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Arts & Culture

MASTERPIECE MYSTERY! Hercule Poirot XI: Three Act Tragedy

David Suchet returns as suave Belgian super sleuth Hercule Poirot in three mysteries based on the novels by Agatha Christie.
Courtesy of MASTERPIECE
David Suchet returns as suave Belgian super sleuth Hercule Poirot in three mysteries based on the novels by Agatha Christie.

Airs Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019 at 10:30 p.m. on KPBS TV

Belgian detective Hercule Poirot's "little grey cells" are hard at work again in Series XI of Hercule Poirot on MASTERPIECE.

Clues, clocks and cocktails abound in the trio of episodes featured in the 2011 season — "The Clocks" (repeats Dec. 29, 2019 at 9 p.m.), "Hallowe'en Party" (repeats Oct. 31, 2019 at 9 p.m.) and "Three Act Tragedy" (repeats Dec. 29, 2019 at 10:30 p.m.).

David Suchet revisits his signature role as Agatha Christie's super sleuth who, with an expertly twirled mustache and a theatrical flair, solves murders with penetrating perception and no small amount of self-regard.

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This adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel also features Martin Shaw as Sir Charles Cartwright and Art Malik (UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS) as Sir Bartholomew Strange.

Preview: Masterpiece Mystery! Poirot XI: Three Act Tragedy

On "Three Act Tragedy," when an elderly Cornish vicar suddenly drops dead at a party, everyone looks to fellow guest Hercule Poirot to solve the murder.

But the Belgian super-sleuth sees no foul play, correctly predicting that analysis of the clergyman's glass will yield nothing more than the remains of an excellent dry martini.

Before long, however, Poirot is summoned back to England from his boredom among the palms and irksome children of Monte Carlo.

Another death among the same revelers has occurred, this time, indisputably, murder.

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With the help of two enthusiastic amateurs — his old friend, the retired stage actor Sir Charles Cartwright, and Charles's jaunty love interest, Miss "Egg" Lytton Gore, Poirot questions the dramatis personae, as Sir Charles calls the party guests.

And as Sir Charles embraces his role, donning a pair of patent-leather spats, Poirot works to unravel a perplexing mystery, building a house of cards, tracking a missing butler, and even hosting his own sherry party — "That is a fashionable thing to do, n'est-ce pas?"

This series originally aired in 2011 - episodes are not available to stream on demand.

Preview: Masterpiece Mystery! Poirot XI: Hallowe'en Party
Preview: Masterpiece Mystery! Hercule Poirot XI: The Clocks

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