Midsomer Murders

By Author: Carolyn Clayton
Total Articles: 129
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Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama based on books written by Caroline Graham. The lead character is brilliantly played by John Nettles (think Bergerac) right up until the end of the 13th series. The show is based around numerous murders that take place in the fictional English county of Midsomer. Filming began back in 1996 and the first show aired in March of 1997. Today the writers include Michael Aitkens, David Lawrence, and David Hoskins. John Nettles played the main detective Tom Barnaby until the end of the 13th series at the end of 2010. His final appearance on the drama was watched by an average of 7.1 million viewers in February 2011. Actor Neil Dudgeon replaced him playing the part of Barnaby's cousin DCI John Barnaby.

The show is centred on the working and family life of a country policeman Tom Barnaby. Actress Jane Wymark plays Joyce Barnaby Tom's wife and Laura Howard plays Tom's daughter Cully Barnaby. You don't get to see any social housing estages or degenerative criminal types, just the rich and privileged British Society. The show is often comically ridiculed for having ...
... the highest crime rate in Britain because of the amount of murders each show has also it is classed as the most over the top murder methodology. Even so the show has a huge fan base and has good viewing figures and now is shown around the world. The show can be seen in countries such as Australia, Austria, Finland, Belgium, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Canada, New Zealand, Poland, Russia and Japan to name just a few.

The pretty villages that make up Midsomer country are actually the combination of four counties - Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. The show has around 51 fictional villages in the fictional country town of Causton. Despite the show's popularity, there have only ever been two Midsomer Murders Christmas Specials.

The show had a little bit of controversy when the producer Brian True-May was suspended by the production company All3Media. Apparently Brian told the Radio Times that the drama "wouldn't work" if there was racial diversity in the show. He said the drama was a "last bastion of Englishness" and should stay that way. This brought about an investigation into the matter. Mr True was reinstated but will leave as producer once the filming of the remainder of the current series has finished.

I believe some of the show's success is down to the casting. John Nettles makes a brilliant British policeman. He had good training for in his role in the other popular detective series Bergerac. This gave him the perfect spring board to take on the role of Tom Barnaby in Midsomers Murders.
For more information on the Midsomer Murders Tour or going on an Inspector Morse Tour Oxford check out Brit Movie Tours.