BBC News report today that former Upstairs Downstairs star Keeley Hawes will star in a made-for-TV adaptation of classic whodunit The Lady Vanishes this Christmas.

The star studded cast of the big budget drama also includes Stephanie Cole – who is of course currently starring in Corrie as battleaxe Sylvia, who is Roy Cropper’s mum – and Spooks star, Gemma Jones.

The 90 minutes thrill also boasts The Green Wing’s Julian Rhind-Tutt and Tuppence Middleton of The Spies Of Warsaw fame. Doc Martin’s Selina Cadell will also appear, as will Silk’s Tom Hughes.

Originally directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1938, the thriller has been adapted for TV by Fiona Seres.

The drama tells the story of wealthy young 1930s socialite Iris Carr, who discovers that a woman has disappeared from the train she’s travelling on during a trip across Europe…

BBC Drama’s Kate Harwood said of The Lady Vanishes, “Fiona’s adaptation of The Wheel Spins deftly weaves together the intriguing stories of a psychologically complex group of characters…

“Played out against the tense backdrop of the Balkans in the 1930s.”

I cannot wait to see that! I’m a big fan of these classic mysteries, and when they’re remade with a decent budget and cast, they’re almost guaranteed to be brilliant.

And I’m a big fan of Keeley Hawes too, so I was gutted when Upstairs Downstairs was cancelled.

Were you?