Midsomer Murders - General Discussion

[msani19]

I had BritBox for the longest time because I was determined not to have both Acron and BritBox, and BritBox at the time had better programs. I mean, I have to draw the line somewhere! Then, as someone mentioned, Acorn stepped it up. I signed up for a trial during Amazon Prime day which was $0.99 for 2 months. Of course, now I have BritBox and Acorn. So don't listen to me on which one to pick! 

I have done the sign up and cancel in the past, so that's definitely a solid approach. 

[Prevailing Wind]

I alternate. Watch all the new stuff on Britbox, cancel  & re-up with Acorn, watch the new stuff, cancel, re-up with Netflix. Those three are on a permanent rotation. I have Prime for the free shipping; the videos are a bonus.

Edited October 8, 2021 by Prevailing Wind

[msani19]

1 hour ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I alternate. Watch all the new stuff on Britbox, cancel  & re-up with Acorn, watch the new stuff, cancel, re-up with Netflix. Those three are on a permanent rotation. I have Prime for the free shipping; the videos are a bonus.

That's great! I love that. I'm a pretty organized person but I'm not sure I could keep up with that many services to cancel. Which is clearly what they are hoping for when we sign up for those "trials". 

[LisaM]

I was surprised to see how old Betty is. 

Fleur continues to crack me up. I like the actress who plays Sarah and wish she had more to do. 

[kimaken]

On 10/8/2021 at 1:00 PM, LisaM said:

I like the actress who plays Sarah and wish she had more to do. 

I like her, too. At least Sarah has a job as a teacher and when she is involved in the case, it usually makes more sense than when Joyce or Cully were shoehorned into the case. I liked Joyce and Cully, but it was laughable that Joyce was always somehow connected--secretary of the garden judging committee, art auction committee, best town committee, hobby painting, choir, extra in a play/movie, etc., and Cully was involved due to plays, manning the mobile library, dating a witness or potential suspect, etc.

[Llywela]

15 minutes ago, kimaken said:

I like her, too. At least Sarah has a job as a teacher and when she is involved in the case, it usually makes more sense than when Joyce or Cully were shoehorned into the case. I liked Joyce and Cully, but it was laughable that Joyce was always somehow connected--secretary of the garden judging committee, art auction committee, best town committee, hobby painting, choir, extra in a play/movie, etc., and Cully was involved due to plays, manning the mobile library, dating a witness or potential suspect, etc.

I always rationalised that Joyce flitted around all those activities because she was so bored of being a housewife! Poor Cully drew the short end of the storytelling stick with her revolving door of different jobs all the time. In the books she left home early on to become an actress, got married, and never lived at home again, she was based in London and only showed up now and then while visiting, or was mentioned when Barnaby thought about her (conflicted about her blossoming career, worried about her marital dramas, wondering if he'd ever be a granddad, etc). The show, in contrast, wanted to keep Cully in the cast, but never managed to figure out a proper role for her, so she ended up in a different job almost every episode and was never allowed a career or proper love life!

Edited October 11, 2021 by Llywela

[kimaken]

3 hours ago, Llywela said:

The show, in contrast, wanted to keep Cully in the cast, but never managed to figure out a proper role for her, so she ended up in a different job almost every episode and was never allowed a career or proper love life!

Yes, although I did like having her and Dan Scott dating--but then he just disappeared and we never saw or heard about him afterwards (other than "he's sick" in the episode where Ben Jones first appeared). The show didn't go that route with Ben, though--having him just become a good friend to Cully--and at least brought Troy back for Cully's wedding, but for whatever reason, it's as if Scott never existed after he left. I wonder why the actor really left the show.

[Llywela]

16 minutes ago, kimaken said:

Yes, although I did like having her and Dan Scott dating--but then he just disappeared and we never saw or heard about him afterwards (other than "he's sick" in the episode where Ben Jones first appeared). The show didn't go that route with Ben, though--having him just become a good friend to Cully--and at least brought Troy back for Cully's wedding, but for whatever reason, it's as if Scott never existed after he left. I wonder why the actor really left the show.

I don't think I ever heard the ins and outs of his departure. From what I remember at the time, it was generally felt that the character hadn't gelled - a bit too flash, too London for sleepy, murderous Midsomer. But I don't know if he was dropped for that reason or if the actor left for other reasons.

[BlackberryJam]

I loved Joyce flitting around to different organizations. I find community involvement fun and interesting and wish that happened more often. Well, not the murdering part. 

Of course, I work a gross amount and never have time for those things, but if I did, I would totally take flower arranging/library acquisitions committee/bellringing. 

[krankydoodle]

25 minutes ago, BlackberryJam said:

I loved Joyce flitting around to different organizations. I find community involvement fun and interesting and wish that happened more often.

