Midsomer Murders - Last Year's Model [DVD]

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When the body of Charlie Finleyson is found in woodland in Midsomer Sonning, Barnaby and Jones begin to scrutinize the employees at the offices of Midsomer Life magazine. It is discovered that Mr. Finleyson was married to Christine Sandys, ex-wife of Guy Sandys, the wealthy owner of the magazine. The detectives also become aware of a dispute between Guy and the owner of the Morecroft Hotel, where Christine's brother works, with tensions starting to rise between the locals and visitors from London. Shortly after being questioned, Guy is murdered in his office. Barnaby and Jones find out what led to the murder when Morecroft's alcoholic receptionist is killed in the laundry room and uncover the village's secrets from the past to catch the killer. and publicly insists that he believes in his wife’s innocence but he’s actually the one who’s cheating. There’s a nicely The 'Creeper' is a daring cat burglar responsible for a series of daring thefts across Midsomer. After the Creeper strikes twice in one night, a writer, David Roper, is found smothered to death in his bed on the Chettham family estate. The police soon learn that Mr. Roper had been planning to write a book that could have exposed many Chettham family secrets of years past. The mystery deepens when a second victim who knew the family is shot in woodland. The detectives have to search the family's history to solve the crimes and finally uncover the Creeper's identity. The villagers of Midsomer Barton are celebrating the annual Oak Apple Week when the body of a woman is found in a stream. The return of the festival queen event, after a hiatus of eight years, seems to be a link to a series of murders. Barnaby and Jones investigate and find some familiar faces from the past. Something is bothering Barnaby, but he's not sure what. He was confident of his evidence, and now he wonders. An old friend, Pru Plunkett, a psychiatrist and also a friend of Annie, tells him that before the murder, Annie was planning to move out of the area. It's time to look at the evidence again.

Farmer Alex Preston's dead body is found in the centre of the ancient Crowcall stone circle days before the spring equinox. Early evidence points to a community of New Dawn Druids, who had been angered over Preston's plans to plough the meadow and make the sacred place inaccessible. But when one of the druids is also murdered, Barnaby realises that more complex motives are involved, and his suspicions turn in a direction that threatens to create a serious rift between him and Jones. Maps that reveal the location of a hidden Anglo Saxon treasure, along with a more modern valuable painting, provide the clues that lead to a very manipulative killer. Connie Bishop, a school teacher who is known to sleepwalk, begins to experience disturbing dreams and is convinced of an intruder in her home. She becomes a murder suspect when a local councillor and, soon after, a local handyman are found with their throats cut near to her house. Her friends are not convinced of her guilt and nor is Barnaby. As the investigation continues, local philanthropist Howard Richardson and his social-climbing wife Zukie irritate the community when they introduce their own plans for the annual village charity occasion. Events come to a dramatic conclusion when Barnaby and Jones unexpectedly interrupt the charity evening to arrest the killer. From the pilot episode in 1997 until 2 February 2011 the lead character, DCI Tom Barnaby, was portrayed by John Nettles OBE. There is a fierce rivalry between traditional and digital photographers in the village of Luxton Deeping. When the photographic society's committee decides not to accept digital images at the annual photographic exhibition, matters take an ugly turn and there is a confrontation. The following day, photographer Lionel Bell is found murdered in woodland, strangled with the cord of his light meter. As the detectives begin to investigate, evidence seems to implicate Barnaby in the murder and he is taken off the case. He is replaced by DI Martin Spellman, a colleague disliked by Tom, who appears more interested in his upcoming wedding than the case. When another photographer is murdered, Barnaby continues his investigation unofficially to discover who is framing him and bring the guilty party to justice. The Wild West Society bring their show to Ford Florey, comprising a fairground, and several re-enactments of scenes from American frontier history. Amidst the sound of gunfire, the witch on the 'Dunk the Witch' stall is shot dead. Barnaby and Jones look at possible motives, which seem to revolve around the disputed ownership of an area of local land. The investigation encounters family rivalries and a recurring Wild West theme before the killer can be caught.The Milton Estate is the principal landowner for much of Milton Cross, with many people and businesses dependent on Edward Milton for their jobs and income. One of those businesses is the Woodley & Woodley tailor shop. When Sonia Woodley is found murdered in the churchyard two years after the death of her abusive husband Gerald, a set of tailor's shears are identified as the murder weapon. Barnaby and Jones discover that Sonia had passed a letter to the vicar a few days before, but the handwriting is not hers. When the vicar is also murdered shortly afterwards, the police need to uncover who wrote the letter to solve the mystery. Shortly after a young woman takes a walk into woodland dressed in period attire from a Jane Austen event in the village, her body is found stabbed with a quill. It is discovered that she was a journalist curious about the village's new trial healthcare drone delivery programme. Barnaby and Winter find themselves with many suspects and motives and work out that the answer lies in the past. Ballroom dancer Rosa Corrigan is found murdered in her home on the night after the start of the annual ‘Paramount Dance Extravaganza’. Her brother Duncan is also found murdered. Barnaby and Winter must investigate rival dancers and their jealous partners, while also having to contend with corporate sponsors and Barnaby's estranged father Ned. Pretty much the only thing about "Last Year's Model" that could have been done better to me was that more could have been done with the character of Cully, underused and wasted, and the chemistry between her and Barnaby, which showed potential but it was potential not fully lived up to and underwritten.

