The Swinging Christies: Agatha Christie in the 1960s

Back by popular demand, The Swinging Christies goes LIVE for only the second time! This special episode was recorded in Torquay at the Agatha Christie Festival Spring Gathering on 11 April 2026. Join Mark and Gray as they resurface a long-forgotten document: The Confessions of Agatha Christie…!WE'VE WRITTEN A BOOK! You can pre-order The Swinging Christies: How Agatha Christie Conquered the 1960s ⁠NOW⁠!We will be LIVE AGAIN in September 2026 for the next Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay - you can check out the event details here.You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. We are also on Bluesky at ⁠ChristieTime.com. Our YouTube account is @TheSwingingChristies. Our website is ⁠ChristieTime.com⁠.Our other podcast, Westmapod, has launched - just search Westmapod in your podcatcher of choice to check it out or click the link here!Please subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified every time an episode drops.Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing us on your podcatcher of choice.The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. Artwork designed by Bartlett Studio and Tom Double. Filmed and edited by John Tomkins at Emberlense Films.00:00:00 - Opening titles00:01:23 - Our rundown of the Confessions of Agatha Christie...00:41:20 - EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!00:44:01 - How to get in touch00:44:34 - Coda, closing titles

To mark (Aldridge) the occasion of Mark Aldridge’s latest book being available in PAPERBACK for the first time, Gray and Mark sit down to watch and natter through Murder at the Gallop (1963), the second of four 1960s films starring Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple. You can purchase Mark’s book, Agatha Christie’s Marple: Expert on Wickedness in paperback, ebook and audio now!WE'VE WRITTEN A BOOK! You can pre-order The Swinging Christies: How Agatha Christie Conquered the 1960s ⁠NOW⁠!You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. We are also on Bluesky at ⁠ChristieTime.com. Our YouTube account is @TheSwingingChristies.  Our website is⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ChristieTime.com⁠⁠⁠⁠.Our other podcast, Westmapod, launched on 31 March 2026 - just search Westmapod in your podcatcher of choice to check it out!Please subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified every time an episode drops.Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing us on your podcatcher of choice.The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. Artwork designed by Bartlett Studio and Tom Double.00:00:00 - Opening titles00:00:44 - Introductory chat00:02:36 - Commentary track for Murder at the Gallop (1963)01:20:41 - How to get in touch01:21:58 - Closing titles01:22:17 - CodaSolutions revealed - After the Funeral, The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Hello Swingers, we have a new Agatha Christie podcast over on another feed we wanted to tell you about! But don't worry, The Swinging Christies isn't going anywhere. Go search WESTMAPOD in your podcatcher of choice and make sure you subscribe!It’s the introductory episode of Westmapod: Agatha Christie’s Secret Identity with co-hosts Gray and Mark (aka Christie Time).The alter ego of best-selling novelist Agatha Christie, Westmacott wrote six fascinating novels - and in this bookclub-style limited series, we will be going book-by-book to answer to question: who is Mary Westmacott?Read along with us! Each episode drops after a fortnight, on Tuesdays. You have until Tuesday 14 April 2026 to read book 1, Giant’s Bread!WE'VE WRITTEN A BOOK! You can pre-order The Swinging Christies: How Agatha Christie Conquered the 1960s ⁠NOW⁠!You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. Our website is ChristieTime.com. We are also on Bluesky at ChristieTime.com. Our YouTube account is @Westmapod. Please subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified every time an episode drops! And do also stay subscribed to The Swinging Christies for monthly episodes over there!Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing us on your podcatcher of choice.Westmapod is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. Artwork designed by Tom Double.00:00:00 - Exclusive Swinging Christies intro to Westmapod!00:03:09 - Opening titles00:04:03 - Introduction to Westmapod00:05:54 - Who is Mary Westmacott?00:11:49 - The six Mary Westmacott books00:17:55 - What are we looking to discover?00:21:34 - Series plan, next episode, how to get in touch00:25:43 - Closing titles00:26:40 - Coda

