BBC News: Death of Joan Hickson (1998)

BBC News read by Peter Sissons: Death of Joan Hickson
October 1998

[@maryvalentine9090]

Nobody, but nobody will ever top Her performance as Miss Marple.

[@AmberPanda]

Nobody plays Miss Marple like Joan Hickson.

[@annabellesinger3717]

She was the miss marple and no one could ever replace her in these modern remakes!

[@4elovechishe]

the new ones are all so unnatural....

[@mathematics5573]

I have seen the new miss marple. Don't find the actress so convincing. Joan Hickson was better.

[@alwaysblake148]

It's soon to be 2024, and her artistry as Miss Marple continues on. She is timeless.

[@susmitaraychaudhuri213]

An ardent admirer of Joan Hickson I pay my deepest respects to this genius 💔 🙏

[@tomillakockingbird1754]

She was Miss Marple the way that David Suchet is Poirot. No one can outdo them.

[@phyllishammond9886]

ToMilla Kockingbird you sure are 100 percent

[@LE-zy2od]

Geraldine McEwan is miss Marple and David Suchet is Poirot

[@stephenvernon1076]

@@LE-zy2od Geraldine McEwan was an extremely average Miss Marple, whereas Joan Hickson was excellent.

[@phebus2005]

Christie created Marple after her own grand mother who, strangely enough, looked very much like Hickson. The portraits and photos of both the actress and the granny are stunningly confusing. Therefore, to me, Hickson has been the most accurate Marple, although it took me quite a while to realize it. I never cared much for McEwan. She seemed so pleased with herself in each episodes, I couldn’t stand it. Did not show a wide range of her talent either. Marple is not at all like that. Suchet and Hickson are both the closest to Christie’s universe, in my opinion. I guess it’s all in the hard work, once you are talented enough, isn’t it ?

[@johncummin3530]

Woooooord.

[@emergencyteds]

Impossible to read a Miss Marple story and not see Joan Hickson.

[@Euphoftoday]

I watch the Marple episodes with Joan Hickson in over and over, no one else is Miss Marple, they try but the acting in the Hickson was sublime and believable

[@Euphoftoday]

Thanks!

[@Salmagundiii]

Agreed. And thank goodness A&E talked the "Beeb" into springing for 16mm film, so we have a faithful replica of the performance. And that they didn't toss them out after a couple years!

[@LE-zy2od]

@@Euphoftoday Geraldine McEwan is miss Marple

[@DRthistle]

I agree. No other actress should even try.

[@melissabarrett9750]

The DVD boxed set is an absolute treat. I have owned a set since 2013 and it is one of my most treasured possessions.

[@nemo227]

When Agatha Christie prefers you to play the character she created you know you're doing it right.

[@tracyhodgkins7516]

As David Suchet was to Poirot, so Joan Hickson was to Miss Marple. The look, the mannerisms, the voice, everything about her said Miss Marple, she was ideal for the part and she brought so much to the role. A great actress.

[@angelacooper2661]

Joan Hickson was the consummate Miss Marple and her performances beat subsequent adaptations hands down. Nobody could hold a candle to her. Joan Hickson was very long lived; she was born the same year as my Nana (1906) and outlived her by twelve years. By then I would have been 28!

[@kathleenfranks6513]

She was the best Jane Marple I saw and I read all of Agarha Christies books

[@LE-zy2od]

NO

[@phebus2005]

Christie created Marple after her own grand mother who, strangely enough, looked very much like Hickson. The portraits and photos of both the actress and the granny are stunningly confusing. Therefore, to me, Hickson has been the most accurate Marple, although it took me quite a while to realize it. I never cared much for McEwan. She seemed so pleased with herself in each episodes, I couldn’t stand it. Did not show a wide range of her talent either. Marple is not at all like that. Suchet and Hickson are both the closest to Christie’s universe, in my opinion. I guess it’s all in the hard work, once you’ve got the talent, isn’t it ?

