Peacock's Poker Face Is The Perfect Show For Agatha Christie Fans

3 hours ago 11

Published Mar 14, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT

Memory Ngulube joined Screen Rant in April 2024 as part of the Movies and TV team. Since then, she has written for the Perennials and Streaming team, covering a wide range of topics from new releases to old movies and TV shows. Memory is currently a Classic TV writer.

Before joining Screen Rant, Memory was a freelance copywriter who specialized in email marketing and social media management. While she enjoyed her job, her true passion was always movies and TV.

When she isn’t writing for Screen Rant, Memory can be found reading, baking (which is one of her passions), or watching her favorite K-drama.

Peacock’s Poker Face is an underrated gem that is a perfect watch for Agatha Christie fans. Christie, who is often regarded as the “Queen of Crime,” left her mark on the mystery genre. Her incredible storytelling skills, which seamlessly blend puzzles, quirky characters, and shocking final reveals, remain unparalleled even to this day.

While Poker Face has the same kind of storytelling formula as if they were episodes of Columbo, there are also resemblances between the series and Christie’s novels that will draw in fans of the renowned author. Helmed by Knives Out creator Rian Johnson, Poker Face reinvented what we have come to expect from murder mystery TV shows.

With the number of whodunit-type stories increasing and classic ones still popular, standing out in the beloved genre is not an easy feat. So for audiences not to forget a series the moment the credits roll, it has to be special in some way. While ABC’s High Potential currently manages to remain fresh because of its quirky lead character, Poker Face has done the same on streaming.

Peacock's Poker Face Is An Ideal Series For Agatha Christie Fans

Charlie looking up and serious in Poker Face season 2 episode 11

Starring Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, Poker Face has a refreshing take on the crime genre that is reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s novels. The series follows Charlie, a free-spirited woman who becomes a drifter after her involvement in solving a crime leads a casino boss to want her dead.

Charlie isn’t an ordinary person; she is basically a human lie-detector because she can deduce when someone is not being truthful with just a glance. Most murder mystery TV shows use a whodunit formula where a case is presented, and then the detectives or lead character use clues to solve the crime. Poker Face is different in that it's a "howcatchem" series.

At the beginning of every episode, the victim and perpetrator are revealed, and then Charlie works through how the crime happened. Knowing who committed the crime beforehand might seem like a drawback, but it really isn’t. Poker Face is about the experience it offers audiences as they come along with Charlie to reveal the events that led to a crime.

Poker Face’s unique storytelling formula means that it can be watched at any point in the series because each episode features a different crime. During its run, the show had a great cast with actors like Cynthia Erivo, B.J. Novak, Awkwafina, Giancarlo Esposito, and Katie Holmes taking on guest roles.

The Peacock original show may have had a stellar list of guest stars, but its main draw is Lyonne's Charlie. The lead character is quirky, funny, and isn’t afraid to poke her nose into issues that have nothing to do with her because of her strong sense of justice. Charlie’s appeal comes from the fact that she doesn’t solve crimes in a traditional way. The result of this type of storytelling is a series that feels both nostalgic and new, making it perfect for Agatha Christie fans.

Poker Face Deserved Better Than Being Canceled After 2 Seasons

Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) talking on the radio and drinking a soda in Poker Face Season 2 Ep 4

Poker Face season 1 premiered to great reviews, with the first installment garnering an outstanding 98% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. When the show returned for season 2 in 2025, it seemingly didn't miss a beat based on its 96% score.

Lyonne’s series didn’t necessarily bring anything new to the table, as the mystery formula has been used several times before. However, Poker Face was in a league of its own. The show was chaotic but balanced, and ensured that viewers were having a good time when watching it. Even with positive feedback from critics and audiences, Poker Face was canceled after two seasons.

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These shows needed a little breathing room to find their footing, but ultimately became some of the most memorable shows in TV history.

According to reports, Peacock put Poker Face on the chopping block because of the ratings concerns. The expensive production cost the company had to incur also played a role in the show’s cancellation.

A series like Poker Face was innovative and deserved better than to be canceled prematurely. There were so many places Charlie had to visit and numerous crimes to solve. The structure the crime employed would have made it last forever, as new stories and characters could keep it fresh.

Fortunately, Rian Johnson hasn’t given up on finding a new home for Poker Face for a potential season 3 that would feature a new lead character. It is yet to be revealed if the writer/director has been successful in his hunt, and whether the series will ever return to the small screen.