The Swinging Christies: Agatha Christie in the 1960s

Mark and Gray take Manhattan in the first in this very special miniseries recorded in the USA. In New York, Gray and Mark discuss Agatha’s 1960s connections to America, plus their discoveries in papers held at the Princeton University Archive.You can find us on Instagram @Christie_Time. We are also on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please subscribe to us, and  rate and review us on your podcatcher of choice.Our website is ChristieTime.com.The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown.Next episode: Part 2 of Swinging USA - we go to Washington DC!00:00:00 - Opening titles00:00:40 - Introductory chat at Heathrow airport00:03:57 - Agatha and America in the 1960s at Central Park00:32:38 - Discoveries in the Princeton Archive00:55:49 - Wrap up, Schubert Archive, and off to Washington DC!00:58:30 - How to get in touch00:59:41 - Closing titles01:00:12 - CodaSolutions revealed! - Cat Among the Pigeons, The Clocks, The Pale Horse, At Bertram’s Hotel

Mark and Gray travel to India (metaphorically) in search of the Queen of Crime! Along the way, they discuss various Hindi and Bengali adaptations, and meet with friend-of-the-podcast and expert adaptor/writer Ayeesha Menon to discuss her Mumbai stage version of The Mirror Crack’d!You can find us on Instagram @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please do subscribe, rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts.Our website is ChristieTime.com.Ayeesha Menon can be found via her production company ⁠Goldhawk Productions⁠. Her excellent drama podcast ⁠Mumbai Crime⁠ is available on all good podcatchers.The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown.Next episode: stay tuned…!0:00:00 - Opening titles00:00:41 - Introductory chat00:06:25 - Agatha and India00:14:57 - Chupi Chupi Aashey (1960 Bengali version of The Mousetrap)00:29:51 - Gumnaam (1965 Hindi version of And Then There Were None)00:39:42 - Shubho Mahurat (2003 Bengali version of The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side)00:56:12 - Interview with Ayeesha Menon, adaptor of The Mirror Crack’d for the Mumbai stage01:45:12 - How to get in touch01:46:35 - Closing titles01:47:02 - CodaSolutions revealed! - The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side. NOT THE MOUSETRAP! We would never!TW: discussion of struggle with fertility, miscarriage, IVF etc.

Miss Marple isn’t an old duffer - she’s a swinging cat! At least that’s what Mark and Gray discover this episode when they shine a light on Agatha Christie’s beloved sleuth. In particular we look at her 1960s outings, plus her Swinging-era cases in the recent 2021 short story collection, in stories by Alyssa Cole, Naomi Alderman, Jean Kwok, Dreda Say Mitchell, Karen M. McManus and Leigh Bardugo.You can find us on Instagram @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please do subscribe, rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts.Our website is ChristieTime.com.The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown.Next episode: we travel to India!00:00:00 - Opening titles00:00:50 - Introductory chat00:07:00 - Why the Sixties belong to Miss Marple00:15:09 - The Swinging-era Marple: Twelve New Stories00:19:01 - Miss Marple Takes Manhattan by Alyssa Cole00:29:20 - The Open Mind by Naomi Alderman00:41:45 - The Jade Empress by Jean Kwok00:44:43 - A Deadly Wedding Day by Dreda Say Mitchell00:52:44 - The Murdering Sort by Karen M. McManus00:58:26 - The Disappearance by Leigh Bardugo01:04:59 - Tackling racism in these stories01:16:17 - How to get in touch01:17:17 - Closing titles01:17:44 - CodaTW: discussion of racism and antisemitism

A talented British author, a story about machinations in a girls’ school… How much do Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark have in common? Mark and Gray investigate…Featuring (from 5 mins in) a recording of a talk originally given by Gray for Romancing the Gothic, with kind permission of Dr Sam Hirst.You can read our special article for the Agatha Christie website here.You can find us on Instagram (as well as X) @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please do rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts.Our website is ChristieTime.com.The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown.Next episode: stay tuned…!00:00:00 - Opening titles00:00:53 - Introductory chat00:05:00 - Gray’s Muriel Spark talk00:38:24 - Mark and Gray debrief00:57:21 - How to get in touch00:58:58 - Closing titles00:59:26 - CodaSolutions revealed! - The Plymouth Express, Witness for the Prosecution, Lord Edgware Dies, Towards ZeroSparks spoiled! - The Driver’s Seat, The Prime of Miss Jean BrodieTW: violence against women

