Agatha Christie's Beloved Detective Hercule Poirot Makes History With New Series Releasing Next Year

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Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot, looking upwards, in a still from Death on the Nile

Published Jun 8, 2026, 11:27 AM EDT

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The next Hercule Poirot series will make history when it debuts next year.

Deadline reports that Edward Bluemel has been cast in BBC's upcoming Hercule series, which is set to debut next year. The actor, whose previous credits include Killing Eve and Sex Education, will make history as the youngest actor to play Agatha Christie's iconic detective at just 33 years old.

Edward Bluemel as Guildford Dudley smiling in My Lady Jane

Bluemel is a familiar face to audiences. He recurred as Sean Wiley in the popular teen drama Sex Education and played Hugo for several episodes of the spy thriller Killing Eve. His more recent roles include playing Lord Guildford Dudley in the Prime Video fantasy My Lady Jane, and he's no stranger to the works of Agatha Christie. Earlier this year, he played Jimmy Thesiger in the Netflix miniseries Agatha Christie's Seven Dials.

He'll step into this updated take on Hercule Poirot, which is described as an “intimate study” of the character during a time when Britain was between wars. It will offer a close look at some of Christie's most popular stories, while also digging deeper into his friendship with Captain Arthur Hastings, his run-ins with James Japp of Scotland Yard, and he'll also face off against an unnamed rival. So far, only Bluemel's casting has been announced.

Edward Bluemel's Notable Television Roles

TV Show	Bluemel's Character
The Halycon (7 episodes)	Toby Hamilton
A Discovery of Witches (17 episodes)	Marcus Whitmore
Killing Eve (9 episodes)	Hugo
Sex Education (6 episodes)	Sean Wiley
My Lady Jane (8 episodes)	Lord Guildford Dudley

It's also been confirmed that BritBox will co-produce the upcoming Hercule series with the BBC, which means that it will be available to stream for BritBox subscribers in the U.S. Filming will take place in Liverpool over the summer. And although the adaptation has not been confirmed to run for three seasons, that is reportedly the hope.

Benji Waters will adapt Hercule, with his previous work including the BBC alternate history two-season drama Noughts + Crosses. He'll executive produce alongside Jonny Campbell, who will direct the first two episodes, along with fellow exec producers James Prichard (Agatha Christie Limited), Rebecca Durbin and Timmer (Mammoth Screen), Nick Lambon (the BBC), and Robert Schildhouse, Jon Farrar, and Stephen Nye (BritBox).