Christmas 2025

Christmas 2025

Author: The Swinging Christies December 14, 2025 Duration: 56:44

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. 

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Our website is ⁠ChristieTime.com⁠.

The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown.

00:00:00 - Opening titles

00:00:40- Introductory chat

00:02:45 - 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 Mailbag

00:52:32 - Next episode, how to get in touch

00:53:53 - Closing titles

00:54:21 - Coda


Solutions revealed - The Mystery of the Baghdad/Spanish Chest, The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side

TW: being stabbed through the eye (Merry Christmas!)


The Swinging Christies: Agatha Christie in the 1960s might seem like a contradiction, but that’s the fascinating territory this podcast explores. Hosted by Dr Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown, it’s a deep and often surprising look at how the Queen of Crime’s later work intersected with a decade of radical change. Forget the stereotypical image of a cosy, unchanging writer; here, we examine how Christie’s stories from that era engaged with shifting attitudes towards youth culture, morality, and social upheaval. Each episode digs into a specific novel or theme, unpacking the subtle-and sometimes not so subtle-ways her writing reflected or reacted to the world of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. It’s a rad journey through time that treats her work with serious scholarly insight while embracing the vibrant spirit of the period. You’ll come away from this podcast with a completely refreshed perspective on one of history’s most prolific authors, hearing her familiar plots through a new, decidedly swinging lens.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 38

The Swinging Christies: Agatha Christie in the 1960s
Podcast Episodes
6. Drugs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:42
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 ever…
5. Horror [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:41:59
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)…
4. Fashion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:53
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 a…
3. Money [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:29
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) @C…
2. Rock 'n' Roll [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:33
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…
1. Sex [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:29
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:…
Introduction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:36
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) @Chris…