BBC Maestro has launched a writing course that looks like it’s being taught by Agatha Christie - yes, the queen of mystery herself.
They’ve used AI, voice acting, and old interviews to build a course in her style. There are 11 lessons and 12 writing exercises, all designed to help you learn how to write like Agatha did: suspense, plot twists, and strong characters.
It sounds amazing.
But there’s more going on here.
What the Company Is Saying
BBC says this course is a tribute. They took Agatha’s own words, writings, and voice clips and used AI to create a version of her that could “teach.” Her family approved it, and they’re calling it a new way to bring her wisdom to life.
They want it to feel like Agatha is teaching you directly.
What That Means (In Human Words)
This isn’t just a video course with old quotes from Agatha. It was a massive production.
The project took two years and involved around 100 people - writers, researchers, actors, and top Agatha Christie experts. They went through her letters, notebooks, interviews, and books to pull out her personal advice about writing crime stories.
Then they found an actress, Vivien Keene, to play Agatha - using AI effects to make her look and sound like Christie. Every line you hear is based on things Christie once said or wrote, but the performance is new, pieced together with tech.
In short:
Agatha didn’t design this course.
AI and people working together built it - to feel like she did.
This isn’t just “powered by AI.”
AI played every role - content, structure, delivery, even the face on screen.
Bottom Line
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📚 Course Title: Writing Drama and Suspense with Agatha Christie
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💰 Price: £79 (one-time) or included in a £120/year BBC Maestro subscription
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🗣️ Language: English (with subtitles)
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🎥 What You Get: 11 video lessons and 12 writing exercises
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🧠 How It Was Made: Based on Christie’s letters, interviews, and books, recreated using AI and actress Vivien Keene
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🗓️ Launch Date: April 30, 2025
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📰 More Press:
❄️ Frozen Light Team Perspective
Let’s be honest - we’re all pretty used to learning online. So when we saw “Learn writing from Agatha Christie”, we thought: cool, another course. Let’s dive in, two feet first. Who wouldn’t want to learn from a legend?
But hold up.
This course wasn’t built by Agatha.
It wasn’t guided by her.
She didn’t choose the words.
She didn’t shape the lessons.
She’s not here.
AI made it.
Every part of it.
AI didn’t just help bring Agatha to life - it wrote the course. It picked the topics. It decided what her “teaching style” should be. It used her words to build an experience it thinks feels like her.
That’s not Agatha’s course.
That’s what AI thinks Agatha’s course should be.
We’re not saying that’s bad. We’re saying - let’s call it what it is.
This isn’t a writing course by Agatha.
It’s a conversation with a memory.
A tribute. A simulation. Maybe even a creative remix.
And yes - we’d pay for that too. We’re big fans.
But let’s not pretend this is the same as a real course made with a real person who can shape, teach, and evaluate the result.
There’s a big difference between people using AI to teach…
And AI teaching on behalf of people who are no longer here.
We believe in people.
We believe in people using AI.
This is something else entirely.
🎤 Mic-Drop Line
If this is a course, it’s one taught by absence - not presence.
Agatha’s not the teacher. AI is.
