beyond the pale

BBC’s The Pale Horse is blasted for ‘excessive swearing and sex’ by horrified Agatha Christie fans

AGATHA Christie fans are livid with BBC's adaptation of The Pale Horse due to the constant use of swearing.

Viewers claim the two-part dramatisation which aired on Sunday night, moves away from the original story with the inclusion of the F-word.

In the first episode which aired on Sunday 9 February, character Mark Easterbrook, played by Rufus Sewell, tells a stranger to "f*** off."

In the latest episode, set to air on Sunday, more foul language is used, including phrases such as "use a f***ing ashtray you b****", "I will pop your eyes out your f***ing head" and "f***ing donkey".

Members of the Agatha Christie Society have deemed the use of expletives as "offensive" and are "very disappointed" with the way the book has been portrayed on screen.
Carol Daru from the society spoke to The Daily Star and gave thoughts on the BBC two-part drama.

"It's offensive and there is no need for it. I'm very disappointed with the BBC."

The famous author did not use any profane language in her novel, which was set in 1961 and was also published in the same year.

Television screenwriter Sarah Phelps commissioned The Pale Horse and this is not her first rodeo, as she has faced criticism for adapting four of Christie's previous books for BBC programs in the past.

Fans wasted no time in jumping on social media to voice their frustrations about Phelps' latest Agatha Christie work.

One viewer wrote: "No way did Agatha Christie have one her characters tell another one to F*** Off."

Another viewer tweeted: "I'm catching up on the BBC version of the Pale Horse and Easterbrook has just used the "f word" . Is nothing sacred anymore !!"

A third commented: "'I'm pretty sure Mark Easterbrook never told anybody to 'f*** off!' in the book!!!"

Purists have blasted the drama for changing the original plot of The Pale Horse and making it more sexual.

The novel, regarded as the scariest book Agatha Christie ever wrote, is about a murder mystery that embraces the art of black magic, which is set in the village of Much Deeping.

A priest called Father Gorman is killed at the beginning of the story, but doesn't make it to the TV version, while Mark Easterbrook is a twice-married womaniser holding on to a dark secret on screen, but happens to be a bachelor in the novel.

Screenwriter Phelps also left Ariadne Oliver out of the story, one of Christie's most popular recurring characters.

The second episode of The Pale Horse will air on BBC on February 16 and be available to stream on BBC iPlayer.