After attending a retirement party for ex police officers, Elaine Bennet dies crashing her car. Fleur informs Barnaby that someone has tampered with Elaine’s car and the night before, she had an argument with Giles Franklyn in the car park. Challis Court is a tight-knit community for the retired police officers and one of the resident’s houses is broken into, where much of the evidence is stolen and destroyed. Damian Bennet is also found murdered and a well kept lie may help Barnaby and Winter to uncover the culprit. Tara Cavendish ( Felicity Dean) is found beaten to death near a disused quarry belonging to her husband Robert Cavendish ( Robert Hardy). Tara was seen leaving the house early in the morning, but when she failed to return from a walk with their dog, Robert starts to get worry, and reports her missing. Barnaby and Troy start to investigate. Nine years ago, only weeks before Robert Cavendish decided to shut down his own quarry, an explosion occurred. Matthew Draper, an employee who works for Robert Cavendish, was killed in the accident. And as further inquiries ensue, Barnaby and Troy are drawn to investigate the death eighteen months previously of Robert's former housekeeper, Emily Beavis. Emily’s sister, Doreen Beavis, and witnesses Colin and Christine Cooper ( Imelda Staunton), may hold the key to the case. Toby Jones also appears. It is the end of the tourist season for the Little Worthy model village, owned by the elderly Compton sisters. Model maker Bob Moss is carrying out his daily early morning rounds of the village when he discovers the body of Richard Tanner, stabbed and tied down in a scene reminiscent of Gulliver's Travels. As Barnaby and Jones start questioning the villagers, more deaths follow before they finally identify the family connections that lead them to a very disturbed killer. Midsomer Worthy is preparing for the Four Choirs Competition when one of their members, Connor Simpson, is found dead at his home. Barnaby and Jones begin to look into the events leading to his death. The case is further complicated when a birdwatcher and estate keeper are also killed. With a mysterious figure seen lurking around the churchyard, conductor rivalry, and a possible art scam, there are many things to be investigated.

Annie's motive for murdering her old friend seems to have been her complete obsession with Frances' husband, whom Annie had been in love with in the past. She's now married to a music executive who is a real jerk, and she's not happy. But she has always insisted she had nothing to do with Frances' murder. As the preparations are underway for Cully Barnaby's wedding, Ned Fitzroy and Beth Porteous are married in Bledlow village. At the reception at Bledlow Hall, the maid of honour, Marina Fellowes, is found murdered. With the honeymoon postponed, the newlyweds and their guests find themselves under investigation by the police. Evidence soon points to a connection with archery when a fletching is found at the crime scene. Barnaby and Jones uncover a long family history with many secrets, lies, deception, and an illegitimate son. These things become even more complicated when the estate manager and former cook are also found murdered. It became so annoying that I wished they'd hired My Cousin Vinny to dismantle the case, because then Barnaby would not have been needed. A quiet spa weekend at Swavely Manor proves far from relaxing when Tom and Joyce arrive and a female client is found murdered in the flotation chamber. Barnaby interrupts his spa treatment to investigate with Jones. The mystery deepens when the victim's husband disappears. As Tom worries about his future and health, one of the hotel proprietors is also murdered. When the case is finally solved, Barnaby announces his impending retirement. His successor is announced to be his cousin, John Barnaby, who is a newly appointed DCI at Causton CID. Candlelit Bath / Two-Person Pool Party: A sleazy music producer and his mistress are holding one of these when they are interrupted by Barnaby.

