Ordeal by Innocence
Eighteen months after heiress Rachel Argyll is bludgeoned to death in her grand home, her adopted son Jack, convicted of the crime, is dead in jail. Then a stranger, Arthur Calgary, arrives claiming he gave Jack a lift at the time of the murder, and the family's buried resentments start to surface. Bill Nighy plays widower Leo Argyll.
Where to watch
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Our take
Eighteen months after heiress Rachel Argyll is bludgeoned to death in her grand home, her adopted son Jack, convicted of the crime, is dead in jail. Then a stranger, Arthur Calgary, arrives claiming he gave Jack a lift at the time of the murder, and the family's buried resentments start to surface. Bill Nighy plays widower Leo Argyll.
Why watch Sarah Phelps's Christie adaptations are dark, adult and unapologetically free with the source, and this one reworks the ending outright, which split purists. The direction and period styling drew particular praise, and The Guardian gave the opening episode five stars. It suits viewers who prefer their country-house mysteries cold and psychological rather than cosy.
What to know
The three-part serial, titled on screen as Agatha Christie’s Ordeal by Innocence, was adapted by Sarah Phelps, who had already written the BBC’s And Then There Were None and The Witness for the Prosecution. It was filmed around Inverkip, west of Glasgow, with Ardgowan House as the Argyll home.
It was meant for Christmas 2017 but was held back when cast member Ed Westwick faced allegations, which he denied and which led to no charges. The BBC recast his role of Mickey with Christian Cooke and reshot about 45 minutes of footage over 12 days, an effort critics found seamless. The series finally aired on BBC One in April 2018, with Morven Christie, Anna Chancellor, Alice Eve and Eleanor Tomlinson in the cast.
If you like it
Phelps’s other Christie adaptations, especially And Then There Were None (2015), share its bleak tone. Readers may also want the novel, which ends very differently.
Seasons & episodes
- Season 1
Cast & crew
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Bill Nighy
Leo Argyll
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Matthew Goode
Philip Durrant
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Eleanor Tomlinson
Mary Argyll
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Anthony Boyle
Jack Argyll
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Luke Treadaway
Dr. Arthur Calgary
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Morven Christie
Kirsten Lindstrom
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Crystal Clarke
Tina Argyll
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Ella Purnell
Hester Argyll
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Alice Eve
Gwenda Vaughan
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Anna Chancellor
Rachel Argyll
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Christian Cooke
Mickey Argyll
More like this
More from BBC One
Quick answers
- Where can I watch Ordeal by Innocence?
- In the US: BritBox, Prime Video, Apple TV (buy) and Prime Video (buy). In the UK: BBC iPlayer, Apple TV (buy) and Prime Video (buy). In Canada: BritBox and Apple TV (buy). In Australia: BritBox and Apple TV (buy).
- What is Ordeal by Innocence about?
- Eighteen months after heiress Rachel Argyll is bludgeoned to death in her grand home, her adopted son Jack, convicted of the crime, is dead in jail. Then a stranger, Arthur Calgary, arrives claiming he gave Jack a lift at the time of the murder, and the family's buried resentments start to surface. Bill Nighy plays widower Leo Argyll.
- Who is in the cast of Ordeal by Innocence?
- Ordeal by Innocence stars Bill Nighy as Leo Argyll, Matthew Goode as Philip Durrant, Eleanor Tomlinson as Mary Argyll, Anthony Boyle as Jack Argyll and Luke Treadaway as Dr. Arthur Calgary.
- When did Ordeal by Innocence start?
- Ordeal by Innocence premiered on 1 April 2018, with 1 season.
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