You're in luck then because the latest episode (s22e5, For Death Prepare) has Sarah appearing in a local theatre production, and also guest stars Kevin Whately (Inspector Lewis).

I've liked this latest batch of episodes, but it bugs me when a major revelation comes to light and either we don't see a reaction from the people involved or they seriously under react. I don't know that this is necessarily a new thing for this show, but it really stuck out to me in a few of these episodes.

[kimaken]

1 hour ago, Llywela said:

I don't think I ever heard the ins and outs of his departure. From what I remember at the time, it was generally felt that the character hadn't gelled - a bit too flash, too London for sleepy, murderous Midsomer. But I don't know if he was dropped for that reason or if the actor left for other reasons.

It seemed like Barnaby did not like Scott at all--at least for most of the time he was there. I wonder if that was the show doing that because Scott was from London and not appreciative of small town/village way of life, or if the actors just didn't get on all that well. No one's ever said, even after all this time, why Scott suddenly dropped out of the show.

[Prevailing Wind]

I think I figured out the so-called reasoning behind that episode so many of us hate, The NIght of the Stag.

It's probably based on a very old tradition that the dragons will leave those two villages alone if there are no virgins in the villages.  Bwaahhaha.

(That always bothered me about the movie "Dragonslayer" - she dresses like a boy so she won't be the virgin  sacrificed. Hell, honey, just get laid.)

[LisaM]

I just watched the last episode of Season 22 (at the Psychic Faire). Didn't love it although it was nice to see Colin Salmon and the woman who played the girlfriend of one of the new retired cops in New Tricks. 

Could not get into the whole psychic/spiritual part and figured out the murderer pretty early on. 

[peacheslatour]

18 minutes ago, LisaM said:

I just watched the last episode of Season 22 (at the Psychic Faire). Didn't love it although it was nice to see Colin Salmon and the woman who played the girlfriend of one of the new retired cops in New Tricks. 

Could not get into the whole psychic/spiritual part and figured out the murderer pretty early on. 

Yeah, that one was kind of weak. Glad you mentioned New Tricks though. Love that show.

[Ms Lark]

7 hours ago, LisaM said:

Didn't love it although it was nice to see Colin Salmon and the woman who played the girlfriend of one of the new retired cops in New Tricks. 

Caroline Lee-Johnson. I knew her best as Chef Blackstock's wife, Janice, on the old BritCom Chef! I was thrilled to see both her and Colin Salmon (who I patently adore) on this one.

I never managed to get into New Tricks, but I'll have to give it another shot.

I loved that Fleur has an odd interest in New Age-y stuff. I like Fleur a lot.

[LisaM]

7 hours ago, Ms Lark said:

Caroline Lee-Johnson. I knew her best as Chef Blackstock's wife, Janice, on the old BritCom Chef! I was thrilled to see both her and Colin Salmon (who I patently adore) on this one.

I never managed to get into New Tricks, but I'll have to give it another shot.

 

I think her name is Tracy-Ann Oberman. She played Fiona Kennedy on New Tricks (which I highly recommend - especially the early seasons). 

[Ms Lark]

Ah, we are talking about two different characters/actresses! Caroline Lee Johnson was Jeanie Saint-Stephens, wife to Peter. Tracy-Ann Oberman was Sally Ann Barker.

Guess I don't need to revisit New Tricks after all.

[Enigma X]

I have not been able to enjoy any of this latest season.

[krankydoodle]

I think I actually enjoyed this season more than the last few, though that's at least partly because I was just so happy we got new episodes. And while he'll never be my favorite, I have grown to like Winter more than I did in his first few seasons.

As for s22e6, I was also glad to see Colin Salmon but thought this episode felt sort of unfinished. What was the point of Holly Willoughby popping in? The ending also seemed a bit rushed.

[peacheslatour]

I was watching Garden of Death today and asking myself when Barnaby became a revolting sex pest. I  then realized that the actor was Neil Dudgeon and he was playing a character called Daniel Bolt, long before he played John Barnaby.

[scorpio1031]

The Roku Channel's new Midsomer Murders Channel will have a marathon this Saturday and Sunday from 2-10 pm - Famous Faces Volume 1

[Fool to cry]

MM shows why most TV detectives are either single, divorced or widowed. Nobody cares about their domestic life, they want to see them solving the case!

[peacheslatour]

11 minutes ago, Fool to cry said:

MM shows why most TV detectives are either single, divorced or widowed. Nobody cares about their domestic life, they want to see them solving the case!

Exception: Maigret.

[Fool to cry]

3 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Exception: Maigret.

True, but from the episodes of the Bruno Cremer series from France(which has a great theme music) I've seen, you barely see her.

