Silver Spring, MD — Based on the short fiction of dame Agatha Christie, The Agatha Christie Hour, Set 1 makes its long-awaited home video debut on July 27, 2010 from Acorn Media. Broadcast on PBS’ Mystery! in the early 1980s, these five classic adaptations feature her customary crime solving along with romance and the supernatural in the glittering 1920s and ‘30s (DVD 2-Disc set; $39.99; www.AcornOnline.com).

How can “happiness expert” Parker Pyne return a wayward husband’s affections to his wife? Will a chance encounter on a train transform the life of a jobless investment broker forever? And why does a vision in a mirror mean misery for a beautiful bride-to-be?

In these stories, lesser-known Christie heroes and heroines solve crimes of the heart as well as puzzling cases of larceny and murder. With just the right mix of danger and deception, romance and revenge, innocence and intrigue, these short stories are Christie at her best, now on DVD for the first time.

The top-notch ensemble cast includes John Nettles (Midsomer Murders), James Grout (Inspector Morse), and William Gaunt (No Place Like Home) and features Maurice Denham (All Passion Spent) as the unmatched Parker Pyne.

THE STORIES
The Case of the Middle-Aged Wife: A housewife enlists Parker Pyne to save her marriage.
In a Glass Darkly: A WWI officer has a vision of a young woman’s doom.
The Girl in the Train: An unemployed young man takes a fateful train journey.
The Fourth Man: Three learned men debate a strange case of self-inflicted death.
The Case of the Discontented Soldier: A bored army major seeks excitement with Parker Pyne’s help.

Thames Television produced ten episodes of The Agatha Christie Hour in 1982. Set 1 includes the first five episodes. Set 2 will be released in early 2011.

Street: July 27, 2010
SRP: $39.99
DVD 2-Disc Set: 5 episodes - Approx. 257 min. - British mystery - SDH subtitles BONUS: Biography of Agatha Christie and Parker Pyne: Before Poirot

Headquartered in suburban Washington, D.C., Acorn Media distributes distinctive home video releases to the North American market with a special focus on the best of British television. Acorn’s DVD sets are available from select retailers, catalog companies, and direct from Acorn Media at (888) 870-8047 or www.acornonline.com.