Master detective Hercule Poirot, famously portrayed by Peter Ustinov, finds his holiday interrupted by murder in the classic adaptation Rendezvous mit einer Leiche (Appointment with Death), airing on Arte and streaming via the Arte Mediathek through September 14, 2026.
The Bottom Line
- The Broadcast Window: Rendezvous mit einer Leiche airs on Arte at 20.15 on August 16, 2026, and remains available on the Arte Mediathek until September 14, 2026.
- The Premise: Peter Ustinov steps back into the iconic role of Hercule Poirot, investigating a fatal excursion to the Dead Sea involving a deeply conflicted, blackmail-torn family.
Decoding the Arte Streaming Strategy for Heritage IP
According to coverage from kulturnews.de, this particular broadcast anchors a late-summer push that gives streaming audiences nearly a full month to consume the mystery on-demand.
Inside the Plot Mechanics of a Classic Poirot Mystery
The narrative machinery of Appointment with Death relies as much on family dysfunction as it does on meticulous detective work. Shortly before his death, a wealthy former prison director alters his testament to split his fortune equally among his second wife, Emily—a former prison guard—and his children. But blackmail intervenes. Emily forces the family lawyer to destroy the new document, reinstating a prior will that leaves the entire estate solely to her.
The family maintains an uneasy truce, embarking on a luxury cruise toward Israel. The complicit family lawyer, wrapped up in an affair with Emily’s daughter-in-law, tails them. By sheer coincidence, Hercule Poirot is also on board. As