Edited November 23, 2021 by Fool to cry

[Prevailing Wind]

I'm watching "A Tale of Two Hamlets" on Pluto. The show is claiming "House of Satan" was written by Ellis Bell.  I always thought Ellis Bell wrote "Wuthering Heights."   Honestly, couldn't they have come up with a name that hadn't already been used as a nom de plume?

 

[peacheslatour]

28 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I'm watching "A Tale of Two Hamlets" on Pluto. The show is claiming "House of Satan" was written by Ellis Bell.  I always thought Ellis Bell wrote "Wuthering Heights."   Honestly, couldn't they have come up with a name that hadn't already been used as a nom de plume?

 

I haven't seen that episode but perhaps the real author of House of Satan turns out to be a woman and it's a tongue in cheek clue?

[Prevailing Wind]

No, it's Ellis Bell, complete with portraiture, throughout the episode.  <shrug>

Now I'm watching "Written in Blood" with the charming, yet allergy-inducing, Kilmouskie. That high school drama teacher has got to be one of the creepiest characters they've ever had.

 

[scorpio1031]

1 hour ago, Prevailing Wind said:

That high school drama teacher has got to be one of the creepiest characters they've ever had

I didn't even recognize the actor when he showed up in Season 10's "The Animal Within"

[dgpolo]

22 hours ago, scorpio1031 said:

On 1/19/2022 at 8:19 PM, Prevailing Wind said:

That high school drama teacher has got to be one of the creepiest characters they've ever had

I didn't even recognize the actor when he showed up in Season 10's "The Animal Within"

The kids were pretty creep too.

David Troughton, quite the acting family. David is the son of Patrick (Dr. Who), brother of Michael, father of Sam and uncle of Harry Melling (Dudley in the Harry Potter films).

What's interesting is that Joanna David is also in this episode and is related by marriage to the Fox dynasty of acting. She was married to Edward, her children are Emilia and Freddie Fox, sister-in-law of James and Robert, aunt of Laurence, Jack and Lydia Fox.

Sometimes I just browse IMDb looking at who's related to who.

(David also played a really bad guy on New Tricks)

[Hiyo]

You've got to admit, property values in Midsomer county must be an absolute steal, what with at least one murder having been committed at nearly every property by now. You could snap up a house on the cheap there; just don't join the choral society, or the local theater group, or walk past any wells, and you'll be good.

[peacheslatour]

8 hours ago, Hiyo said:

You've got to admit, property values in Midsomer county must be an absolute steal, what with at least one murder having been committed at nearly every property by now. You could snap up a house on the cheap there; just don't join the choral society, or the local theater group, or walk past any wells, and you'll be good.

And you really want to stay away from the cricket squadron, the bell ringers and the antique market.

[scorpio1031]

17 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

And you really want to stay away from the cricket squadron, the bell ringers and the antique market.

And Joyce Barnaby 

[abbyzenn]

Midsomer County is even worst than Cabot Cove.  At least in Cabot Cove there's only 1 murder before the crime is solved unlike Midsomer where we have 2 or 3 killed.

Whenever I see David Troughton in anything I find him creepy just because the first time I saw him was as that teacher in a Midsomer episode.

I really didn't like this latest series except for the third episode that took place on a rainy night on that island and Barnaby and Winter got stuck on the island.

[msani19]

Bell ringing definitely seems to be a deadly activity in the Midsomer world! Who would have thought it! 

[Llywela]

1 hour ago, abbyzenn said:

Whenever I see David Troughton in anything I find him creepy just because the first time I saw him was as that teacher in a Midsomer episode

In the early 70s, he played an alien prince in a Doctor Who serial, and he was pretty fine in those days, made a very dashing prince! But yeah, fast forward 25 years to the Midsomer era and these days he's making quite the career out of playing creeps!

[Prevailing Wind]

I was watching "Major Crimes" the other day and was struck by similarities in body type between Tom Berenger and John Nettles. If the Barnabys (Barnabies?) need an American cousin, they can't go wrong with Berenger.  He's closer in age to Tom Barnaby than John.

 

[Prevailing Wind]

I just watched the final 4 episodes of Season 22. They're running out of ideas. Psychic Fayre?

But, boy howdy, Betty sure has gotten big!

[Prevailing Wind]

The Atlanta PBS station is in Beg-A-Thon mode.  They just aired "Twenty Things to Do in Midsomer Before You Die" - it's a clip show, with commentary from different behind-the-scenes people, as well as most of the stars of the show.  Both Nettles & Dudgeon filmed separate appeals for the viewer to contribute to this PBS station. Thank you for your support. 

It was a lot of fun. Look for it!

