TV Previews: Paul Whitelaw shares his highlights for the week ahead by Paul Whitelaw
Agatha & Poirot: Partners in Crime – ITV, Monday, 9pm
Hosted by Richard E. Grant and his ostentatious scarf, this tribute to Agatha Christie and her most enduring creation is an agreeable time-passer. A galloping galaxy of famous fans including Stephen Fry, Caroline Quentin and Zoe Wannamaker pitch up to explain what Christie’s work means to them, while Grant recounts the main beats of her life as well as her decades-long relationship with the fastidious Belgian sleuth. It unfolds in a strangely comforting world of genteel Torquay tea rooms, opulent steam trains and gallons of deadly poison. It easy to take Christie for granted, but she was obviously a genius. David Suchet is conspicuous by his absence, presumably because he’s said everything he has to say about Poirot.