Mark and Gray are reunited to discuss the working titles of Agatha Christie’s Swinging works - novels, plays and short stories to boot! Recorded in a very special location this is a fun rundown and a valuable glimpse into the Queen of Crime’s unique planning process!You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. We are also on Bluesky at ⁠ChristieTime.com. Our YouTube account is @TheSwingingChristies. WESTMAPOD launches on 31 March 2026!Please subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified every time an episode drops!Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing 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.00:00:00 - Opening titles00:00:43 - Introductory chat00:03:45 - Drag naming game!00:08:07 - Work In Progress00:11:43 - Cat Among the Pigeons (1959)00:14:50 - The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (1960)00:17:17 - The Pale Horse (1961)00:19:23 - The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side (1962)00:25:33 - The Rule of Three (1962)00:30:49 - The Clocks (1963)00:33:47 - A Caribbean Mystery (1964)00:36:56 - At Bertram’s Hotel (1965)00:38:10 - Third Girl (1966)00:41:31 - Endless Night (1967)00:44:15 - By the Pricking of My Thumbs (1968)00:50:18 - Hallowe’en Party (1969)00:51:53 - Passenger to Frankfurt (1970)00:54:04 - How to get in touch00:55:24 - Closing titles00:55:51 - CodaSolutions revealed - Cat Among the Pigeons, The Pale Horse, At Bertram’s Hotel, Hallowe’en PartyTW - language quoted that some members of the traveller communities may find offensive

Gray and Mark take the sea tractor over the crashing waves to the magnificent Burgh Island Hotel in Devon. Cut off from the mainland, they discuss Agatha Christie’s Devonshire locations and references in the Swinging works, and then meet Giles Fuchs, proprietor of the Burgh Island Hotel! But will there be a murder? (Spoiler: no.)You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. We are also on Bluesky at ⁠ChristieTime.com. Our YouTube account is @TheSwingingChristies. You can find out more about Burgh Island at BurghIsland.com.Don't forget - our other podcast, WESTMAPOD, launches on 31 March 2026!Please subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified every time an episode drops!Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing 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.00:00:00 - Opening titles00:00:37 - Introductory chat00:03:14 - Agatha Christie in Devon00:16:29 - Devon in the Swinging Christies texts00:27:15 - Interview with Giles Fuchs, proprietor of the Burgh Island Hotel00:38:25 - Next episode, how to get in touch00:39:30 - Closing titles00:39:45 - Coda

New year, new us…new world? Since before the 1960s, scientists have been warning at the negative human impact on the world around us, but it’s a topic that really hit the headlines in the Swinging era. Interestingly, it’s a thread that can be traced through some of Agatha Christie’s 1960s writing too… Join Mark and Gray for a brand new year on The Swinging Christies! PLUS: an announcement!You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. We are also on Bluesky at ⁠ChristieTime.com. Our YouTube account is @TheSwingingChristies. WESTMAPOD launches on 31 March 2026!Please subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified every time an episode drops!Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing us on your podcatcher of choice.Our website is ⁠ChristieTime.com⁠.This episode is dedicated to Chandra Maharaj.The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown.00:00:00 - Dedication00:00:44 - Opening titles00:01:20 - Introductory chat00:03:28 - An announcement 00:06:09 - Climate Change in the 1960s00:20:52 - In the Cool of the Evening from Star Over Bethlehem (1965)00:32:47 - Case study: The Birds (1963)00:42:22 - Enter Albert!00:54:09 - Next episode, how to get in touch00:55:42 - Closing titles00:56:09 - CodaSolutions revealed! - Hallowe'en PartyTW: the death of the planet

Mark and Gray aka Donner and Blitzen are here with the now-annual Swinging Christies Christmas extravaganza! This time the discussion is about the ITV Agatha Christie’s Poirot David Suchet adaptations of The Mystery of the Spanish/Baghdad Chest, and The Theft of the Royal Ruby, aka The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding! Expect an abundance of sleigh bells, a tuneful game, two Edward Claytons, and a partridge in a pear tree!You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. We are also on Bluesky at ⁠ChristieTime.com⁠. Our YouTube account is @TheSwingingChristies. Please subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified every time an episode drops!Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing 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.00:00:00 - Opening titles00:00:40- Introductory chat00:02:45 - Christmas song game!00:06:50 - The Mystery of the Spanish Chest (1991)00:30:47 - The Theft of the Royal Ruby (1991)00:41:55 - The Return of the Mailbag00:52:32 - Next episode, how to get in touch00:53:53 - Closing titles00:54:21 - CodaSolutions revealed - The Mystery of the Baghdad/Spanish Chest, The Mirror Crack’d from Side to SideTW: being stabbed through the eye (Merry Christmas!)