[@melissabarrett9750]

Geraldine McEwan was too warm and sweet to portray such an analytical character, but she was preferable to the person from French Fields who played the role after her. I will always prefer Joan Hickson over anyone as Jane Marple.

[@michaeldevaney5728]

Joan hickson a legend an absolute legend hope she is in heaven xxxxxx xxxxxx

[@ramyarmany]

Joan hickson and david sochet are the best who performed agatha's main characters and no one will be better than them !

[@LE-zy2od]

Geraldine McEwan is miss Marple and David Suchet is Poirot

[@ghughesarch]

Geraldine McEwan was the real Lucia. She is not, however, the real Miss Marple.

[@ESmith-ik8vu]

She had the perfect blend of the theatrical and the understanding, judgement if you will, that gave her acting that edge, like in a double bottomed suitcase, which is necessary to make the illusion work. And she had that edge even before her 'stardom'. Hope she had a good life.

[@bentattersfield887]

BAFTA should give retrospective lifetime achievement awards

[@thedoc4447]

Joan Hickson was and always will remain the definitive Miss Marple. I tried to watch the remakes but with no disrespect to the actors, I completely lost interest.

[@80soo79]

Great actress - best Miss Marple ever !

[@ceciliaellis6721]

Here! Here! She owned the Marple role!

[@sb6678]

80'sOO unlike that McEwan imposter

[@LE-zy2od]

@@sb6678 Geraldine McEwan is miss Marple. David Suchet is Poirot.

[@stephenvernon1076]

@@LE-zy2od Geraldine McEwan just isn't in the same league as Joan Hickson.

[@maricarmenrodriguezsempere13]

I agree absolutely!!

[@bentattersfield7987]

Looooove Joan Hickson

[@sb6678]

I actually met her when I was a child as they were filming The Murder at the Vicarage. At the time we lived in Nether Wallop where the village of St Mary Mead was filmed. She was lovely and we spoke at some length of her role as Miss Marple.

[@LE-zy2od]

Hickson is awful.

[@kreznreich]

Joan Hickson was the most marvellous Miss Marple ever. Thank you for writing where St. Mary Mead is!

[@susmitaraychaudhuri213]

You are so fortunate to have met Joan Hickson!

[@anniewoods7987]

She was the best Miss Marple

[@Sheena1234ization]

My right ear enjoyed this

[@xxfayerocksxx]

Sheena1234ization 😂🤣

[@resnonverba137]

God bless her.

[@jeannieharmon628]

she was wonderful!

[@zaphodbeeblebrox6627]

If Agatha Christie proclaimed her as the personification of Miss Marple that’s good enough for me. A truly wonderful actress who could act other cast members off the stage without even trying.

[@gaggymott9159]

In my opinion, it was a toss up between Joan and Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple. She had some minor roles in the Carry On series which were great too. As a teenager, delivering newspapers, I can remember sacrificing a sizeable part of my pay to buy the entire set of the BBC Miss Marple VHS videos! U still have them in 2022, but nothing to play them on! 😂😂😂❤❤❤❤

[@melissabarrett9750]

You can get them as a DVD boxed set. I have a copy of the set on DVD myself. Four boxes, containing three different stories each. For best enjoyment during playback, it's essential to set the tv or DVD player to play back in 4:3 screen size ratios, to avoid making the characters look wide-stretched.

[@VickersDoorter]

As Jane Marple, she was up there with the iconic likes of David Suchet and Jeremy Brett.

[@littlebrookreader949]

Good-bye, Miss Marple! We love you! ❤️❤️❤

[@lechat8736]

She was the best Miss Marple!!

[@LE-zy2od]

NO.

[@nemesispaiva2588]

Me encanta ella! Hasta siempre y gracias por tu trabajo.

[@janetginger8571]

so soothing; wisdom of old age

[@rileysutton2823]

17 years later on January 30, 2015, Ms. Hickson's successor as Miss Marple, Geraldine McEwan, died aged 82 from a stroke.