Mark and Gray ring in the New Year with a discussion of the 1960s trend for… actually not being very 1960s at all! But just how much of Christie’s 1960s writing harks back to the Edwardian and Victorian eras? Did they even ‘swing’ back then??You can listen to our guest spot on the All About Agatha podcast, here.You can read our special article for the Agatha Christie website here.You can read Mark’s paper about Agatha Christie’s Charles Dickens’s Bleak House here. You can find us on Instagram (as well as X) @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please do rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts.Our website is ChristieTime.com.The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown.Next episode: wait and see…00:00:00 - Opening titles00:00:51 - Introductory chat00:04:29 - The Sixties weren’t Swinging for everyone00:15:38 - Old-new locations00:58:02 - The Next Generation01:04:28 - Servants and service01:14:44 - Reviving the greats: Shakespeare, Tennyson, Austen, Brontë01:22:37 - Bleak House by Agatha Christie01:33:57 - Brave monkey puzzle: remembering Christie’s childhood home01:37:22 - Next episode, how to get in touch01:38:33 - Closing titles01:39:01 - CodaSolutions revealed! - The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side, At Bertram’s Hotel

There’s always Christie at Christmas! Join Mark and Gray making the yuletide gay with a discussion about Christie’s festive writings from the 1960s. Come swing around the Christmas tree! You can read our special article for the Agatha Christie website here. You can find us on Instagram (as well as X) @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please do rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. Our website is ChristieTime.com.  The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. Next episode: Revivalism 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:43 - Introductory chat 00:07:24 - A Christie for Christmas: a tale as old as time? 00:16:40 - Agatha Christiemas 00:20:20 - Christmas Then and Now - from Christmas Adventure (1923) to The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (1960) 00:28:26 - The Mysteries of the Spanish and Baghdad Chests (1932, 1960) 00:32:46 - Star Over Bethlehem (1965) 00:39:46 - Next episode, how to get in touch 00:41:27 - Closing titles 00:41:54 - Coda Solutions revealed! - Star Over Bethlehem (titular story from the Star Over Bethlehem collection)

In a very special episode, join Mark and Gray as they delve deep into Agatha Christie’s family archive and uncover some seldom-seen 1960s gems… You can find us on Instagram (as well as X) @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please do rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. Our website is Christietime.com. The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. Next episode: it's Christmas! 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:39 - Introductory chat at the train station 00:01:50 - We arrive at the archive! 00:05:30 - Death Beat 00:31:44 - Miss Perry 00:58:53 - Other archive gems, Agatha Christie’s writing process 01:12:46 - Back at Paddington, how to get in touch 01:14:29 - Closing titles 01:14:57 - Coda Solutions revealed! - Endless Night TW: violence against women

Gray and Mark go trick-or-treating and uncover the truth about Hallowe’en parties in the 1960s, via Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie! They even risk their lives - and fingers - by playing a fiery game of Snapdragon! You can find us on Instagram (as well as X) @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please do rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. Our website is ChristieTime.com. The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. You can listen to the audiobook of ‘Agatha Christie’s Marple’ via Audible, Spotify and all other good audio retailers. Next episode: we delve into the Agatha Archives! 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:41 - Introductory chat 00:02:38 - Origins of Hallowe’en 00:15:57 - Hallowe’en in the 1960s 00:28:01 - What would a 1960s Hallowe’en party have entailed? Apple bobbing, Jack o’lanterns, trick or treating, games 00:46:10 - We play Snapdragon! 00:51:08 - More games, the broomstick competition 00:57:08 - Next episode, how to get in touch 00:58:56 - Closing titles 00:59:25 - Coda Solutions revealed - Hallowe’en Party! TW: murder of children

To mark (ha) the publication of Mark’s new book, ‘Agatha Christie’s Marple: Expert on Wickedness’, Mark and Gray have recorded a special commentary of the 1961 Miss Marple film, Murder She Said. Along the way Mark teases some nuggets of gold from his new book! Listen on to the end for an exclusive sneak peek of the audiobook of ‘Agatha Christie’s Marple’, read by Jane Slavin! You can find us on Instagram (as well as X) @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please do rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. Our website is ChristieTime.com. The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. You can download the audiobook of ‘Agatha Christie’s Marple’, read by Jane Slavin, via Audible, Spotify and all good audio retailers. Next episode: Hallowe'en! 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:38 - Interview with Mark Aldridge 00:05:48 - Murder She Said commentary 01:29:11 - Next episode, how to get in touch 01:30:05 - Closing titles 01:30:33 - Extract from the audiobook of 'Agatha Christie’s Marple' Solutions revealed! - 4.50 from Paddington

You catch Mark and Gray in a reflective mood, as they reunite for a retrospective on the series so far - everything they have learned and anything they missed along the way, with the help of some lovely listener feedback! You can find us on Instagram (as well as X) @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please do rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. Our website is ChristieTime.com. The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. Next episode: watch this space… 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:38 - Introductory chat 00:04:54 - Recapping the series so far 00:17:11 - Corrections, clarifications, extras 00:30:47 - The Mailbag 00:59:09 - Next episode, how to get in touch 01:01:34 - Closing titles 01:01:59 - Coda Solutions revealed! - The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side TW: racist saying quoted

