Julia McKenzie has landed the iconic role of Miss Marple in the ITV crime drama series.

The 67-year-old actress replaces Geraldine McEwan, who retired last month after three hugely successful series.

Star of stage and screen, McKenzie recently featured in BBC period drama Cranford and the film Notes on a Scandal.

Earlier credits include Fresh Fields, Bright Young Things and Blott on the Landscape.

On stage McKenzie recently starred in The Philadelphia Story at the Old Vic, and has many award wins and nominations to her name, both on Broadway and in the West End.

She won an Olivier for her performance as Mrs Lovett in the National Theatre production of Sweeny Todd.

"I'm very excited but also slightly daunted by the enormous responsibility that comes with taking on such an iconic role," said McKenzie.

Julia McKenzie: "I'm very excited but also slightly daunted by the enormous responsibility that comes with taking on such an iconic role."

"Just about everybody in the world knows about Miss Marple and has an opinion of what she should be like, so I'm under no illusions about the size of the task ahead. And I suppose I'll have to remind myself how to knit!"

McKenzie, who is the seventh actress to portray the character in the series, will begin filming A Pocketful of Rye at the end of this month.

Gracie Fields, Margaret Rutherford, Angela Lansbury, Helen Hayes and Joan Hickson have all played the role.

Miss Marple, which is based on Dame Agatha Christie's popular crime novels, has been sold to over 100 territories worldwide and peaked in the ratings at 10 million viewers.

Dame Agatha's grandson Mathew Prichard said: “Everyone has their favourite Miss Marple from past series and films, and it would be unfair of me to reveal my own favourite at this time - but I will say that I can imagine Julia McKenzie playing Miss Marple with exactly the right balance of sympathy and intelligence, and I confidently predict that she will become a Miss Marple to rank with the very best!"

Torquay-born Dame Agatha, who died in 1976 at the age of 85, is one of the Westcountry's top-selling and best-known authors.

Her connections to the region are estimated to be worth about £30m a year to the local economy.

The Torbay Cultural Partnership organises the annual Agatha Christie Festival, which has grown in popularity to become one of the region's biggest events.

The Agatha Christie Gallery at Torquay Museum where, with items made available by her family, a fascinating display shows pictures and tells the story of Agatha's childhood in the area and, later in life, her happy times at Greenways Estate near Galmpton.