 1976 until 1983, it was hosted by Tom O’Connor, with Lionel Blair taking over in 1984 until the series was dropped from the ITV schedules in 1988.

In 1997, the series was revived on Channel 5 with Jools Holland as the host for two series in 1997 and 1998.

The new series will be its first return to television since then.

The new series, hosted by Alison Hammond, will see contestants go up against each other as their music knowledge is put to the test in a series of fast-paced rounds.

It will feature tracks from the world’s best-loved artists and bands from across every genre – all building towards the finale. 

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Alison said:  “As a massive music lover, my biggest challenge as a host will be trying not to grab the mic and start singing along when one of my all-time favourite tunes comes on!

“And trust me… that will take serious self-control!

“I grew up absolutely loving the original show, so being part of this now feels like a real full-circle moment.

 “I cannot wait to get into the studio, put the contestants through their paces, and see who really knows their music.”

Did you watch the original Poirot series on ITV? Let us know in the comments.