Agatha Christie's Underrated Detective Duo Finally Returns In Less Than 3 Weeks

Published Aug 26, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT El is a Junior TV Features Editor for ScreenRant, with previous experience as The Mary Sue's UK and Weekend Editor. She holds a Bachelor's in International Media and Entertainment Management, as well as an MA and Ph.D. in Creative Writing. There is little she loves more than discussing her favorite TV shows with fellow fans. One day, she hopes to publish an original fantasy novel. Agatha Christie's underrated detective duo finally returns to the small screen next month with a massive twist. Publishing dozens of novels and short stories between the 1920s and '70s, Agatha Christie remains one of the most prolific and successful writers of all time. One of the many reasons the Queen of Crime's stories are still relevant today, despite what we now experience as a period setting — Christie's work was more often than not directly influenced by the time in which she wrote it — is the way she approached her characters' development and the relationships that influenced their place in the world. While most people will be familiar with the mustachioed, world-famous detective Hercule Poirot and the quietly brilliant Miss Marple, they are far from Christie's only sleuths worthy of celebrating. In fact, eight years before Miss Marple was introduced to the world and just two years after Hercule Poirot made his on-page debut, Christie created one of the most fun and thrilling detective duos of all time with the soon-to-be-married couple, Tommy Beresford and Prudence "Tuppence" Cowley. Now, for the first time since the BBC's Partners in Crime miniseries in 2015, Christie's dynamic duo will return to the small screen in BritBox's Tommy & Tuppence, starring The Buccaneers' Josh Dylan as adventure-seeking crime novelist Tommy and Antonia Thomas (Misfits, Lovesick) as the clever, impulsive, and mischievous actress, Tuppence. Readers familiar with Christie's Tommy and Tuppence-centric works will recognize that their characters' backstories are different from the source material; thankfully, those changes have been made for one very specific (and intriguing) reason. BritBox's Tommy & Tuppence Brings Agatha Christie Into The 21st Century Credit: Nick Wall/Courtesy of BritBox BritBox's Tommy & Tuppence represents the first contemporary English-language adaptation of Agatha Christie's work. Rather than setting the couple's origin story post-World War I, as in their debut novel, The Secret Adversary, this series is set in present-day London. Tommy's struggling with writer's block when an unexpected reunion with his ex, semi-famous Hollywood actress Tuppence, throws them into a murder case they happily embrace as a way to distract themselves from their personal and professional problems. Of course, sparks fly between the adventurous pair as they embark on a potentially dangerous new career path with a little help from seasoned investigator and Tommy's aunt, Ada (The Crown's Imelda Staunton). This doesn't mean the creative force behind Tommy & Tuppence, Phoebe Eclair-Powell, has completely abandoned Christie's work altogether. The first four episodes of the six-episode series will be based on two of Christie's short stories, and the final two episodes will adapt By the Pricking of My Thumbs, Christie's third novel focused on the duo, published in 1968. While bringing a new Agatha Christie adaptation into such a modern setting may seem like a risk, it's actually one of the most exciting things about the show. This gives creator and writer Eclair-Powell a chance to reinvent these classic stories, translating Christie's incredible character work and complex plots into situations and settings that are recognizable and relatable for a modern audience. There's something magical about a period piece, of course, and inventive productions set in Christie's own era should continue to be made as well — the BBC and BritBox's upcoming Hercule Poirot prequel is a prime example — but with the prevalence and continued love for modern British murder mysteries such as Midsomer Murders, Death in Paradise, Ludwig, Death Valley, and so many more, there's no reason Christie's works shouldn't get a chance to be modernized. After all, Christie herself was a contemporary writer, too. Tommy & Tuppence Deserve To Be Just As Famous As Poirot Or Marple Credit: Lara Cornell/Courtesy of BritBox While Poirot and Marple are by far Christie's most popular characters, Tommy and Tuppence deserve to be just as famous. Rather than directly riffing off Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and John Watson dynamic, the romantic relationship between Tommy and Tuppence adds an extra layer of danger and vulnerability to their investigations. How will they cope if something happens to their significant other while on a case? How does their working relationship affect their trust and affection for one another? Rather than being extraordinary brilliant loners, they're curious and excitable and work better together than apart. Tommy and Tuppence are also two of Christie's only characters who grew up into old age and developed their relationship throughout Christie's decades-long career. When The Secret Adversary was first published in 1922, these two lovebirds were plucky young upstarts, reluctant to admit their feelings for one another until Tuppence was faced with the prospect of a life without Tommy beside her. Tommy and Tuppence essentially evolved alongside Christie, experiencing different phases of life in each story and novel. In their last appearance, published in 1973, the pair are forced to come out of retirement, roughly 50 years after their first case together. That kind of life-long development will be harder for BritBox's Tommy & Tuppence to replicate, of course. Still, it speaks to how much love Christie had for these characters, as she returned to them time and again, sometimes even decades after their last appearance. All in all, Tommy and Tuppence are some of Christie's most fun and accessible characters, and they deserve just as much praise as the author's other beloved detectives. Tommy & Tuppence premieres September 15, only on BritBox. Release Date September 15, 2026 Cast Fola Evans-Akingbola Tatiana Alara-Star Khan Hetty Copleigh