Midsomer Murders - The Black Book [DVD]

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Clare Holman played Sue Tutt in "Ring Out Your Dead" (2002), Rose Southerly in "Country Matters" (2006) and Fiona Beauvoisin in "The Miniature Murders" (2019). Dominic Jephcott first appeared as Richard Bayly in "Death's Shadow" (1999) and was later cast as Henry Marwood/Benjamin Hastings in "Four Funerals and a Wedding" (2006). As has been said by me a number of times, 'Midsomer Murders' is one of my most watched and most re-watched shows. It is nowhere near as good now and the Tom Barnaby-era wasn't alien to average or less episodes, but when it was on form or at its best boy was it good. Robert Daws played Mike Spicer in "Hidden Depths" (2005), and Hamish Rafferty in "Curse of the Ninth" (2017).

Richard Hope appeared in "Judgement Day" as Gordon Brierly, the local veterinarian, and seven years later reappeared in the episode "They Seek Him Here", this time as local actor and historian Neville Hayward. There are some thoughtful and humorous moments in the script, which is generally well structured and crafted with a great balance of humour and drama. The supporting characters are pretty good. The story has enough twists and turns, that keep coming even at the end, to make it absorbing. The intricacy of the atmosphere was nice on the most part and things don't get too confused thankfully. Maggie Steed played Rosemary Furman in "Judgement Day" (2000), Lynne Fox in "Left for Dead" (2008), and Sylvia Mountford in "Schooled in Murder" (2013).Joyce Barnaby ( Jane Wymark) (series 1–13)—DCI Tom Barnaby's long-suffering wife. She is 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. Joyce is an easy-going and friendly woman who likes to be 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. She's known to her family as an experimental, but not always successful, cook. Thus, Tom is often seen taking advantage of every opportunity to dine out. She married Tom in 1973 and their only child, Cully, was conceived on their honeymoon. Her parents are Muriel and Douglas. Serena Gordon appeared as Ginny Sharp in "Market for Murder" (2002) and later appeared as widowed Christina Finleyson in "Midsomer Life" (2008). However, the production values as always are just great, the idyllic look of it contrasting very well with the story's grimness, and quaint and atmospheric photography. The music fits perfectly, with some lush jauntiness and sometimes an ominous quality, and the theme tune one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable of the genre. It would be one thing if the show never cared about such sloppy writing but it usually isn't, that's what made the sloppiness stand out.

Detective Sergeant (later Inspector) Gavin Troy ( Daniel Casey) (main: series 1–7; guest: series 11)—DCI Barnaby's first assistant. Troy is bright and ambitious. Early in the series, Troy is also known for his careless driving, causing a number of near-accidents. He is less enlightened than his boss who, in the first episode, tells Troy that he is “as politically correct as a Nuremberg Rally.” For example, Troy is uncomfortable with gay people (he calls them “ass bandits”) and the elderly, whom he calls "wrinklies". There is also a quite a bit of infodumping here and there (especially towards the middle), which is not that compelling to be honest. It is safe to say: The writing could have been stronger. Samantha Bond starred in three episodes: first in "Destroying Angel" (2001) and "Shot at Dawn" (2008), and again in Neil Dudgeon's 2011 debut as lead character, the episode "Death in the Slow Lane". Detective Sergeant Charlie Nelson ( Gwilym Lee) (series 16–18)—When Jones was promoted, he was replaced by DS Charlie Nelson. Nelson was the first Sergeant to not serve alongside Tom Barnaby. He was a lodger at Kate's house. Nelson left the series after season 18. Solicitor James Jocelyne ( Timothy Bateson) appeared in "Written in Blood", "Death's Shadow", and "Orchis Fatalis".Rupert Vansittart appeared in three episodes: as Selwyn Proctor in "Market for Murder" (2002), as Desmond Harcourt in "The Axeman Cometh" (2007), and as Alistair Kingslake in "The Dogleg Murders" (2009). The episode starts with little old lady Felicity Law (Ann Firbank) bringing a painting into an antique store run by Prideaux (Anthony Bamber) who doesn't want to look at it. When he does, you can see clearly he thinks he's got something, so he offers her 50 pounds for the frame. Oh, she's thrilled. Then she says she's going to get an estimate from Causton Gallery. Judy Parfitt appeared as Angela Wentworth in "Death's Shadow" (1999) and as Caroline Halsey in "Days of Misrule" (2008).

Selina Cadell played Phyllis Cadell in the pilot episode "The Killings at Badger's Drift" (1997) and Eleanor Crouch in "Midsomer life" (2008). I really enjoyed this one, something different. And I never guessed the identity of the killer, and to be fair, neither did Barnaby or Jones. It was only when they caught her husband with the shopping trolley that the penny dropped for them. The scenes with Barnaby and Jones at the art school with the nude model were funny.

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Elizabeth Spriggs and Richard Cant appeared in the pilot episode ("The Killings at Badger's Drift"), as mother and son Iris and Dennis Rainbird; they appeared again in "Dead Letters", this time as Iris' sister Ursula Gooding and her son Alistair. Felicity announces that she will take a 2000 pound trip and the rest of the money is going to Matilda Simms (Susannah Harker), the daughter of an artist, who runs an art school for truant youngsters, and whose funding has just been cut off.

Troy's relationship with Barnaby is warm, and the two make a formidable pair. Troy was promoted to Inspector and transferred to Northumbria in the first episode of the seventh series, called "The Green Man". [1] Troy makes one re-appearance in the first episode of Series 11, "Blood Wedding", to attend the wedding of Tom's daughter, Cully Barnaby (whom he once secretly kissed in the episode "Death And Dreams", which temporarily strained his relationship with Barnaby), where he met his second successor, Sgt Jones. [2] DS Dan Scott [ edit ] In "Murder Of Innocence", it is revealed that Jones is in a relationship with firefighter Susie Bellingham. In the series 16 opener, "The Christmas Haunting", it is revealed that Jones has been promoted to Inspector and transferred to Brighton. A photo of Jones (alongside Kate Wilding, who also moved to Brighton) is shown in the series 18 opener "Habeas Corpus". DI Jones made a further appearance in episode 3 of series 19 "Last Man Out", in an undercover role - erroneously still listed in the credits as DS Ben Jones. In the end, he left Causton CID after a mini farewell party at John and Sarah Barnaby’s home at the end of episode 6 of series 15, "Schooled in Murder". Jones is considerably less naive than Troy or Scott, possessing an insight into cases that neither would have. Jones was born in Wales and remarks about his love for Wales when he and Tom travel there in the episode "Death and Dust". He is a Welsh Baptist, as Barnaby calls him in "A Sacred Trust" (Series 14, Episode 7), to which Jones replies "What's wrong with that? Except the teetotalism." Peter Eyre played Leonard Pike in “Strangler’s Wood” (1999) and Headley Madrigal in “Picture of Innocence” (2007). Tessa Peake-Jones played Sarah Lawton in "Faithful unto Death" (1998), and Mary Appleton in "Breaking the Chain" (2016).Detective Constable Gail Stephens ( Kirsty Dillon) (series 10–13)—a colleague of Tom Barnaby and DS Jones, who often helps them in their cases, sometimes providing valuable insight. Gail was transferred to Midsomer from Binwell. Gail is cheery but emotional, breaking down in tears when, after initially serving as a uniformed woman police constable, she was appointed as a plain-clothed CID detective. Throughout Gail's appearances, it is implied that she is on the point of having an affair with Sgt Jones, but when it came to the crunch he decided that he did not want to get too heavily involved with a colleague, after which Gail effectively snubbed him. Strangely, Gail has not been seen since "Fit For Murder".