The BBC has announced that Sex Education and My Lady Jane star Edward Bluemel will play Agatha Christie’s legendary detective Hercule Poirot in a brand-new drama series. Titled Hercule, the six-part series comes from Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited and will explore Poirot’s earliest cases in London before he becomes the world-famous detective readers know and love.
Written by Benji Walters (Code of Silence, The Leopard, Obsession), the series is described as both an intimate study of Hercule the man and an epic portrait of Britain between the wars. The drama will revisit three of Christie’s most celebrated stories while also exploring Poirot’s early friendship with Captain Arthur Hastings, his first encounters with Scotland Yard detective James Japp and the arrival of a future nemesis.
“I feel very lucky to have been trusted with such an iconic character who has been played by so many great actors. I can’t wait to continue Hercule’s legacy.”
— Edward Bluemel
Poirot remains one of the most recognisable detectives in fiction, having appeared in more than 30 novels, dozens of short stories and multiple screen adaptations over the decades. Most recently, the character was portrayed by Kenneth Branagh on the big screen, while David Suchet’s long-running ITV portrayal remains beloved by generations of viewers. At 33, Bluemel will become the youngest actor to take on the role in a major screen adaptation, and while those are big shoes to fill, he feels like an exciting choice.
James Prichard, executive producer for Agatha Christie Limited and Christie’s great-grandson, praised the casting, describing Bluemel as an “extremely talented performer” who will bring the detective to a new generation of audiences. BBC Drama Director Lindsay Salt added that the team knew they had found their Poirot from the moment Bluemel auditioned, describing his performance as both “fresh and exciting” while remaining true to Christie’s original creation. High praise, then, and definitely enough to make us curious.
The series will be directed by Jonny Campbell (Am I Being Unreasonable?, Dracula), with Charlie Palmer serving as series producer. Filming is due to begin this summer, primarily in Liverpool, with Hercule set to premiere on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK and on BritBox in North America.
For CultureCues, this feels like a genuinely exciting way to revisit one of fiction’s most famous detectives. Rather than simply retelling stories audiences already know, Hercule is heading back to the beginning and exploring the man before the legend. Edward Bluemel is an intriguing choice too. We have loved him in Sex Education, My Lady Jane and We Might Regret This, so seeing him take on a role made famous by actors such as David Suchet and Kenneth Branagh feels like a major next step.
If the series can balance Christie’s classic mystery elements with a fresh look at Poirot’s early years, the BBC may have found its next major detective drama. Consider our little grey cells officially interested.
Hercule will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.