Midsomer Murders

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Midsomer Murders
Genre Crime drama
Created by Caroline Graham
Directed by Peter Smith
Sarah Hellings
Jeremy Silberston
Richard Holthouse
Renny Rye
Starring John Nettles
Jane Wymark
Barry Jackson
Laura Howard
Composer(s) Jim Parker
Country of origin United Kingdom
Language(s) English
No. of episodes 65 (as of 24 December 2008) (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Brian True-May
Producer(s) Brian True-May
Betty Willingale
Editor(s) Derek Bain
Cinematography Colin Munn
Graham Frake
Running time 120 minutes
(including adverts)
Broadcast
Original channel ITV1
Picture format Super 16
Audio format Stereo
Original run 23 March 1997 – present
External links
Official website

Midsomer Murders is a British television drama that has aired on ITV1 since 1997. A detective drama,[1] it focuses on the main character of Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby, played by John Nettles, and his efforts to solve the various crimes that take place in the fictional English county of Midsomer. It is based on a series of crime novels by the author Caroline Graham and was originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz.

Contents

[edit] Cast

[edit] Characters

Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby - A senior member of the Midsomer Constabulary's Causton CID, Barnaby handles the considerable number of murders that occur in the county. A patient, tolerant man whose style of investigation is methodical and fair. Much of his social life seems to revolve around his wife and daughter. His other relatives are his parents, who by the episode "Blue Herrings" are both deceased. Though only his mother is referred to, he also has an aunt Alice Bly who appears only in the aforesaid episode, to whom he is devoted. In fact, they both often provide a personal connection with the crimes that he is investigating.

Detective Sergeant Gavin Troy - Barnaby's first and longest-serving deputy. He is a local man and attended a local comprehensive. He is young to be a detective sergeant, a point often commented on. He is very bright and ambitious, though it is usually his boss who solves the crime, often after Troy has made the wrong conclusion. In contrast to the tolerant Barnaby, Troy is one to make non-politically correct remarks, often concerning his disdain for homosexuals. He is known to make other inappropriate comments, often at the least fortuitous of times. He was promoted to Inspector and transferred to Middlesbrough at the end of the sixth series. His relationship with Barnaby has always been warm and the two make a formidable pair. He makes a one off re-appearance in the Series 11 episode "Blood Wedding", to attend the wedding of Cully Barnaby.[3]

Joyce Barnaby - Barnaby's long-suffering wife. She is enormously tolerant of her husband, despite his being a workaholic who spent their honeymoon solving the case of the 'Pimlico Poisoner', which suggests that they met in London, where they both possibly lived and worked. Joyce is an easy-going and friendly woman who likes to get involved in community activities. She has long possessed a desire to move out of their Causton home and into one of the picturesque Midsomer villages - only to be put off by the grisly murders that occur there.

Cully Barnaby - Tom and Joyce's only child and takes her first name from the village on Lake Geneva in Switzerland in which she was conceived when her parents were on honeymoon. She is an inquisitive and bold young woman, who seems to have inherited many of her parents' friendly attitudes and community spirit. Early in the series she attended Cambridge University and dated a drama student, Nico. This fell through and she returned to live with her parents in Causton. She is an actress and frequently takes temporary jobs in the Midsomer area when "resting" between assignments. Like her mother, her tendency to do community work often leaves her personally involved with the murders that take place. She meets Simon in the Axeman Cometh, and marries him in Blood Wedding. She makes her last appearance in the show in the episode "The Magician's Nephew.[4]

DS Dan Scott - is a bit cockier than his predecessor Gavin Troy; he is a Londoner who was not thrilled at being transferred from the Metropolitan Police Service to Midsomer, which he regards as the 'sticks'. His relationship with Barnaby was prickly at first but it mellowed into a slightly awkward marriage of convenience, with Barnaby still disapproving of Scott's methods and Scott grudgingly starting to respect him. In 'The Straw Woman,' Scott develops a love interest who is subsequently brutally murdered. This episode is notable for Barnaby's lack of sympathy with Scott's situation. Scott's departure from the show was also abrupt. In 'The House in the Woods,' Barnaby describes Scott as being ill. Barnaby invites Jones to assist him on that case. After this incident, no more is heard from Scott and Jones becomes the new assistant.

DS Ben Jones - is the third character to act as Barnaby's assistant. Unlike the other two (Gavin Troy and Dan Scott) who both appeared on the series as sergeants, Ben Jones was an acting detective constable when first introduced to the viewer; he was subsequently promoted to sergeant. Jones is considerably less naive than his predecessors, perhaps down to his local roots. Many episodes emphasise his attachment to the area in ways that neither Scott or Troy could be. In an episode first broadcast in January 2007, it is revealed that Ben Jones was a Freemason. Freemasonry is central to the plot of this episode and Jones assists with many references to masonic ritual and regalia, and is shown attending a lodge meeting. In the episode "Death in Chorus" Jones shows his vocal skills by singing tenor in the Midsomer Worthy choir.

