BBC announces Agatha Christie's Endless Night, adapted by Sarah Phelps
It's 1967 and man-of-many-trades Michael Rogers finds himself working as chauffeur for the enigmatic designer du jour Rudolf Santonix, snatching a glimpse into a glamorous world of outrageous wealth that's far from his own upbringing.
Transfixed by Santonix's latest project, a beautiful house in the English countryside, Mike dreams of meeting the love of his life and taking up residence.
But unbeknownst to Mike, the house that he has set his heart on has a dark past that goes back for centuries. Local legend says that it is haunted by a curse that no one escapes.
When Mike meets the sweet-natured Ellie and, by a curious set of circumstances, finds himself moving into the house, the young couple start to realise they should have listened to the warnings. As increasingly strange and chilling events occur, they start to wonder if the curse is real and means to destroy them. Or, that someone is intent on terrifying them to death.
A ghost story and a love story, Endless Night is about obsession and the darkness that lurks in us all when we want too much.
Endless Night is Sarah Phelps's sixth Agatha Christie adaptation made by Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited for the BBC, following the acclaimed productions of And Then There Were None, BAFTA-nominated The Witness For The Prosecution, Ordeal By Innocence, The ABC Murders and The Pale Horse.
Sarah Phelps, says: 'I'm so excited to be teaming up again with ACL, Mammoth Screen and the BBC for Endless Night. One of Agatha Christie's last novels, this is a chilling story of love, sex, deceit and death, of how far we'll go to get our hearts desire and what we'll do when night falls and the wolves start circling."
James Prichard, executive producer for Agatha Christie Limited says: "We are so happy to be continuing our partnership with Mammoth, BBC and Britbox and renewing acquaintance with Sarah Phelps. Endless Night is one of my great grandmother's best stories. It is also one of my father's personal favourites. It is an extraordinary feat of writing, made even more impressive by the age at which she wrote it. I cannot wait to see what Sarah and the team produce."
Rebecca Durbin and Damien Timmer, executive producers for Mammoth Screen say: 'In 2015 Sarah Phelps won great acclaim for her adaption of And Then There Were None, which launched a new series of standalone Agatha Christie titles for the BBC, and we're beyond delighted that she's returning to take on Endless Night, Christie's late masterpiece from 1967. Episode 1 of Towards Zero has been watched by 6 million people in the UK since March, and is one of BritBox's biggest launches to date in the US, so we have high hopes this new title will delight Christie fans everywhere!'
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama says: 'We are delighted to team up again with Agatha Christie Limited and Mammoth Screen to announce our next tale from the undisputed Queen of Crime: Endless Night. The phenomenal Sarah Phelps' previous adaptations have thrilled millions and we could not be happier to have her bring this unique and chilling mystery to BBC iPlayer and BBC One.'
Robert Schildhouse, President BritBox North America & General Manager, BritBox International, says: 'Our partnership with the BBC, Agatha Christie Limited and Mammoth Screen has delivered three outstanding Agatha Christie adaptations, all of which have been BritBox hits. Towards Zero debuted at #1, with the largest first week absolute viewership and engagement of any premiere on BritBox ever. We're so pleased to continue this collaboration with a fourth addition, Endless Night. As BritBox is the home to the largest collection of Agatha Christie titles in North America, we know our audiences—devotees to crime and mystery—will massively enjoy this series. And Sarah Phelps is the ideal match for adapting the compelling classic. In the hands of such a fearless writer, Endless Night will be unforgettable.'
Endless Night (3x60') is produced by Mammoth Screen (part of ITV Studios) and Agatha Christie Limited, and is a co-commission between the BBC and BritBox International. It is adapted by Sarah Phelps. Executive producers are James Prichard for Agatha Christie Limited, Rebecca Durbin and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen, Sarah Phelps, Danielle Scott-Haughton for the BBC, and Robert Schildhouse, Jon Farrar and Stephen Nye for BritBox.
Filming on Endless Night will take place later this year and casting will be announced in due course. The series will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One, and on BritBox in the US and Canada.
Previous Agatha Christie adaptations are available to stream on BBC iPlayer and on BritBox.
Watch Agatha Christie adaptations on BBC iPlayer
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