DS Dan Scott arrives in Midsomer as DS Troy's replacement. He is instantly involved in a case in the village of Midsomer Mallow, when a college secretary is found murdered. Soon after a retired doctor is also murdered during the village's annual garden open day. Barnaby and Scott investigate the connection between the two victims, and the murder of a homeless drunk give them the clue they need. Meanwhile, Cully organizes a reunion with a group of old school friends, with unexpected results. Little Crosby are hosting its folk festival and event organiser Toby Winning is shortly found dead, having drowned in a bowl of eggs and live eels. The murder seemed to have been inspired by a ballad by late musician Johnny Carver. Toby had recently announced plans to relocate the event to London, which would have proved very costly for entrepreneur Frank Wainwright. Many villagers come under suspicion, and when two more murders echo lyrics from the same song, the detectives need to catch the person responsible. Since 2011 the lead character has been DCI John Barnaby ( Neil Dudgeon), who permanently joined the show following John Nettles' 2011 departure. He is the younger cousin of DCI Tom Barnaby. Like his cousin, John Barnaby works for Causton CID. Courtroom Episode: Much of this episode takes place in a courtroom during the trial of a woman who was arrested for murder the year before, as Barnaby starts to have serious doubts regarding her guilt.Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama [1] that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on Caroline Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby book series, originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. Season 9 may not have had many classic/elite episodes ("The House in the Woods" being the only episode to be on that level, but this and "Country Matters" were close"), but to me it is one of the few seasons of 'Midsomer Murders' to not have a bad episode. Even my least favourite "Four Funerals and a Wedding" was still decent. Despite being a change of pace for 'Midsomer Murders', being more court-case-oriented and more psychological with a low body count, "Last Year's Model" is one of the show's best examples of how to do "different"/"change of pace" well. Note: the blood-red drips behind the letters of the title have returned, after having been changed to multi-color for two series. No. The villagers of Midsomer Deverell are angered by the Inkpen family's plans to convert the public memorial garden into a tea shop. When Elspeth Inkpen's daughter Fliss is found murdered in the garden, Barnaby and Troy believe that someone may be determined to stop its destruction. Elspeth ( Belinda Lang) moves to the vicarage where she too is murdered. As the investigation continues, the suspect list grows to include the daughter of the architect who designed the garden and a gardener ( Neil Dudgeon) with whom both Elspeth and Fliss had been having an affair. Barnaby and Troy realise that the case will only be solved when the garden gives up a sinister secret. The peace of Ferne Basset is shattered when the body of quiet animal lover Agnes Gray ( Denyse Alexander) is found floating in the nearby river. Soon afterwards her cousin, Esslyn Carmichael ( Nicholas Le Prevost), inadvertently cuts his own throat on stage during the final act of an amateur production of Amadeus. It turns out that the safety tape on the prop knife used by Esslyn on stage had been removed, making it lethal. As most of the other cast members of the Causton Amateur Dramatics Society loathed him, there are multiple motives and suspects for his murder. DCI Tom Barnaby needs to establish whether there is a connection behind the two deaths to solve the case. Angela Pleasence and Bernard Hepton also appear.

After gathering on Moonstone Ridge to observe a total eclipse of the sun, members of the amateur Midsomer Stanton Astronomical Society start to meet their deaths in bizarre ways. Three amateur astronomers are killed - the first, by a blow to the head with a meteorite, the second with a spear, and the third nearly decapitated using a bronze disc with astronomical markings. The astrological sign Scorpio seems to be a common theme of the killings, but Barnaby begins to doubt whether the case is so straightforward. Last Year's Model is the eighth episode of the ninth series of Midsomer Murders and originally aired on 17th September 2006. When the archaeologists working on the dig in Midsomer Cicely unearth Cicely herself, this causes celebration. But shortly afterwards, the leader of the dig is murdered and found in one of the excavated trenches. DCI Barnaby and DS Nelson soon uncover many misdeeds in the village, and almost everyone has a skeleton in the closet that they would rather keep hidden. The truth will resurface but not before more murders take place. There is a full moon over Little Worthy at Halloween and the people in the area are thrilled when local photographer Steve Skelton wins a competition in the village with his own creation of the Wolf Hunter. Unexpectedly, the Wolf Hunter is becoming a viral meme, with people coming from miles around to explore the woods of Little Worthy in the hope of catching a glimpse of the beast. The excitement turns into fear when Jez Gladberry is found murdered in the woods, killed in the unique way of the Wolf Hunter. In 1970, Roger Heldman apparently died in an accident during an archaeological dig at the Midsomer Barrow. Two important Celtic pieces, a spear head and a chalice, were discovered but subsequently disappeared. In the present day, Roger's son Gareth is killed with the spear, after having had altercations with several of the villagers. Later, at the climax of the summer solstice celebration, Gareth's half-brother, David Heartley-Reade, is killed while performing a pagan ceremony to save his failing marriage. Barnaby and Scott investigate rituals, plagiarism, lies, and a tangle of relationships.When Bernard King, the owner of Finchmere airfield, is dropped to his death from a plane, Barnaby and Nelson enter a world of stunt pilots and military heroes. Upon investigating, they discover many hidden secrets. Possible suspects include anti-aircraft campaigners and employees who might lose their jobs after an imminent restructuring of the flying club. A tragic mission in World War II seems to hold a clue. The village doctor ( Ian McNeice) of Newton Magna involves the police after he accidentally hits a man in the road following a party. However, the injured man is nowhere to be found. The body of Robin Wooliscroft, who disappeared over a year before, is then found in a well, having been bludgeoned to death. DCI Barnaby and DS Troy come across suspicions and all the lies, disapproving families, resentments, and hidden secrets, before another victim ( Jane Lapotaire) is found and they get to the truth.