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MURDER ON THE MIDSOMER DANCEFLOOR
As the much-loved whodunnit begins its 21st series with Strictly stars galore, Neil Dudgeon reveals why you’ll never catch him shimmying
Midsomer Murders has a spring in its step as it returns for its 21st series. The muchloved show still tells everyday tales of country folk meeting their maker in the most unlikely ways, but this time there’s added fake tan as Midsomer goes all Strictly Come Dancing – and there’s far more to fear than a scathing putdown from Craig Revel Horwood.
In the first episode The Point Of Balance, it’s the annual Paramount Dance Extravaganza sponsored by businessman Andrew Wilder (Nigel Havers) and his Wilder Institute, a research facility developing prosthetics for amputees, the disabled and the elderly, alongside other robotic aids. But Andrew suffers from a degenerative brain condition and must decide who’ll inherit his empire. Will it be his power-hungry daughter Heather (Unforgotten’s Carolina Main) or his desperate-to-please son Ray (2008 Strictly winner Tom Chambers), who’s more at home in the ballroom than the boardroom?
When a dancer is found dead under suspicious circumstances after the first night of the contest,
DCI Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) and his sidekick DS Winter (Nick Hendrix) begin their investigation. They discover she was a journalist writing about the Wilders – had her work got her killed? Soon the usual secrets and betrayals rise to the surface, before there’s another death, the victim having been struck on the head by a remotely controlled robotic arm.
‘It’s a big, jazzy start to the series,’ says Neil, who’s joined in the episode by three Strictly runners-up – Steps star Faye Tozer, former Corrie actress Natalie Gumede and ex-hollyoaks favourite Danny Mac. The People’s Strictly winner Cassidy Little – the Royal Marine turned actor who lost his right leg in an explosion in Afghanistan – also appears.
Sadly Barnaby doesn’t get to dance, but his wife Sarah (Fiona Dolman) does – with acting legend Christopher Timothy.
Best known as vet James Herriot in All Creatures
Great And Small and Eastenders regular Ted Murray, Christopher Christopher Timothy as Barnaby’s
dad, dancing with Fiona Dolman
appears as Barnaby’s father Ned. So can Fiona actually dance? ‘I did dancing at school, but it was an all-girls school so I was the bloke,’ she laughs.
‘Although we don’t dance in the contest we do a bit of shuffling around. It was glorious.’ Next stop Strictly then? ‘I like dancing,’ she admits. ‘I’m happy to do it socially, but you know who’d really be good on Strictly? Neil! He loves the show. It was the first time I’ve seen him starstruck. He doesn’t normally do selfies, but he did with the Strictly stars. DCI Barnaby is supposed to be a bit “Bah humbug!”, as if Sarah has dragged him along to the contest. But Neil was all giddy, then he had to try to do a serious face.’
Neil’s not so sure taking part in Strictly would be a good idea. ‘I’m a huge fan, so seeing people I’ve admired and voted for was really exciting. I was in dance heaven. But there are many problems with me possibly doing Strictly,’ he says. ‘It would ruin it for me and my family. We wouldn’t be able to watch if I was in it, although that would only be for the first week, clearly, then I’d be back home. I can’t dance and I’m very bad at being told what to do.
‘I had a terrible time learning to drive because whenever the instructor said, “Do this, do that” I’d think, “What if I don’t do that... Oh crikey, I’ve hit that car!” It’s like when you’re in a restaurant and the waiter says, “Don’t touch that plate, it’s hot.” The first thing I do is touch the plate. So I just couldn’t do Strictly. I’d sort of love to, but I’d hate it at the same time. I’d be the worst contestant ever.’
While it seems unlikely Neil will take part in his favourite show, Christopher Timothy was overjoyed to appear in his. ‘I’m a serious Midsomer Murders fan,’ he admits. ‘I assumed I’d play a villain, but when they told me the role was actually Barnaby’s dad, that was even more exciting.’
Neil explains why. ‘There’s a theme through the episode of fathers and sons at a time where Barnaby’s own father has come to stay. Barnaby’s relationship with his father has been somewhat challenging.’ As an amateur dancer, Ned spent his son’s formative years away competing rather than with his family. ‘Christopher was terrific. We had a great time,’ adds Neil. ‘And you see a different side to Barnaby. Underneath the charismatic exterior there’s a man with unresolved issues. The case makes him think, “This isn’t dissimilar to my own situation, I must seek to remedy this...”’
The rest of the series features miniature dolls houses, estate agents, beekeeping, yoga and fishing, while Griff Rhys Jones, Imogen Stubbs and Derek Griffiths are among those having a run-in with DCI Barnaby. It’s a role Neil patently adores but, despite nine years on the case, he says he never works out who’s dunnit before Barnaby. ‘Five minutes into a whodunnit my wife Mary always says, “It’s the guy with the hat”, and I’ll say, “I don’t want to know!” She says it’s part of the fun but I say, “No, I just want to watch the show. It’s not a quiz.”’
And is Mary ever right? ‘Not once in 20 years of marriage,’ he laughs. ‘She says somebody’s the murderer and five minutes later they’re dead.’
Neil can be unobservant himself. ‘One episode opened with an old man dying of natural causes in his own bed. Then someone died in the woods, and someone else died on an expedition,’ recalls Neil. ‘There was a furore in the press, they said, “Last night’s Midsomer Murders didn’t have a murder! Does this contravene the Trade Descriptions Act?” I’d filmed, dubbed and watched it,’ he laughs. ‘And it never occurred to me none of them had been murdered!’ Katherine Hassell Midsomer Murders returns on Tuesday at 8pm on ITV.
‘I would be Strictly’s worst-ever contestant’