Doctor Who Vs. Marple: The Murder at the Vicarage

ITV Studio's Marple series (a co-production

from WGBH Boston and Agatha Christie Ltd)

began in 2004 with The Body in the Library.
Geraldine McEwan (1932-2015) now depicted

Jane Marple. She was succeeded by Julia

McKenzie in 2007 after a dozen cases.

First published in 1930, this classic golden age

locked room murder mystery was the Queen of

Crime's tenth novel, and marked the full-length

debut of Marple. This period drama is the second television production of the book, following the

BBC version in 1986. 

A five-part adaptation for Radio 4 aired in 1993,

and the Corporation retained the TV rights to

Christie's works in 2014.

Repeated on ITV3 today, the case featured Mark

Gatiss, Derek Jacobi, Herbert Lom, Stephen

Tompkinson, and these seventeen Doctor Who

cast and crew connections:

• Robert Powell (Dr. Haydock) voiced the eponymous role for Big Finish's Time Lord Immemorial (2023)
• Jane Asher (Mrs. Lester) voiced Susan Foreman for Whatever Happened to Susan?, was Andrea Yates in The Sarah Jane Adventures: Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?, then voiced Elaine for 9 to 5 (2018), Pilot Dena for Chase the Night (2020), Bellatrix Vega for Run (2023), and Myra for Echoes (2024)
• Miriam Margolyes (Mrs. Price-Ridley here; Romaine in Witness for the Prosecution, 2002) provided the voice of Leaf Apple Glyn Blathereen in The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Gift, and the Meep in The Star Beast, then voiced Frau Tod for The Beast of Orlok (2009), and the Soothsayer for Faithful Friends (2025)
• Tim McInnerny (Clement here; Randolph in Agatha and the Truth of Murder) was Klineman Halpen in Planet of the Ood, and voiced Admiral Dolne for The Well-Mannered War (2015)
• Christina Cole (Lettice) and [Daphne Anne] Angela Pleasance (Miss Hartnell) both appeared in The Shakespeare Code, as Lilith and Queen Elizabeth I respectively
• Jana Carpenter (May) was De Maggio in Dalek
• Stephen [George] Churchett (Coroner here, The Moving Finger, Murder is Easy, Endless Night) was Billy in Attack of the Cybermen - he also provided the screenplay here and for five other episodes
• Julie Cox (Young Marple here; Elsa for Five Little Pigs) voiced Mary Shelley for Mary's Story (2009), The Silver Turk, The Witch from the Well and Army of Death (all 2011)
• Rachael [Atlanta] Stirling (Griselda here; Caroline in Five Little Pigs) was Ada Gillyflower (pictured) in The Crimson Horror, and voiced Demesne Furze for Trail of the White Worm (2012), Adelaine Dutemps for The Monster of Montmartre (2015), and Jill Meadows for Technophobia (2016)
• John Owens (Photographer) was Thorpe in The Daemons
• Charles Palmer was also director of Smith and Jones, The Shakespeare Code, Human Nature, The Family of Blood, Oxygen and The Eaters of Light
• Lee [Michael] Sheward was also stunt co-ordinator on eleven stories (from The End of the World to The End of Time)
• Adam Recht was the film editor on A Christmas Carol too
• for Damien Timmer, Nigel Squibbs, Greg Bennett and Sean Clayton see The Body in the Library