Doctor George Bullard - Causton's resident pathologist. Bullard goes about his work with a professional skill and a cheery demeanour. He is a good friend of Barnaby. He has been a regular throughout the series (save for a brief spell, when his place was taken by Dr. Dan Peterson played by Toby Jones). In later episodes he has often played a greater role in the plot, even making a stirling appearance in the Midsomer Worthy Choir in 'Death in Chorus.'

Other minor characters have also spanned their appearances across more than one episode. Olive Beauvoisin, the estate agent, (played by Eileen Davies) appeared in Death's Shadow and Dead Man’s Eleven. She also appeared in "Hidden Depths" but in this particular episode she was credited as "Estate Agent ". Charles Jennings (played by Terence Corrigan) also featured in the same two episodes. David Whitely (played by Christopher Villiers) appeared in the pilot episode The Killings at Badger's Drift and also in Death's Shadow.

[edit] Style

The programme possesses a unique style. It is almost entirely set within the closed, rustic fictional English county of Midsomer. Midsomer is a world whose inhabitants are frequently wealthy, amoral and snobbish eccentrics, often obsessed with the confined lives they lead in these isolated communities. This setting provides for some friction amongst them, which is observed with a self-mocking, sardonic humour.

The show often highlights people's artificial façade. To the unfamiliar eye, Midsomer is a picturesque, peaceful and prosperous county, but behind the well-trimmed hedgerows and cricket on the village green lurks a society brimming with all kinds of vice. Barnaby, by contrast, offers a stable homelife and an exceptional morality.

Each story is built up carefully, with underpinning currents and long unsolved mysteries adding to the bemusement of the detectives. There are usually false leads—so-called "red herrings"—like those who have committed petty crimes or harbour some dark secret they attempt to conceal from the world. Despite the sinister, atmospheric edge that runs through the show, it maintains a consistent sense of humour.

The locale seemingly has a very high rate of murders and other unnatural deaths, especially considering that Midsomer is a small, rural county. Due to the bizarre nature of the place, this does not seem entirely improbable. The show at times even plays on this lack of realism, with characters often commenting on the astoundingly high numbers of murders (the most common being three per story). For example, in one of his earliest cases with Barnaby (in the episode entitled "The Fisher King"), Detective Sergeant Dan Scott asks, "Is the body count always this high around here?" Barnaby replies dryly, "It's been remarked upon." Another incident is when Barnaby is quizzed about a family feud he replies "Family feuds are like olympic sport around here".

[edit] Production

Initial filming of Midsomer Murders was undertaken in autumn 1996 with the first episodes transmitted in the United Kingdom in March 1997. Filming is currently underway on the eleventh series of the programme, which will bring the total number of episodes to sixty-six, and a twelfth series commissioned to be filmed in 2008. Viewing figures for the series are healthy, and the feature-length drama attracts a number of actors from the stage and screen in guest-starring roles. The majority of the early episodes were adapted by Anthony Horowitz from the original Caroline Graham works. Horowitz and the original producers Betty Willingale and Brian True-May, created the series. Current writers include David Lawrence, Michael Aitkens and David Hoskins. Anthony Horowitz is due to write another Midsomer episode, presumably for the upcoming 12th Season.[5]

In early 2009 John Nettles announced he will retire after the 13th series of 8 episodes, at the end of 2010. A new DCI will appear in the 14th series. [6]

[edit] Episodes

Main article: List of Midsomer Murders episodes

Midsomer Murders first aired as a pilot on 23 March 1997. Since then, 65 episodes have been aired up to and including series 11. The episodes within each series are often aired many months apart.

[edit] Soundtrack

Composed by Jim Parker, the soundtrack is performed (though not exclusively) with an unusual electronic musical instrument: the theremin.

[edit] Other countries

Midsomer Murders has been sold to a number of countries and territories across the world.

In Australia, the series originally aired on Channel 9. First-run episodes from series 11 onwards screened on ABC1, which of 2009 began showing in prime time older episodes previously screened on Channel 9. Repeat screenings are also aired on the subscription TV channel UK.TV.

In Canada, the series is broadcast on public broadcaster TVOntario in Ontario, and on Knowledge in British Columbia, which in 2009 is showing Series 9 through 10.

