When is Agatha and the Midnight Murders release date? Cast, plot and more

Inspired by real life (but still remaining fictitious), the feature-length drama attempts to explain the reason why Christie killed off her famous character Hercule Poirot in the 1940s but didn't publish the book until 30 years later.

Here's everything you need to know about Agatha and the Midnight Murders.

When is Agatha and the Midnight Murders release date?

Agatha and the Midnight Murders airs Wednesday 7th October 2020 at 9pm on Channel 5.

Agatha and the Midnight Murders plot

The drama, which sees Helen Baxendale take over the title role of famous crime writer Agatha Christie, is set during the Blitz in 1940s London, and fictionalises the history behind Curtains, the book in which Christie kills off her most famous creation: the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.

Curtains was written during the early 1940s, but was inexplicably locked away in a vault for three decades, before its publication in the 1970s.

In the drama, Agatha is struggling with debt, and decides to pen a manuscript killing off Poirot before selling it off to a private buyer. In order to make the sale, she enlists the help of a character viewers may already be familiar with: grifter Travis Pickford, who appeared in previous Channel 5 Agatha film, Agatha and the Truth of Murder.

The exchange is due to take place at a London bar - but when the air raid sirens begin to wail, Agatha, Travis, and the other guests in the vicinity must retreat to the cellars - where they're joined by an extremely jumpy police officer.

Did Agatha Christie really hate Poirot? Follow the link, where Agatha and the Midnight Murders writer Tom Dalton tells all...

Agatha and the Midnight Murders cast

Helen Baxendale (Noughts and Crosses) leads the Agatha and the Midnight Murders cast, taking over the role of an older Agatha Christie, who in the 1940s had published over 10 Hercule Poirot novels - but despite the public perception, she was in debt.

The role of Travis Pickford is reprised by The Inbetweeners actor Blake Harrison, who first performed the role in Channel 5's 2018 film Agatha and the Truth of Murder.

Other cast members include Alistair Petrie (Sex Education), Jodie McNee, Vanessa Grasse, Gina Bramhill (Us), Jacqueline Boatswain, and Elizabeth Tan (The Singapore Grip).

Read more: All the hidden Easter eggs in Channel 5’s Agatha and the Midnight Murders

Agatha and the Midnight Murders airs Wednesday 7th October 2020 at 9pm on Channel 5. Check out what else is on with our TV Guide, or take a look at our new TV shows 2020 page to find out what’s airing this autumn and beyond.