'Why Didn't They Ask Evans?' Review: A Delightful New Detective Duo

When asked if I would be interested in writing about the most recent screen incarnation of Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel, Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? I jumped at the chance.  The casting announcements alone made watching this mini-series must-see TV for me. What Anglophile wouldn’t want to watch a bevy of accomplished British actors perform a screenplay written and directed by the multi-talented Hugh Laurie? I’m confident I’ve never watched the 1980 TV movie version of this mystery. It’s more likely I would have caught the 2009 episode reworked for Agatha Christie's Marple.  Regardless, I’m confident this adaptation is the new standard for this particular story and an excellent template for future adaptations of Christie novels.

If, like me, Evans is unfamiliar to you, let’s set the scene. It begins on the golf course of the quaint Welsh village of Marchbolt sometime in the early 1930s. Bobby Jones (Will Poulter) is caddying for the kindly local GP, Dr. Thomas (Conleth Hill). Hearing a scream, the (recently) former sailor runs to the cliff’s edge to find a rather mangled-looking fellow lying on the beach below. Jones scrambles down the cliffside and reaches the man in time to hear his final words – “Why didn’t they ask Evans?” While he waits for help to arrive, Bobby notices a photo of an intriguing young woman in the man’s outer jacket pocket.

Just then, a posh chap happens upon the scene. He says he’s been house hunting in the area and agrees to stand watch over the body until Dr. Thomas arrives with help. With a somewhat eccentric “You are dismissed Bobby Jones” and a military salute, Roger Bassington-ffrench (Daniel Ings) sends the young man on his way. (Yes, that is how the name is spelled. Christie may not be as well known for satirizing the upper middle classes as Jane Austen, but she has her little jokes.)