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Horsin’ around
Horsin’ around
We sit down with the stars of The Pale Horse as the chilling new Agatha Christie arrives on BBC One
We sit down with the stars of The Pale Horse as the chilling new Agatha Christie arrives on BBC One
If you like your murders riddled with intrigue, deception and no shortage of witchcraft, then you should bet on The Pale Horse
The Pale Horse, Sunday 9 February, 9pm, BBC One HD (CH 101/108)
In a classic case of a programme being far scarier than its title implies, The Pale Horse is an absolute bone-chiller of the highest order. Where some dramas blow your socks clean off, the latest Agatha Christie adaptation is more inclined to freeze them in place, then give your feet the slightest of tickles, just to let you know you’ve been thoroughly spooked.
Brilliantly shot, masterfully written and featuring standout performances from an already stacked, supremely talented cast, The Pale Horse may well be the finest of Sarah Phelps’ Agatha Christie productions yet (following And Then There Were None, The Witness For The Prosecution, Ordeal By Innocence and The ABC Murders). And, with otherworldly elements and throwbacks to some of the best, most hair-raising films of the 1960s and 70s, it’s quite possibly the most chilling, too.
Gone are the days of nice, “cosy” yet oh-so murderous plots involving Miss Marple or Poirot. Instead The Pale Horse leads you from one dingy setting to another, as Rufus Sewell’s Mark Easterbrook looks to solve an apparent mystery behind a series of unexplained deaths that, strangely, his name has come to be connected with.
His investigation leads him to a trio of witches, who, true to form, dwell in a Wicker Man-esque village that’ll have you stressfully staring at every hay bale and bush you pass in the countryside for probably the rest of your life.
It’s a proper brain-tickler this one, with director Leonora Lonsdale letting the action unfurl at a rate that will have you twisting in your seat as increasingly unnerving elements ramp up the tension.
Luckily for us, we were able to sit down and have what we’re sure Ms Christie would’ve referred to as a “proper chinwag” with stars Rufus Sewell, Rita Tushingham, Sheila Atim, Kathy Kiera Clarke, writer Sarah Phelps and director Leonora Lonsdale.
Intrigued? Read on below…
When is The Pale Horse on TV?
The Pale Horse starts at 9pm on Sunday 9 February on BBC One HD (CH 101/108). Also available for 30 days in Catch Up > Channels > BBC iPlayer
TV channels: Channels, content and features available depend on your chosen package. Channel line-ups and content are subject to change at any time and to regional variations.
HD: HD TV set, V HD Box, TiVo box or Virgin TV V6 connected with HDMI cables required for HD channels. Number of inclusive HD channels depends on package.
Catch Up TV: Catch Up TV content available for up to 7 days or up to 30 days after broadcast, depending on content.
Image credits: The Pale Horse © Mammoth Screen 2019 – Photographer: Ben Blackall
Interviews: Any opinions expressed in interviews are those of the interview subject and not those of Virgin Media.