The Agatha Christie Hour The Case of the Discontented Soldier (1982) Online

Parker Pyne was an interesting early Christie figure, using intelligence and background to effect life transformations to all that would apply to his simple advert about happiness. It's a fabled tale with added intelligence and comes across well on those bases. We get to see Miss Lemon, whom we assume to be the future M. Poirot's faithful secretary, and mystery writer, Adriane Oliver, no less. That makes it fun for those who have read the later works first. While I agree that this Parker Pyne is not as quixotic and personable as the one from the written story, he does the job.

The good major's current life status of boredom and lack of adventure is allayed, his core need intrinsically met in a most entertaining fashion. I thought Miss Oliver justified her stereotypic methods in this by her assertions that people liked the traditional and time worn dilemmas which were employed here.

Good fun. (We trust the Major came to the realization that "a man" did not in fact "owe him 50 quid."

Major Wilbraham has just returned to England after six exciting years of military career in Kenya, and he finds life in his small town dreadfully boring. When he sees an ad on his newspaper about a company who promises to offer happiness to those who lack it, he goes to meet them and he, half-heartedly, agrees to pay for their services. Instructions follow the next day and the adventure begins - but how much of it is real and how much is set up? A pretty slight story with not much really at stake, but helped by charming, on-target performances from the entire cast. Of special interest to Agatha Christie aficionados: the efficient secretary Miss Lemon and the eccentric mystery writer Ariadne Oliver, both semi-regulars in Hercule Poirot's universe, make notable appearances here - and both actresses nail their roles. **1/2 out of 4.