[@sharonstanley5054]

She was wonderful.

[@lindanorris2455]

In the UK age is valued. In the USA age is something to get rid of.

[@RKBrown-sx9kj]

She was absolutely BORN to play Jane Marple

[@ericahall1781]

Joan Hickson is the best Miss Marple!

[@harimadhavan1712]

Joan was Miss Marple. The newer ones just didn't get the dithering and melancholic old lady right. Same Margaret Rutherford was great also, but more comic. Joan was the quintessential one, just like Suchet for Poirot. Rathbone and Brett were both excellent as Holmes.

[@jacksugden8190]

And 21 years later Peter Siddons sadly also died in 2019.

[@marvic76]

Who was Peter Siddons?

[@jacksugden8190]

@@marvic76 As you saw in the clip - a former bbc newsreader who had died. Peter George Sissons was an English journalist and broadcaster. He was a newscaster for ITN, providing bulletins on ITV and Channel 4, before becoming the presenter of the BBC's Question Time between 1989 and 1993, and a presenter of the BBC Nine O'Clock News and Ten O'Clock News between 1993 and 2003. Wikipedia

[@marvic76]

@@jacksugden8190 , oh. I did not see his name. I thought so initially but I was listening to the clip more than watching it. Thank you for taking the time to reply.👍

[@jacksugden8190]

@@marvic76 Quite alright ☑️

[@ximenaabarzua8062]

😢

[@thomasodonnell9221]

She became Miss Marple, a treasure to bebold!

[@LE-zy2od]

NO. Absolutely no

[@wesleycracknell1623]

I remember joan hickson a very long time ago

[@rickerhart907]

The best

[@bentattersfield887]

loved her as miss marple

[@cskarbek1]

sooooo there is no sound! sad...

[@kreznreich]

There is sound. Check it out again.

[@grannyearth5496]

I agreee! Im watching the original 16mm digitally remastered episodes on BritBox! The clarity is amazing! She is my favorite Miss Marple... “Oh Dear.”

[@myinnerqueen2213]

How did Agatha Christie pick her when she died 8 years before the first episode was filmed?!

[@jaymcallister5154]

She met Hickson at a theatre performance and told her she imagined her as her as my perfect Miss Marple

[@user-lv8fw2db7e]

Еще бы сделали бы перевод,цены бы вам не было....

[@avuncular300]

Poor sound ie hardly any, Not a fitting tribute to a great and much-loved actress..

[@salobrena6442]

She will always be Miss Marple for me.. all pale in comparison..

[@user-mn1fl6hc2u]

Haughty disapproval... Yes, a bit. But.. I guess she might as well be mentioned as an understanding and experienced woman.

[@user-lv8fw2db7e]

Самая лучшая Марпл....

[@dasunsamarawickrama6]

RIP, the best Miss Marple.

[@LE-zy2od]

Shes not bad. Geraldine McEwan is miss Marple

[@DrMoorehen]

Lady

[@chriswinwood6501]

no sound?!

[@Eadwig]

There is sound.

[@chriswinwood6501]

Eadwig Got it now! Couldn't hear it yesterday but have got it now. Thanks so much for posting. I love stuff like this, and Joan was one of the greats. :)

[@Eadwig]

:-) Glad to hear that!

[@Cadian.]

Lovely to see a young Catherine Tate as the maid..

[@LE-zy2od]

David Suchet is Poirot and Geraldine McEwan is miss Marple

[@stephenvernon1076]

David Suchet is excellent as Poirot but Geraldine McEwan is mediocre as Miss Marple.

[@patty7beth]

I prefer Hickson but I do like McEwan, though she seems to annoy some people. I even think Julia McKenzie is fun to watch, even though she's my least favorite of the 3. She seems a bit too modern & bubbly in her personality to be Marple.

[@user-lv8fw2db7e]

Самая лучшая Марпл....