Gray and Mark are sunning themselves in Puerto de la Cruz for Tenerife’s International Agatha Christie Festival! In the 1920s, Agatha came to this beautiful island to get away from it all, but even later, in the 1960s, the shadows of that dark time in her life were still evident.You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. We are also on Bluesky at ⁠christietime.bsky.social⁠. Our YouTube account is @TheSwingingChristies. Please subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified every time an episode drops!Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing 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.00:00:00 - Opening titles00:00:40 - Introductory chat00:04:16 -  The Disappearance - in Agatha’s own words00:24:46 - The Disappearance in Agatha’s Swinging works, from Davenham to Marina Gregg00:57:22 - Next episode, how to get in touch00:59:15 - Closing titles00:59:38 - CodaSolutions revealed - Endless Night, The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim, The Dream, Third GirlTW: references to suicide, mental health crises, quoted outdated terminology, deaths and bereavements

Mwahahaha! It’s the now-traditional The Swinging Christies x Hallowe’en extravaganza, and this year Mark and Gray are talking about the recent film adaptation of Hallowe’en Party, A Haunting in Venice (2023). What do we make of the 1969 setting moved to 1947? Will we survive a risky game of apple bobbing, in a very non-galvanised bucket? Listen on to find out.You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. We are also on Bluesky at ⁠christietime.bsky.social⁠. Our YouTube account is @TheSwingingChristies. Please subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified every time an episode drops!Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing 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: we're doing something we have never done before...00:00:00 - Opening titles00:00:40 - Introductory chat00:03:12 - A Haunting in Venice00:18:33 - Apple bobbing!00:22:09 - Differences between Hallowe’en Party and A Haunting in Venice00:47:51 - How to get in touch00:48:54 - Closing titles00:49:21 - CodaSolutions revealed - Hallowe’en Party, The Pale Horse, Third GirlTW: brief discussion of eating disorders and violence against children

It’s The Swinging Christies as you've never heard (or seen) it before - with a live audience! Join Mark and Gray at the 2025 International Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay, Devon, for this special recorded and filmed episode all about the  way Agatha Christie’s books were packaged for a whole new Swinging era! Expect laughs, mishaps, ribbing, and even the occasional fact.With heartfelt thanks to everyone at the festival for making this happen, from the volunteers to the organisers to the bookshop, and a special thanks to our brilliant director and editor for this episode, John Tomkins of Emberlense Productions.You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. We are also on Bluesky at ⁠christietime.bsky.social⁠. Our YouTube account is @TheSwingingChristies. Please subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified every time an episode drops!Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing 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: we’re going apple bobbing… It’s the Hallowe’en special!00:00:00 - Opening titles00:04:15 - Colour00:17:50 - Shape00:26:54 - Pattern00:31:18 - Headline00:34:21 - Femme00:39:10 - Psychedelia00:45:48 - Wrap up, next episode00:48:48 - Closing titlesSolutions revealed - Cat among the Pigeons

