BritBox’s upcoming Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence series takes the classic detective duo and gives them a modern makeover for the 21st century. While the characters and setting have been updated, the series retains the witty banter and adventurous spirit that have made the sleuthing duo a favorite among Christie fans for decades.
But the setting isn’t the only thing getting a contemporary update. In this version, Tommy (Josh Dylan) and Tuppence (Antonia Thomas) have also been reimagined. In Christie’s original stories, the pair were childhood friends who reunited as adults after World War I and launched a detective agency together. In the BritBox series, Tommy and Tuppence are far more than old chums: they are former flames whose past romance adds a will they/won’t they element to the mystery, giving the audience more than just a whodunit to invest in as the pair navigate both dangerous cases and their unresolved feelings for one another.
But one of the big mysteries of the show is why? Why did the duo break up?
While audiences will have to watch the series to get all the dirty details on exactly how the former couple split up, Josh Dylan and Antonia Thomas explained to TV Insider why Tommy and Tuppence didn’t make it as a couple.
“Where our series and our story starts is that they had been in a relationship 10 years ago, but hadn’t been in contact since then. And at the very beginning of the series, they bump into each other,” said Thomas. “So, there’s a lot of history there. There’s a lot of water that is sort of not really under the bridge.”
“In maybe a more annoying way, Tuppence is more impulsive and will just constantly get them into trouble,” continued Thomas. “She just sort of really instinctual and kind of like…”
“Brave?” asked Dylan.“Brave,” Thomas agreed. “And maybe a bit brazen sometimes. And will just sometimes like go with her gut into a scenario.”
“Tommy is the opposite. Tommy is sort of meticulous and thoughtful and overthinks everything. There’s a process and procedure to things… That’s why I think they are good at it in the end,” said Dylan.
“Tommy kind of brings the details…and Tuppence brings the chutzpah,” explained Thomas. “But in their relationship, and in the past, where it kind of went wrong was for that reason. Tuppence is sort of too impulsive. Can things be more considered?”
Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence,Series premiere, September 15, BritBox