Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence Review: Murder & Romance Collide In BritBox's Delightful 21st-Century Adaptation

BritBox has found a winning formula with its groundbreaking new murder mystery adaptation, Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence. Christie isn't called the "Queen of Crime" for nothing. She invented and popularized countless detective fiction tropes and character archetypes, creating literary figures like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple that have withstood the test of time. They weren't her only recurring characters, though — not by a long shot. Christie also created the oft-forgotten amateur detective duo of Tommy Beresford and Tuppence Cowley, an enthusiastic pair of married sleuths who grew up alongside the author throughout her career.

It's high time Tommy and Tuppence received a new adaptation. The last time they were on-screen was in the BBC's 2015 miniseries, Partners in Crime, a post-World War II detective drama starring David Walliams and Jessica Raine. BritBox and Phoebe Eclair-Powell's Tommy & Tuppence isn't your average Agatha Christie adaptation, however. It's the first-ever contemporary English-language Christie adaptation, with Josh Dylan and Antonia Thomas portraying a slightly younger version of the titular duo as they solve crimes and fall in love (again) in present-day London.

Setting such a high-profile Christie adaptation in the 21st century was a gamble, but it's a gamble that's undeniably paid off. If any of Christie's characters could be believably transported into the present from the comfort of their 20th-century origins, it was these two. Their book personalities shine through without ever feeling old-fashioned, and the show's blend of two genres — murder mysteries and romance — is a delightful success, setting it apart from its overwhelming competition.

Readers will find plenty of references to Christie's original works (including the name of Tuppence's American husband), while all viewers can enjoy the show's genuine heart and compelling characterization. Tommy & Tuppence might not be prestige television, but it doesn't need to be. All it needs to do is entertain, and entertain it does.

Tommy & Tuppence's Lead Detectives Are An Effortlessly Charming Crime-Solving Duo

Going into Tommy & Tuppence, I honestly wasn't expecting to be so utterly charmed by its titular characters. Both Dylan and Thomas are great performers; Dylan will certainly be missed when The Buccaneers returns for season 3 on Apple TV, and Thomas was wonderful on Channel 4 and Netflix's Lovesick, but bringing these two together? That was a stroke of genius. It's almost impossible not to smile when they share the screen, especially when their characters become wrapped up in the details of a case or, indeed, each other.

In the show — a deviation from their origin story in Agatha Christie's 1922 novel The Secret Adversary — Tommy and Tuppence are university exes reunited by chance at a wedding. Tommy, a famous crime novelist, and Tuppence, a not-as-famous actress, are both looking for a bit of excitement in their lives, a new purpose. What better way to find themselves and break out of their respective professional funks than by starting an amateur detective business together? Determined to revive Tommy's aunt's former private investigation agency, the pair become embroiled in three separate murder mysteries, told over six fast-paced, 45-minute episodes.

As the show progresses, they prove themselves as a competent duo, using their respective skills to unravel their cases and hoodwink potential suspects. Tuppence's acting talent certainly comes in handy a few times, and Tommy's narrative-focused, analytical mind helps them make sense of each investigation's loose threads. At no point does it feel unreasonable that these two could capably solve a series of tragic murders, especially since they receive pointers from Tommy's former super sleuth aunt, Ada (Imelda Staunton).

While Staunton delivers an expectedly solid, sly performance as Ada, a Christie-like figure in the pair's lives (she even narrates the show), she never steals the spotlight from Tommy and Tuppence's budding detective careers. These two are so likable that even during the show's weakest case, told across episodes 3 and 4 — I had the Eureka moment quite a few scenes before Tommy and Tuppence themselves did — my enjoyment never wavered. Their enthusiasm is infectious, making it all the more fun to join them on their investigations through London and into the countryside.

The final two-episode story is where the show's critical balance of personal and professional storylines really shines. It's a surprisingly creepy, Halloween-themed gothic tragedy, which begins with a devastating personal loss and a decades-old cold case. If the show can keep up that level of mystery and trademark Christie build-up and explore Tommy and Tuppence's complex relationship to the same degree, this series could run for a long time. After all, Tommy and Tuppence's on-page sleuthing careers lasted for nearly five decades. Why couldn't this last for five seasons?

Tommy & Tuppence's Budding Romance Is Just As Important As The Show's Investigations

There are so many British detective dramas. An impossible amount, really. At this point, a new show will only really succeed if it has something that helps it stand out from the crowd. The BBC's Ludwig had its Parent Trap premise in season 1, for instance. Tommy & Tuppence has romance. Genuine, romance novel-level romance.

Perhaps this shouldn't be surprising, given writer and executive producer Eclair-Powell's previous work on The Road Trip, an adaptation of bestselling rom-com author Beth O'Leary's novel of the same name. Even though Tommy and Tuppence don't get their happily-ever-after this season (emphasis on this season), the show bears all the hallmarks of one of publishing's most enduringly popular genres.

Both Dylan and Thomas have mastered stolen looks and yearning glances, and their romantic chemistry is as palpable as their characters' platonic and professional camaraderie. There's an "only one bed" scene. There are ill-timed interruptions. Jealousy. Heartache. It's essentially a second-chance, slow-burn friends-to-lovers story filled with murder and danger. Crucially, though, the romance never overshadows the mystery storytelling, and the series doesn't shy away from giving Tommy and Tuppence individual moments of growth and change.

The romance isn't just there to pander to a certain audience, either. It's a core part of Tommy and Tuppence's story as Christie first envisioned it, and it affects how they navigate their new jobs together. The show wouldn't work half as well without it.

It's part of what makes them such a compelling pair. They understand each other on a deeper level, in a way that few other detective duos do. Christie's Tommy and Tuppence are arguably the blueprint for similar partnerships like The Mentalist's Jane and Lisbon and The X-Files' Mulder and Scully, and it's great to see that their budding romance isn't downplayed in the show; it's actively celebrated and embraced.

Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence might not be the cleverest murder mystery drama out there, but it offers something genuinely new and, perhaps most importantly, fun. I'd happily watch more seasons of this show, and I sincerely hope others will too.

Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence premieres on BritBox on September 15, with new episodes dropping weekly on Tuesdays.