Gray and Mark meet Mystery Steve who has travelled all the way from Australia! Steve has been examining the way Agatha Christie titles have been translated into other languages. Steve’s project has just hit the 1960s, so we wanted to get him onto the podcast for the full lowdown. Travel the world with Gray, Mark and Steve!You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. We are also on Bluesky at ⁠christietime.bsky.social⁠. Our YouTube account is @TheSwingingChristies. Please subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified every time an episode drops!Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing 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: we’re going LIVE!00:00:00 - Opening titles00:00: 40- Introductory chat00:01:58 - Mystery Steve: Agatha Christie - Titles in Translation00:10;41 - Cat Among the Pigeons (1959)00:15:16 - The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (1960)00:20:06 - The Pale Horse (1961)00:24:10 - The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side (1962)00:27:52 - The Clocks (1963)00:31:48 - A Caribbean Mystery (1964)00:34:12 - At Bertram’s Hotel (1965)00:37:23 - Third Girl (1966)00:42:24 - Endless Night (1967)00:46:13 - By the Pricking of My Thumbs (1968)00:49:48 - Hallowe’en Party (1969)00:56:37 - Passenger to Frankfurt (1970)00:57:58 - Wrap up, next episode01:00:58 - Closing titles01:02:08 - CodaSolutions revealed - The Pale Horse, The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side, Endless Night, By the Pricking of My Thumbs

Gray and Mark head to beautiful Belfast to chat to novelist and Agatha Christie fan Jan Carson. Jan has been tackling the Troubles in her work for some time, and we want to discuss with her Christie’s Troubles references in Passenger to Frankfurt, as well as Irish characters and references in other Swinging books - all the way from The Pale Horse to By the Pricking of My Thumbs!You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. We are also on Bluesky at ⁠christietime.bsky.social⁠. Our YouTube account is @TheSwingingChristies. Please subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified every time an episode drops!Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing 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: we’re going global… again…!00:00:00 - Opening titles00:00:47 - Introductory chat in Belfast00:02:46 - Interview with Jan Carson and discussion of Ireland in the Swinging Christies00:37:58 - The Troubles00:52:46 - Next episode, how to get in touch00:54:03 - Closing titles00:54:31 - CodaSolutions revealed! - The Pale Horse, At Bertram’s Hotel, Endless Night, Passenger to FrankfurtTW: Racist and xenophobic language quoted

Two wickedly witty women writers, separated only by the Atlantic! This episode, Gray and Mark carry on their American adventures and discuss the similarities and differences between the works of Agatha Christie and Shirley Jackson. Specifically focussing on Shirley’s Swinging era - The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle!You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. We are also on Bluesky at ⁠christietime.bsky.social⁠. Our YouTube account is @TheSwingingChristies. Please subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified every time an episode drops!Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing 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: we’re heading to Belfast!00:00:00 - Opening titles00:00:40 - Introductory chat, recorded in Greenwich, New York00:05:40 - Agatha Christie and Shirley Jackson00:20:25 - Swinging Shirley work-by-work01:03:00 - Next episode, how to get in touch01:05:02 - Closing titles01:05:30 - CodaSolutions revealed! - Five Little Pigs, Third Girl

Mrs Christie went to Washington, and Dr Aldridge and Mr Brown are following suit! This episode, we get the train to Washington DC to uncover the truth about how an American Christie fan would REALLY have experienced a Swinging Christie…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: we look at Agatha Christie alongside a contemporary - Shirley Jackson!00:00:00 - Opening titles00:00:43 - Introductory chat00:01:44 - Agatha, Washington and America in the 1960s, down the Mall 00:09:41 - Discoveries in the Library of Congress00:43:37 - Wrap up, the National Museum of African American History and Culture00:47:24 - Next episode, how to get in touch00:49:09 - Closing titles00:49:36 - Coda

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: Revivalism00:00:00 - Opening titles00:00:43 - Introductory chat00:07:24 - A Christie for Christmas: a tale as old as time?00:16:40 - Agatha Christiemas00:20:20 - 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 touch00:41:27 - Closing titles00:41:54 - CodaSolutions 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 titles00:00:39 - Introductory chat at the train station00:01:50 - We arrive at the archive!00:05:30 - Death Beat00:31:44 - Miss Perry 00:58:53 - Other archive gems, Agatha Christie’s writing process01:12:46 - Back at Paddington, how to get in touch01:14:29 - Closing titles01:14:57 - CodaSolutions revealed! - Endless NightTW: 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 titles00:00:41 - Introductory chat00:02:38 - Origins of Hallowe’en00:15:57 - Hallowe’en in the 1960s00:28:01 - What would a 1960s Hallowe’en party have entailed? Apple bobbing, Jack o’lanterns, trick or treating, games00:46:10 - We play Snapdragon!00:51:08 - More games, the broomstick competition00:57:08 - Next episode, how to get in touch00:58:56 - Closing titles00:59:25 - CodaSolutions 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 titles00:00:38 - Interview with Mark Aldridge00:05:48 - Murder She Said commentary01:29:11 - Next episode, how to get in touch01:30:05 - Closing titles01:30:33 - 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 

