A Midsomer night’s dream
With an in-depth documentary looking at the success of the long-running whodunnit show, followed by a new series, fans will be in their element this weekend, says Rachael Popow
THERE are plenty of detective shows on our screens, but how many of them can claim to have featured Orlando Bloom taking a pitchfork to the chest or Martine Mccutcheon facing death by cheese?
The bizarre killings are just one reason why Midsomer Murders has proved so popular and stayed on our screens for so long. Now Midsomer Murders - 25 Years of Mayhem will celebrate the show that has kept viewers hooked since 1997.
It begins with a look at how Caroline Graham’s Chief Inspector Barnaby books were first brought to the screen, beginning with The Killings at Badger’s Drift. The first murder victim was one Emily Simpson (played by Renee Asherson).
The role of DCI Tom
Barnaby was taken by John Nettles, who was at that point probably best known for playing the title role in another hugely successful crime drama, Bergerac. He stayed in the role for 14 years, before handing over to his on-screen cousin, John Barnaby, played by Neil Dudgeon.
The fact that the show is still going strong some 11 years later proves it is bigger than any one actor – there has been a fairly high turnover of police sidekicks over the years as well. Neil has his own theories about why Midsomer Murders has been such a hit. He once said: “I think it’s the whodunnit angle. A big, proper two-hour show that you can get immersed in – you have time to look at all the suspicious characters, red herrings and all. The locations are a vital ingredient, seeing the beautiful English countryside, vast stately homes, and sweet little cottages...”
He added: “It’s not a totally modern police procedural series. Midsomer is not so detailed about the real intricacies of real police work and forensic detail, it has an ‘other worldly’ side to it which I think people find appealing.”
The good news for fans is that both Barnabys will feature in this documentary along with other past and present cast members
including Nick Hendrix (Detective Sergeant Jamie Winter), Annette Badland (pathologist Dr Fleur Perkins), Daniel Casey (DS Gavin Troy), Jason Hughes (DS Ben Jones), Jane Wymark (Joyce Barnaby) and Manjinder Virk (Dr Kam Karimore).
The documentary also goes behind the scenes of the upcoming 23rd series, and takes viewers on a Midsomer coach tour, visiting some of the show’s beautiful, but deceptively deadly, locations.
There’s also a trip down memory lane, including a look at some early appearances by future Hollywood stars, including the aforementioned Orlando Bloom and Superman himself, Henry Cavill.
If you still need further evidence why Midsomer Murders has become a phenomenon, the documentary is followed by a new episode of the drama, which centres on the annual Midsomer scarecrow festival.
As everyone but the organisers probably anticipated, it isn’t long before bodies start appearing on the poles along with the effigies.
It may be grisly, but at least the locals can take some comfort in the fact that while Midsomer may be dangerous, the local police do have an impressive clean-up rate when it comes to eventually catching killers...
Midsomer Murders 25 Years of Mayhem is on Sunday, ITV, 7pm