BritBox Reveals First Look at Edward Bluemel as Hercule Poirot in Origin Series 'Hercule'
BritBox has unveiled the first photo of Edward Bluemel as Hercule Poirot in its upcoming six-part drama Hercule, now filming in Liverpool. The image gives audiences their earliest glimpse of a younger Poirot — before he became the world's most famous detective — tackling his first cases in London (Deadline).
The series draws on three of Agatha Christie's early stories and introduces Poirot to future friends, allies, and a nemesis. Writer Benji Walters scripts the origin story, with Charlie Palmer serving as series producer. Jonny Campbell directs the first two episodes, Chanya Button the next two, and Alrick Riley the final pair (Deadline).
The cast reads like a who's-who of British television. Henry Ashton, James D'Arcy, Calvin Demba, Phil Dunning, Jack Gleeson, Tamsin Greig, James Nesbitt, Guy Remmers, Rebecca Rittenhouse, and Mawaan Rizwan all feature alongside Bluemel. Deadline first revealed the full cast line-up on 4 August 2026 (Deadline).
Mammoth Screen — the ITV Studios-backed production company behind Endeavour and Poldark — produces with Agatha Christie Limited. The series is commissioned for BritBox in North America and for BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK. That dual-platform arrangement means British viewers will find the show on free-to-air television, while North American audiences will need a BritBox subscription (Deadline).
Hercule has moved quickly through the pipeline. Deadline reported the series was in development in April 2026. Variety confirmed Bluemel's casting on 8 June 2026, the same day BritBox published its official press release (Variety). Now, two months later, cameras are rolling.
The series is set to premiere on the BBC and BritBox in North America in 2027. No firm date has been announced beyond the year.
For fans of Christie's detective, the appeal is straightforward: this is Poirot before the fame, navigating an unfamiliar city and building the relationships that will define his later career. For BritBox, a platform built on British drama for international audiences, a Poirot origin series sits squarely in its wheelhouse — a recognisable name with fresh material around it.