 

[dleighg]

8 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

It was a lot of fun. Look for it

any suggestions? Or do we just have to stumble upon it on our local pbs channel? 

[Prevailing Wind]

7 hours ago, dleighg said:

any suggestions? Or do we just have to stumble upon it on our local pbs channel? 

Well, that's how I found it. Check your PBS station's schedule.

[bigseach]

for those who were wondering about the abrupt end to ds scott, the actor answers in this podcast: The Reason Why John Hopkins Left Midsomer Murders - YouTube

 

although after watching a love interest horribly murdered in front of you, and then a decapitation with a head bouncing off the windscreen; one could argue for sick leave due to ptsd.

my thoughts on some of the characters

joyce being into many of the volunteer things that happened worked for me;  an empty nester looking for interesting things. it gives her something outside being a house wife to do.  when you have a spouse that has a high demand job, just hanging around waiting for them can bring down a lot of resentment and kill a marriage.  

cully (named for the swiss town where her parents brought home a personal souvenir)having many odd jobs through out the county worked with the on/off starting out actor life style.  find a gig, then gig ends, find something to pay bills until you find next gig, over and over.

sarah transferring into a new job as head of school works well.  she would have insight on some of the parents and kids her husband encounters.  interesting housewife/professional wife contrast. i like that the show just added in the actors pregnancy into the show rather than hiding it.  good work showing older parents with at the top of their careers dealing with having a baby.

 

[BookWitch]

Watched "The Stitcher Society". I don't remember Mimi selling them their house. I'm going to have to watch that episode again. Love  how Sarah isn't bothered with other women flirting with John. 

They talk about Betty a lot but she's not around. Guessing Covid was keeping the actress off the set?

Bit farfetched at the end when Mimi was doing CPR on that guy and he wakes up and casually starts chatting with them. 

[LakeGal]

I am re-watching the series from the beginning.  I am now watching the Sgt Scott era.  

Gavin Troy was even worse than I remembered.  I was cringing in almost every episode at something he said. 

Cully did not bother me as much in the early seasons because she was not always on.  But by the end of the Troy episodes she was starting to grate on my nerves.  Once they introduced Scott it seemed like Cully was always there.  She is so annoying I would get upset just seeing her name in the credits.  

I really like Scott.  I wish he had stuck around longer.  Barnaby seemed to get annoyed with him quite often. Scott was the flirt.  He was always noticing the women.      

[peacheslatour]

I just finished watching Second Sight. There is a baby that I swear to god, screams throughout the entire episode. Even  more annoying than the bell ringer one.

[kaygeeret]

And tonight I get another thrilling rewatch of a season 11 episode.  I actually don't care which one as I think I can repeat the dialogue with the epi.

I think a stern email to management is in order. 

For god's sake, If the MUST show reruns, at least show the new Barnaby episodes

Thanks for letting me rant, I am getting inspiration for my communication with my local PBS.

[Prevailing Wind]

PlutoTV has an entire channel of Midsomer & you never know what you're gonna see next. Sometimes they go in order, other times they jump around - you can have a Troy episode, a Charlie Nelson, back to Tom & Ben Jones for a few episodes, on to John before Sarah moves in, and here's Troy in Dark Autumn again!  Honestly, Dark Autumn and The Fisher King were on just two or three days ago, and here they are again. Oh and now comes the rarely seen Death in a Chocolate Box.

Honestly, as soon as see those two old people picking up litter in the street, I tell the cat, "Oh, it's Ben's first episode, The House in the Woods!"

Burned out, I turned on the slow channel to watch a train rolling through Norway, accompanied by Norwegian folk songs.

[Milburn Stone]

On 7/29/2014 at 2:54 PM, BindsTheTuna said:

I'm watching this via Netflix (am on Season 5 or so) and am starting to think this is the UK's version of Law & Order with the whole "Before They Were Stars!" thing. Orlando Bloom! Tom Ford! Tobias Menzies! 

We just started watching this series, believe it or not, and there in S1 E1--Emily Mortimer!

[BookWitch]

"Happy Families"  Murder mystery weekend. To bad a real murder screwed up the fake one. 

It was ok I guess. Some nice fangirl service with Winter in low slung pajama bottoms. 😉

[Tyro49]

Just watched the first 2 episodes of Season 22: Where is the Barnaby's daughter? Did they just drop her from the storyline? She's not old enough yet to have moved out.

[scorpio1031]

1 hour ago, Tyro49 said:

Just watched the first 2 episodes of Season 22: Where is the Barnaby's daughter? Did they just drop her from the storyline? She's not old enough yet to have moved out.

The episodes were filmed during the pandemic, so maybe the producers thought it would be better if the actress wasn't on set.