David Suchet on the Orient Express was aired in 2010 as an ITV documentary. It really wasn't as much a documentary as it was a promo for the upcoming Agatha Christie's Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express. And while the documentary is not without flaws, it fairs better than show it was designed to promote. Suchet boards the train in London and sets off for Prague. Along the way, we learn quite a bit about the fascinating history of the Orient Express. The documentary briefly touches on the train's beginnings, its role in WWI, its use by the Nazis in WWII, the snowdrifts that inspired Christie's book, and the restoration to its former glory beginning in the 1970s. I say the documentary briefly touches on these topics because most of the runtime is spent watching Suchet marvel at the many ornate and opulent splendors of the train. Suchet is a real delight. It's a pleasure watching him tour the kitchen, enjoy a drink, prepare for bed, and even drive the train. Suchet seems genuinely impressed and seems to be having a wonderful time. His joy in getting to drive the train is one of the highlights for anyone who is a Suchet fan. And the stories of the train and its little idiosyncrasies are a real treat to anyone who is fan of Christie's work. My only complaint is the number of instances where Suchet repeats himself. I realize that most of this was done because of commercial breaks during the original airing, but it gets annoying real quick. Also, while some history is presented, I wanted more. I'm sure there are other, more detailed documentaries out there. I just need to find them.Overall, not great, but entertaining enough to rate a 7/10.

Suchet is known for playing Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot. I recommend reading _Murder on the Orient Express_ since the book will be mentioned. In this program, Suchet is our guide through the book, the characters and the most intriguing character--the actual train. We get to learn more about the train as he talks of various facts related to the Orient Express--from its storied past to its refurbished glory. If you have a wallet like mine, you can experience the extravagance of the Venice Simplon-Orient Express through this program. I love the joy that Suchet showed during his journey. He respected the history in a humble manner. As for the comment regarding a token employee, Suchet's porter is on the web site. He's on several pages within the web site. Also, Suchet did an abbreviated version of the trip (London to Venice). If you're independently wealthy, you can do the whole shebang that's mentioned in the book. This made me start saving for an abbreviated trip (Venice to Paris) and a pocket watch.

The title is self-explanatory: this 47-minute documentary focuses primarily on the Orient Express, but also tells us quite a bit about David Suchet himself. And it is actually still quite astonishing - not only for us, but also for the other passengers on the train! - to see - and hear - David Suchet as "himself", without the famous moustache, the characteristic Poirot voice, the French words and phrases dropped in nearly every sentence, etc; it shows how great an actor he is that he can make a transformation so complete. On the other hand, Suchet and Poirot do have some things in common: among them, is a love for all things elegant, tidy, high-class; Suchet recognized that he is lucky to be playing for so long a character whose surroundings usually have these qualities in abundance. Suchet also gets to live his boyhood dream - drive the Orient Express for a while. Speaking of the Orient Express, this documentary does a good job of putting it in a historical perspective: from a technological innovation at the turn of the 20th century to a symbol of glamor in the 1920s and from an outmoded relic after WWII to an icon of nostalgia in our days. This pleasant little film also includes a visit to one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Venice.

This documentary can be found on the "Murder on the Orient Express" DVD, part of Season 12 of the series, just released in the UK as Collection 8 (4 DVD set).It is an amusing and very entertaining visit of, and journey with the legendary "Orient Express" seen through the eyes of David Suchet himself.He enjoys this immensely and it shows. When invited to conduct one of the locomotives, he seems to genuinely turn into a child filled with dreams.We are shown the train, introduced to a couple of guests and the train staff, all chaperoned by Suchet himself.We are also reminded of the historic importance that it had throughout a Century, but most importantly, we are referred to Agatha Christie's journey to Istanbul, and how she came to be inspired to write her famous novel.We have already had a documentary about the "Orient Express", but this one is a very special look at this train, befitting the talents of an actor such as David Suchet.My compliments Mr. Suchet and thank you for the ride...