TV Case Study - TV Asahi Japan

Japanese production company TV Asahi's latest Agatha Christie adaptation is A Murder is Announced, broadcast on 14th April 2019. It brought in an excellent audience rating of 11.5%, and during its second half had the highest audience rating of all the channels.This fourth adaptation, following the success of 4.50 from Paddington and The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side, once again stars Sawamura Kazuki as Detective Aikokuji Tatsuya.

For more information on the production, click here.


TV Asahi broadcast two new contemporary adaptations of Agatha Christie's 4.50 from Paddington and The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side on 24th March and 25th March 2018, in an Agatha Christie Special Weekend. They followed the production company's previous successful adaptation of And Then There Were None.

4.50 from Paddington - Night Express Train Murder (パディントン発4時50分 ~寝台特急殺人事件~): in this richly-produced drama, the Miss Marple character has become Toko Amano, a successful police officer and professional in risk management. Toko is played by popular Japanese actress Yuki Amami.

The Murder of a Great Actress – The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side (大女優殺人事件~鏡は横にひび割れて~ ): A firm favourite with Japanese audiences, police chief Shokokuji (played by Ikki Sawamura) returns to solve another case, with his acute powers of observation, inimitable presence and unique way of talking.

For more information click here.

View the trailers: