How is Magpie Murders TV series different from the book?
The BritBox murder mystery is adapted from the acclaimed book of the same name.
BritBox's latest original series Magpie Murders is based on the novel of the same name by Anthony Horowitz, and stars Oscar-nominated actress Leslie Manville as book editor Susan Ryeland, who's horrified when one of her own authors is murdered – and begins to suspect that his latest manuscript may contain clues about the real-life killing.
However, readers coming from the novel to the new TV adaptation may notice some changes have been made, most notably the narrative emphasis on the "contemporary story" over the 1955 storyline, and also the emphasis on Manville's character Susan, who becomes our "reliable narrator".
Speaking at a press event attended by RadioTimes.com, executive producer Jill Green explained: “We've made a lot of crime but I have to say I think this is the most distinctive piece we've ever made. And that's because it is the book, it's the mystery within the mystery, a book within a book.
"And it's also got a sort of meta fiction over the top of it because it's about how writers write, and how they find their characters and how they might seek to get revenge against people who they meet in contemporary life. And then they decide to put inside the book as well. So it's immensely complicated.
"I think the biggest challenge [was]... in the book, there's a lot in 1955, and a huge number of characters involved in several murders inside that murder mystery, and a very small amount is contemporary. And what we decided to do was to flip the two over and make the contemporary story almost 70 percent of the drama.
"And make Susan, if you like, our reliable narrator, because I really felt that she needed to carry us, the audience, through all of the complexities that that the script is presenting. And that was a fantastic decision, because it's still very, very sophisticated.
"And for all of those murder mystery lovers, although I don’t think anybody will get the ending. But it's also in the way that Anthony writes and Peter [Cattaneo] has superbly directed it, very accessible. And then Lesley takes us through.”
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In addition to Manville, Magpie Murders also stars Daniel Mays (Code 404), Tim McMullan (The Serpent) and Conleth Hill (Vienna Blood).
Magpie Murders is available to stream on BritBox. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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