Episode four of The Swinging Christies sees Mark and Gray get all togged up and browse down Carnaby Street, as they examine style, art and Agatha Christie.  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: Horror 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:42 - Introductory chat 00:04:37 - The fashion industry in the 1960s 00:14:40 - What was in vogue? 00:19:55 - The miniskirt! 00:28:22 - Animal print, bikinis, the dolly bird look, the babydoll look 00:37:28 - Boutique culture 00:41:38 - Fashion magazine Vogue 00:45:27 - Make-up and hair 00:53:14 - Men’s hair and fashion 00:59:59 - The Peacock 01:03:53 - Art and aesthetics 01:12:56 - Revivalism (to be continued…) 01:15:47 - Next episode, how to get in touch 01:16:30 - Closing titles 01:16:57 - Coda Solutions revealed! - The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, Third Girl

In the third episode of The Swinging Christies, Mark and Gray turn the spotlight on class, inequality, society... all themes that are present and correct in Agatha Christie! 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: Fashion 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:36 - Introductory chat 00:01:51 - Context 00:02:42 - Agatha’s relationship with money 00:10:19 - The MGM deal 00:21:22 - The Great Train Robbery 1963 00:25:56 - Organised crime 00:29:21 - Increased prosperity, ways of living, new towns, consumerism, class 00:59:53 - New money 01:04:33 - Next episode, how to get in touch 01:05:48 - Closing titles 01:06:09 - Coda Solutions revealed! - At Bertram's Hotel, The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side, Endless Night

It's the second episode of The Swinging Christies, and Mark and Gray are grooving to the music of the 1960s. Featuring brand new, exclusive insight from Agatha Christie's grandson, Mathew Prichard, himself! 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: Money 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:59 - Introductory chat 00:03:51 - The Beatles 00:15:33 - Mathew Prichard interview 00:19:44 - Christie’s love of music 00:22:19 - Death Beat (to be continued…) 00:24:17 - Youth culture 00:28:46 - Music in film adaptations 00:39:09 - Celebrities and fans 00:45:54 - The end of the decade 00:47:22 - Next episode, how to get in touch 00:48:17 - Closing titles 00:48:36 - Coda

It's the first full episode of The Swinging Christies! And Mark and Gray are discussing hot topics around sex and the 1960s. How does Agatha Christie write about gender, queerness, feminism, and how often? The answer is: very insightfully, and a lot more than you might think!WE'VE WRITTEN A BOOK! You can pre-order The Swinging Christies: How Agatha Christie Conquered the 1960s ⁠NOW⁠!You can find us on Instagram @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at @ChristieTime.com. Please do rate, review and subscribe to 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. Artwork designed by Bartlett Studio.Next episode: Rock 'n' Roll00:00:00 - Opening titles00:00:59 - Sex00:08:09 - Pornography00:16:03 - Girls into women00:30:20 - “Sexed up” adaptations00:45:15 - Love and marriage00:52:00 - Children born out of wedlock, divorce, abortion01:00:48 - Feminism01:15:42 - Queerness01:31:09 - Next episode, how to get in touch01:31:55 - Closing titles01:32:16 - CodaSolutions revealed! - Hallowe'en Party, Endless Night, A Caribbean Mystery, At Bertram's HotelTW - sexual references including sexualisation of young people, misogynistic language quoted, homophobic language quoted.

In the introductory episode of The Swinging Christies, Mark and Gray explain why they are embarking on his project to highlight the work of Agatha Christie in the 1960s! 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: Sex 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:01:20 - Mark’s love of Christie 00:04:59 - Gray’s love of Christie 00:08:46 - Plan for the series ahead 00:19:04 - How to get in touch 00:20:21 - Closing titles 00:20:52 - Coda