BBC announces ‘Towards Zero’ as next Agatha Christie adaptation

Towards Zero will be the next Agatha Christie story adapted by the BBC and BritBox!

First published in 1944, the classic detective novel unfolds around the murder of an elderly widow at a clifftop seaside house, linking a failed suicide attempt, a schoolgirl wrongfully accused of theft, and the romantic life of a famous tennis player.

The announcement follows the success of 2023’s Murder is Easy, which – despite getting mixed reviews – achieved strong ratings in the UK over the festive period, averaging 7 million viewers.

Towards Zero has been loosely adapted before as a 2007 episode of ITV’s Miss Marple series, even though the character of Marple does not feature in Christie’s original story.

The novel has also had two French adaptations, with a 2007 movie titled L’Heure Zéro, and as an episode of TV series Les Petits Meurtres d’Agatha Christie in 2019.

A co-production between the BBC and BritBox, the new limited series will be written by Rachel Bennette.

She’s previously penned episodes of World on Fire, Lewis, Ripper Street and Lark Rise to Candleford.

Filming is set to begin this summer in England, so we expect to hear casting news in a few months’ time.

When’s the release date?

Towards Zero looks likely to premiere on BBC One and streaming on BBC iPlayer during Christmas 2024 in the UK, then on BritBox internationally at a later date.

In the meantime, Murder is Easy arrives on BritBox next month in the US, Canada and Australia.

Agatha Christie’s novel Towards Zero is available on Amazon.