| January 12, 2026 
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Agatha Christie never goes out of style | | Mia McKenna-Bruce plays an amateur sleuth investigating a friend’s death in “Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials” on Netflix. Simon Ridgway/Netflix |
Dear Watchers,Agatha Christie — the grande dame of the mystery novel, who cranked out 66 of them during her prolific career — has a tendency to repeat herself. For example, at some point in almost any Christie mystery, a character will note that, “Someone in this room knows more than they’re telling us.” But that doesn’t matter. What makes a good Christie whodunit enjoyable isn’t finding out the who so much as the how. It’s the often surprising details within her well-established formulas that make the books so entertaining. “Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials,” a briskly paced, three-episode Netflix series arriving on Thursday, certainly has a flair for detail. Adapted by the “Broadchurch” creator, Chris Chibnall, “Seven Dials” immerses the audience in the world of 1920s English high society. There are aging, opulent estates, droll dialogue and a cast of excellent British actors — Helena Bonham Carter, Martin Freeman and Alex Macqueen among them — steering the material with the professionalism of unflappable chauffeurs. And yes, one character actually says, verbatim: “Someone in this room knows more than they’re telling us.” Chibnall’s tale, directed by Chris Sweeney, follows the same basic outline as “The Seven Dials Mystery,” the 1929 novel that inspired it, but it takes enough liberties to keep the experience fresh for those who know it well. The story centers on the inquisitive Lady Eileen Brent (Mia McKenna-Bruce), known as Bundle, who finds a close friend (and suitor) named Gerry Wade (Corey Mylchreest) dead after a party at the Brents’ country house. The other houseguests seem convinced that Gerry poisoned himself by consuming too much sleep medication. Bundle does not buy it and, like all plucky amateur detectives, takes it upon herself to investigate, which reveals the existence of an underground society that may be linked to Gerry’s death. McKenna-Bruce makes an endearingly headstrong heroine, the kind who will punch a man in the face while wearing the primmest of pleated skirts. The actress’s eyes radiate intelligence — she always seems six mental steps ahead of everyone else, including Superintendent Battle (Freeman), a Scotland Yard officer who keeps popping up. She even holds her own opposite Bonham Carter, who plays her mother, Lady Caterham, a woman with little patience for her fellow humans. “Those people make my kidneys ache,” the elder lady says of one couple she finds particularly loathsome. The third episode concludes in a manner that suggests there could be more seasons of “Seven Dials.” One could reasonably argue that TV already has enough murder shows. But certainly there’s space for another well-made, cozy Agatha Christie mystery, the perfect thing to tuck into on a cold winter’s day. Also this week | | Peter Claffey, left, and Dexter Sol Ansell in “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” a new “Game of Thrones” spinoff. Steffan Hill/HBO |
- Anyone suffering “Stranger Things” withdrawal can check out “One Last Adventure: The Making of ‘Stranger Things 5,’” now streaming on Netflix.
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- Idris Elba is back for the second season of “Hijack,” starting Wednesday, on Apple TV+.
- Emilia Clarke (“Game of Thrones”) and Haley Lu Richardson (“The White Lotus”) become spies in “Ponies,” which debuts on Thursday, on Peacock.
- “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” puts a Y.A. spin on the long-running sci-fi franchise. The first season begins on Thursday, on Paramount+.
- Speaking of new franchise chapters, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” the second “Games of Thrones” spinoff, arrives on Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.
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