In the Czech Republic, the series is known as 'Vraždy v Midsomeru' ('Murders In Midsomer') and it is broadcast on TV Prima, one of the four major TV channels there.

In Denmark, it is called 'Kriminalkommisær Barnaby' and is shown by DR, 'Danmarks Radio'. DVDs are currently being sold with a weekly magazine called Billedbladet.

In Finland, the series is known by its translated name in Finnish 'Midsomerin murhat' and shows on the channel YLE1.

In France, the series is shown on France 3 and has been retitled 'Inspecteur Barnaby'.

In Germany, the channel ZDF airs the series as 'Inspector Barnaby'.

In Italy, it is called 'L'ispettore Barnaby' ('The Inspector Barnaby') and is one of the most viewed shows of the private channel La7.

In The Netherlands, it airs on Nederland 1.

In New Zealand, the series has been broadcast for a number of years on free-to-air channel Prime.

In Norway, the series has developed a steady and loyal fanbase and is broadcast on the second largest tv+channel, TV2 Norway.

In Poland, the series is called "Morderstwa w Midsomer" and is aired on Hallmark Channel.

In Romania, the series is called "Crimele Din Midsomer" (Midsomer Murders in Romanian) and is aired weekly on Hallmark Channel.

In Russia and the Ukraine, it is called 'Purely English Murders' and has been repeatedly shown on various channels. The reason of such an unusual choice of the title was a great success of 1974 Soviet film "Purely English murder" adapted from the novel "An English Murder" (1951) by Cyril Hare.

In Serbia, the series is called "Ubistva u Midsomeru" and is aired on FOX televizija and Hallmark Channel.

In Slovakia, the series is aired on JOJ Plus as 'Vraždy v Midsomeri' ('Murders In Midsomer').

In Slovenia, the series is aired on Kanal A and Hallmark Channel and is called 'Umori na podeželju' ('Murders at the countryside'). DVDs of the series have been sold via newspapers.

In South Africa, the series is aired every Sunday on the Hallmark Channel.

In Sweden, the series, translated to "Morden i Midsomer", is hugely popular and has become a traditional part of summer television schedules. DVDs of the series are currently being sold weekly with copies of a tabloid newspaper.

It is also aired in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia on the Hallmark Channel every week.

[edit] Filming Locations

Popular filming locations for Midsomer Murders include: Beaconsfield, Amersham, Great Missenden, The Lee, Wendover, Stoke Poges, Princes Risborough, Turville, Long Crendon, Penn, Marlow, Denham, Bledlow, The Ashridge Estate, Aldbury, Little Gaddesden, Chesham, Latimer, Chenies, Hambleden, Haddenham and Waddesdon, in Buckinghamshire. Wallingford, Henley on Thames, Nettlebed, Islip, Dorchester, Waterstock, Little Haseley, Stoke Talmage, Stonor, and Aston in Oxfordshire, Chipperfield, Flaunden, Bulbourne, Hadley Wood, and Sarratt in Hertfordshire.

[edit] DVD releases

All eleven series thus far of Midsomer Murders have been released in Australia (Region 4). All 65 episodes which have been aired so far have been released in the UK (Region 2) including the 2008 Christmas Special "Days of Misrule" released 2nd February 2009.

In January 2006, Midsomer Murders started a DVD & Magazine Collection, available at newsagents in the UK and Australia.

Acorn Media UK has released 12 DVD sets of Midsomer Murders in the US as well as a 19-disc collection available as The Early Cases. This set includes Acorn's set one, two, three, and five, as well as a bonus disc featuring a behind-the-scenes documentary.

[edit] Books

The following list is a collection of published works connected with the series.

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Guardian. "Midsomer shines for ITV1". http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/02/tvratings.television?gusrc=rss&feed=media. Retrieved on 2008-04-09. 
  2. ^ "John Nettles to quit Midsomer Murders". The Guardian. 12 February 2009. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/feb/12/john-nettles-to-leave-midsomer-murders. 
  3. ^ Manchester Evening News. "Midsomer Wedding". http://blogs.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ianwylie/2007/06/midsomer_wedding.html. Retrieved on 2007-08-31. 
  4. ^ Daily Mail. "The only woman to get out of Midsomer alive: Detective Barnaby's daughter bows out of ITV show after 12 years". http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1032337/The-woman-Midsomer-alive-Detective-Barnabys-daughter-bows-ITV-12-years.html. Retrieved on 2008-07-06. 
  5. ^ http://www.geocities.com/televisioncity/satellite/9476/anthonyhorowitz.htm
  6. ^ http://www.itv.com/Drama/copsandcrime/midsomermurdersweekend/MidsomerNews/default.html

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsomer_Murders"
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