A rhetorical question, of course, but "Strong Poison" does look like it was made in the 1970s - its production values and filmmaking techniques are not that different from those of the mid-1970s Lord Peter Wimsey films that Ian Carmichael made; the advancements introduced to the British TV mystery genre only two years later by the "Poirot" series are quite impressive. "Strong Poison" is rather plodding and sometimes dull, and the plot never really thickens; this must be one of the easiest whodunits I've seen (though the "how" is a bit trickier) - there are only TWO suspects, and of course we know Harriet Vane didn't do it! Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter are fine in their roles, and their vis-a-vis encounters when Wimsey comes to visit Harriet in prison do feature some strong, intelligent dialogue. ** out of 4.
A Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery (TV Series)
Strong Poison: Episode Three (1987)
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