'Agatha Christie's Seven Dials' Introduces Superintendent Battle

Most casual fans of Agatha Christie know her most famous detectives: Hercule Poirot, he of the well-waxed mustaches and little grey cells, and the elderly biddy with a knack for crime-solving, Miss Marple. Those who consider themselves experts will also mention Tommy & Tuppence Beresford, better known as “Partners in Crime,” who star in five of Christie’s novels, as well as a collection of short stories. However, only the truly dedicated know that Christie has a fourth detective, who also starred in five of Christie’s novels: Superintendent Battle.

It’s not Battle’s fault that he’s less well known than Christie’s other recurring sleuths. For one thing, the lack of any short stories featuring him made the character less ideal for a TV series in the early 1980s, when the BBC was first adapting Christie for the small screen. But the real problem is that, because he’s not well known, adaptations tend to write him out of the script, or fold his character into a different lead. Case in point: two of the five books featuring Battle, Murder is Easy and Towards Zero, were recently adapted to major BBC success. Neither felt the need to include him. Another, Cards on the Table, features Battle and Poirot teaming up, and usually replaces Battle with the more recognizable Inspector Japp.

The other two Battle books, The Secret of Chimneys and The Seven Dials Mystery, feature him with the same sidekick, Lady Bundle, and have rarely been adapted. (Chimneys has only been made for TV once, as an Agatha Christie’s Marple story with Battle deleted.) So when Netflix announced it would start producing its own Christie miniseries based on Seven Dials, the assumption was that Bundle would (again) be paired up with some other character standing in for Battle.

Turns out that was a wrong assumption. Not only will Superintendent Battle finally be restored to the pantheon of Christie Sleuths, but he will also finally even get an A-list actor portraying him: Martin Freeman.

Here’s the series synopsis:

England. 1925. At a lavish country house party, a practical joke appears to have gone horribly, murderously wrong. It will be up to the unlikeliest of sleuths - the fizzingly inquisitive Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent - to unravel a chilling plot that will change her life, cracking wide open the country house mystery.

Mia McKenna-Bruce (Persuasion) leads the cast as Bundle Brent, along with Freeman. They co-star alongside Helena Bonham Carter (Enola Holmes) as Bundle’s mother, Lady Caterham; Edward Bluemel (My Lady Jane) as her bestie, Jimmy Thesiger; Corey Mylchreest (Queen Charlotte) as her would-be fiancé, Gerry; Ella Bruccoleri (The Other Bennet Sister) as Bundle’s pal, Socks; and Nabhaar Rizwan (KAOS) as Gerry’s pal, Ronnie.

The cast will also reportedly include Robinah Kironde (Dalgliesh), Jake Davies (Screw), Hughie O’Donnell (The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde), Josef Davies (1917), Tim Preston (Masters of the Air), Jonathan Coote (The Crown), Alex Macqueen (Peaky Blinders), Guy Siner (Rivals), and Nyasha Hatendi (Alex Rider).

The limited series comes from former Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall, his first project since leaving the TARDIS, who penned all three installments, with director Chris Sweeny (The Tourist) helming all episodes. Suzanne Mackie and Chibnall are producing alongside Sweeney, Andy Stebbing, former BBC exec Chris Sussman, and Joanna Crow for Netflix.

Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials will arrive on Netflix with all episodes on Thursday, January 15, 2026.