Mark and Gray dodge the paparazzi and marvel at Christie’s fame, including her success in the theatre, on screen, and around the world. But surely it’s not the podcast’s curtain call..? Find out what’s happening next for The Swinging Christies!  Includes interview clips from Mathew Prichard and Agatha Christie herself! You can find us on Instagram (as well as X) @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please do rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. Our website is ChristieTime.com. The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. Next episode: Reflections 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:59 - Introductory chat 00:03:11 - The 1960s: Christie’s most successful decade? 00:15:14 - Christie in Theatreland, Mathew Prichard 00:33:45 - Christie on the small screen, Mathew Prichard 00:52:53 - Agatha Christie the celebrity 01:09:49 - Christie’s biggest fans 01:15:55 - Publicity and press 01:23:09 - Mary Westmacott 01:26:27 - Agatha Christie’s Autobiography 01:29:32 - Christie’s Late Style 01:37:09 - Next episode, how to get in touch 01:41:01 - Closing titles 01:41:28 - Coda

The clock is ticking for Mark and Gray, as The Swinging Christies examines Agatha Christie's references to the advancement of technology in the 1960s and the Cold War! You can find us on Instagram (as well as X) @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please do rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. Our website is ChristieTime.com. The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. Next episode: Fame 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:50 - Introductory chat 00:05:38 - Why did it feel like the end of the world in the 1960s? 00:15:31 - The Cuban Missile Crisis aka a Caribbean Mystery 00:30:11 - The Doomsday Clock and The Clocks 00:37:45 - The Bomb and Ban the Bomb, MAD, détente 00:49:46 - Global student movements and Passenger to Frankfurt 00:53:15 - Espionage 01:17:52 - Scientific advancements 01:33:10 - Space exploration 01:39:02 - Next episode, how to get in touch 01:40:27 - Closing titles 01:40:53 - Coda Solutions revealed! - The Clocks, Ordeal by Innocence

This episode of The Swinging Christies explores globaliastion, the US-UK cultural exchange, the decline of the British Empire and the rise of the Civil Rights movement - all topics that were swirling whilst Agatha Christie was writing! You can find us on Instagram (as well as X) @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please do rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. Our website is ChristieTime.com. The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. Next episode: Armageddon 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:50 - Introductory chat 00:05:05 - Agatha Christie in the world 00:08:54 - The ongoing disintegration of the British Empire 00:27:10 - Increasing multiculturalism and racism 00:38:53 - Joining the EEC 00:43:04 - Anglo-American cultural exchange 00:59:39 - Travel and transport 01:13:10 - Citizens of the world 01:15:49 - Next episode, how to get in touch 01:17:14 - Closing titles 01:17:40 - Coda Solutions revealed! - A Caribbean Mystery, Endless Night TW: Discussions of racism and xenophobia, including some racist language in quoted material

Tune in to the sixth episode of The Swinging Christies, drop everything and peace out! Mark and Gray examine the references to drugs in Agatha Christie's 60s novels, plays, films and short stories. Purple hearts for everyone! You can find us on Instagram (as well as X) @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please do rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. Our website is ChristieTime.com. The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown.  Next episode: Empire 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:55 - Introductory chat 00:01:46 - Drugs everywhere in the 1960s! 00:04:01 - Christie in the Dispensary  00:16:37 - Christie’s invented poisons - Calmo, Serenite, Benvo 00:29:28 - Real poisons in the Swinging books and adaptations 00:35:06 - Thallium and The Pale Horse 00:37:27 - Purple hearts and Third Girl 00:43:16 - Ups and downs with uppers and downers 00:57:23 - The Harlequin Tea Set 00:59:58 - Psychedelia  01:09:55 - Next episode, how to get in touch 01:10:10 - Closing titles 01:11:38 - Coda Solutions revealed! - A Caribbean Mystery, Third Girl, The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side, Endless Night, The Pale Horse

In the fifth episode of The Swinging Christies, Mark and Gray spook each other by discussing everything from contemporary fears to olde folklore in the 1960s Agatha Christies.  You can find us on Instagram (as well as X) @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please do rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. Our website is ChristieTime.com. The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown.  Next episode: Drugs  00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:39 - Introductory chat 00:05:21 - Horror landscape in the 1960s 00:21:05 - Domestic horror 00:36:28 - Folklore 00:51:25 - Horror and insanity, suicide 01:12:19 - Hardboiled thrillers, violence 01:22:00 - Sanitised horror in adaptations 01:30:06 - Rising crime in the 1960s 01:37:33 - Next episode, how to get in touch 01:38:22 - Closing titles 01:38:49 - Coda Solutions revealed! - Hallowe’en Party, A Caribbean Mystery, The Patient, By the Pricking of My Thumbs, The Pale Horse, Endless Night, At Bertram’s Hotel  TW - death of children, suicide, mental illness, outdated terms in quoted material