BBC Unveils First Look at Agatha Christie’s Towards Zero

The BBC has released first-look pictures of Towards Zero, based on the classic mystery by the best-selling author of all time, Agatha Christie. Adapted for screen by BAFTA-nominated Rachel Bennette (Belle Ami) and directed by the Olivier Award-winning Sam Yates (Magpie), Towards Zero is made by Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, in a co-commission with BritBox International.

Featuring coastal views, heated summer soirees, and a trip to Wimbledon Centre Court, the new pictures give a first glimpse at Lady Tressilian (Anjelica Huston), Inspector Leach (Matthew Rhys) and British tennis star Nevile Strange (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) – seen here with the two ladies in his life: ex-wife Audrey (Ella Lily Hyland) and new wife Kay (Mimi Keene). Clarke Peters, Anjana Vasan, and Jack Farthing are also seen in the new pictures from the series, which co-stars Jackie Clune (Motherland), Grace Doherty (Call the Midwife), Khalil Gharbia (Mary & George), and Adam Hugill (Sherwood).

Anjelica Huston as Lady Tressilian in Towards Zero. A lady dressed in elegant 1930s night clothes leans agains the headboard of a grand, wooden double bed and stares off into the distance. Newspapers are piled at the foot of the bed. Two bedside lamps cast a soft glow in the dimly lit room. — Anjelica Huston as Lady Tressilian (Image: BBC/Mammoth Screen/James Pardon)

Matthew Rhys as Inspector Leach in Towards Zero. A man wearing a suit and a long trench coat stands on the rocky edge of a cliff. He looks forlorn. — Matthew Rhys as Inspector Leach (Image: BBC/Mammoth Screen/James Pardon)

Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Mimi Keene as Nevile Strange and Kay Elliott in Towards Zero. A man and woman embrace as they lie on the sand at the beach. Both grin at each other as they lean for a kiss. Two figures in the background turn to look at the couple. — Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Mimi Keene as Nevile Strange and Kay Elliott (Image: BBC/Mammoth Screen/Nick Wall)

England, 1936. After a scandalous celebrity divorce, Nevile Strange and his ex-wife Audrey make the unthinkable decision to spend a summer together at Gull’s Point, their childhood home and the coastal estate of Nevile’s aunt, Lady Tressilian.

Murder

With unfinished business between the former childhood sweethearts, plus the presence of Nevile’s new wife Kay, tensions are running high. Add to this a long-suffering lady’s companion, a mysterious gentleman’s valet, an exiled cousin with a grudge, a venerable family lawyer, an inquisitive orphan and a French con man, and soon there will be murder. A troubled detective must rediscover his purpose to untangle a toxic web of jealousy, deceit and dysfunction. Can he solve the crime before another victim meets their death?

Clarke Peters as Mr Treves in Towards Zero. Close-up of a man wearing a tuxedo and bowtie. He looks at something off-screen with a concerned expression. Candles are lit throughout the scene. — Clarke Peters as Mr Treves (Image: BBC/Mammoth Screen/Nick Wall)

Jack Farthing as Thomas Royde in Towards Zero. Close up of a man looking directly to the camera with a solemn expression. He wears a three-piece suit and a tie. Tall trees are visible in the background. — Jack Farthing as Thomas Royde (Image: BBC/Mammoth Screen/James Pardon)

Anjana Vasan as Mary Aldin in Towards Zero. A woman sits on a blanket on a sandy beach. She wears a yellow dress covered in a flower pattern, with an accompanying yellow sunhat. The sea glistens in the sunlight in the background.

Anjana Vasan as Mary Aldin (Image: BBC/Mammoth Screen/Nick Wall)

An explosive love triangle, a formidable matriarch and a house party of enemies. All compelled… Towards Zero.

Writer, Rachel Bennette, says: “These are among the richest and most complex of Christie’s characters, and I was captivated from the first by the charisma, in particular, of her female characters. It has been thrilling to bring them all to life in this disturbing tale of truth and lies, love and hate, a story which unfolds amidst the dark, cinematic glamour of the 1930s, yet feels startlingly of our time.”

Ella Lily Hyland as Audrey Strange in Towards Zero. A woman stands with her hands on her hips as she turns to look at the camera. She stands in a garden with white flowers and tall tress in the background. — Ella Lily Hyland as Audrey Strange (Image: BBC/Mammoth Screen/James Pardon)

Mimi Keene as Kay Elliott in Towards Zero. Close-up of a woman wearing an elegant 1930s evening dress. Her hair is tied back, with flowers for decoration. In the background, a mural is painted on a wall and people are stood socialising. — Mimi Keene as Kay Elliott (Image: BBC/Mammoth Screen/James Pardon)

Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Nevile Strange. Close-up of a man sat leaning against a net on a tennis court. He wears a white polo neck and stares at something offscreen. — Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Nevile Strange (Image: BBC/Mammoth Screen/James Pardon)

Sensual

Director, Sam Yates, says: “It has been an honour to bring this most psychological and sensual of Agatha Christie’s stories to vibrant life with a peerless cast of actors and an extraordinary team. Audiences are in for a propulsive, intoxicating ride into the dark hearts of some of Christie’s most irresistible characters.”

Towards Zero follows 2023’s hit Christie adaptation Murder is Easy, which was one of the UK’s most watched dramas of last year across all channels and streamers, averaging 7 million viewers across both parts.

Filming on Agatha Christie’s Towards Zero took place in and around Bristol and on the Devon coast. The series will air next year on BBC iPlayer and BBC One, and outside of the UK on BritBox International’s streaming service in the US and Canada.

Previous Agatha Christie adaptations made by Agatha Christie Limited and Mammoth Screen for the BBC are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

BBC Unveils First Look at Agatha Christie’s Towards Zero

Murder

Sensual

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