List of Midsomer Murders episodes
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama[1] that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is being based on Caroline Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby book series, that was originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz.
From the pilot episode in 1997 until 2 February 2011, the lead character, DCI Tom Barnaby, was portrayed by John Nettles, OBE.
In February 2009, it was announced that Nettles had decided to leave production of Midsomer Murders in 2010, after finish filming series 13. When his last episode aired on 2 February 2011 in "Fit for Murder", Nettles had appeared in 81 episodes.[2] Interview: John Nettles on Midsomer Murders
Since 2011, the current lead character is DCI John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon), who permanently joined the show, following John Nettles' 2011 departure. John Barnaby works for Causton CID and he is the younger cousin, of former lead character, DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles).
As of 3 October 2021, 129 episodes have aired over 22 series.
Series overview[]
Series | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | ||||
Pilot | 23 March 1997 | ||||
1 | 4 | 22 March 1998 | 6 May 1998 | ||
2 | 4 | 20 January 1999 | 19 September 1999 | ||
3 | 4 | 31 December 1999 | 5 February 2000 | ||
4 | 6 | 10 September 2000 | 23 September 2001 | ||
5 | 4 | 16 June 2002 | 22 September 2002 | ||
6 | 5 | 3 January 2003 | 31 January 2003 | ||
7 | 7 | 2 November 2003 | 25 December 2004 | ||
8 | 8 | 10 October 2004 | 2 October 2005 | ||
9 | 8 | 9 October 2005 | 17 September 2006 | ||
10 | 8 | 12 November 2006 | 11 May 2008 | ||
11 | 7 | 1 January 2008 | 5 May 2010 | ||
12 | 7 | 22 July 2009 | 14 April 2010 | ||
13 | 8 | 12 May 2010 | 2 February 2011 | ||
14 | 8 | 23 March 2011 | 11 January 2012 | ||
15 | 6 | 1 February 2012 | 30 January 2013 | ||
16 | 5 | 24 December 2013 | 12 February 2014 | ||
17 | 4 | 28 January 2015 | 18 February 2015 | ||
18 | 6 | 6 January 2016 | 17 February 2016 | ||
19 | 6 | 18 December 2016 | 20 May 2018 | ||
20 | 6 | 10 March 2019 | 14 January 2020 | ||
21 | 4 | 21 January 2020 | 28 March 2021 | ||
22 | 6 | 4 April 2021 | TBA |
Episodes[]
Pilot (1997)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "The Killings at Badger's Drift" | Jeremy Silberston | Anthony Horowitz | 23 March 1997 | |
The death of elderly Miss Emily Simpson in the sleepy village of Badger's Drift brings DCI (Detective Chief Inspector) Tom Barnaby and DS (Detective Sergeant) Gavin Troy to investigate. Her best friend and neighbour, Lucy Bellringer, had seen her return from a walk in the woods, unnerved and shocked by something that she had seen. When her death is confirmed as no accident, Barnaby and Troy start to question all the many eccentric and quirky residents. This case shows a web full of sex, blackmail, secrets and lies before two more horrific deaths shatter the village's serenity. |
Series 1 (1998)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Filming Date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 1 | "Written in Blood" | Jeremy Silberston | Anthony Horowitz | 22 March 1998 | July–August 1997 | |
When the Midsomer Worthy Writers Circle chooses to invite the new famous writer Max Jennings to their next meeting, fellow writer and group chairman Gerald Hadleigh is opposed to that decision. After Jennings's visit, Gerald is found bludgeoned to death at home by his housekeeper the next morning. In this case, Barnaby and Troy discover that Gerald Hadleigh was somewhat of an enigma since a witness observed a mysterious woman enter his house the night before his murder. The police find themselves scrutinizing all these writers and unearth many secrets in the process before Max himself is found dead of poisoning. | |||||||
3 | 2 | "Death of a Hollow Man" | Jeremy Silberston | Caroline Graham | 29 March 1998 | October 1997 | |
The peace of Ferne Basset is shattered when the body of quiet animal lover Agnes Gray is found floating in the nearby river. The case is far from easy to solve, when her cousin, Esslyn Carmichael, inadvertently cuts his own throat on stage during the final act of the production of Amadeus. People from the Causton Amateur Dramatics Society loathed him and might have wanted him dead. It turns out that the prop knife that was used by Esslyn on stage had been tampered with, and DCI Tom Barnaby now has to find out if there is a connection behind both murders. | |||||||
4 | 3 | "Faithful unto Death" | Baz Taylor | Douglas Watkinson | 22 April 1998 | November–December 1997 | |
The villagers of Morton Fendle are up in arms when they find out that the local craft centre, which they had invested in, is in financial uncertainty. Barnaby stops the matter from escalating, but then he later learns that its owner Alan Hollingsworth's wife Simone has gone missing. Brenda Buckley, Alan’s new mistress, follows Alan to Finchmere Market, witnessing him dropping off a suitcase of money. Then shortly after, Brenda is murdered when her car is being forced off the road, and then she collides with a stationary log lorry. But later on, Alan is found killed as well, and Barnaby and Troy need to track down Simone, and then find the reasons behind the kidnap. | |||||||
5 | 4 | "Death in Disguise" | Baz Taylor | Douglas Watkinson | 6 May 1998 | August–September 1997 | |
Bill Carter, one of the founders of a New Age commune called the 'Lodge of the Golden Windhorse', dies after falling down the stairs, breaking his neck. Barnaby and Troy arrive to investigate and meet many of the commune's quirky residents. They need to work out whether it was just an unfortunate accident or a murder. And when the leader of the commune, Ian Craigie, is stabbed to death shortly afterwards with a carving knife, during the spiritual ritual attended by all its members and visitors, the detectives need to find an answer to who could have wanted to commit both of these two murder crimes at the lodge. A billionaire, interested in buying the land, then dies of a sudden heart attack. Barnaby suspects that a new murder has taken place. A young member, who hasn't spoken since arriving at the commune, may be a key witness in the case. |
Series 2 (1999)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Filming Date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 | 1 | "Death's Shadow" | Jeremy Silberston | Anthony Horowitz | 20 January 1999 | July–August 1998 | 10.41 | |
The village of Badger's Drift is again at the centre of attention when the local property developer, by the name of Richard Bayly, is found dead, decapitated in his own home. Richard had recently been diagnosed with a brain tumour, and he was in an emotional state. The murder weapon, an Indian sword, is found close near his body, and it turns out it was stolen in a burglary at the vicarage. Barnaby and Troy are set out to find out who would go that far to kill a dying man. With many hidden secrets to uncover within the village, the truth finally emerges, but not until two further deaths occur, first when a handyman burns alive in his trailer, and second when another parishioner is hunted at a fair. | ||||||||
7 | 2 | "Strangler's Wood" | Jeremy Silberston | Anthony Horowitz | 3 February 1999 | May–June 1998 | 10.70 | |
Nine years before, three young women were strangled with a neck-tie and left naked in woodland on the edge of Midsomer Worthy. But suddenly, a Brazilian woman, who had recently arrived in the village, is found murdered the same way at the same place in the woods. | ||||||||
8 | 3 | "Dead Man's Eleven" | Jeremy Silberston | Anthony Horowitz | 12 September 1999 | May–June 1999 | 11.07 | |
The villagers of Fletcher's Cross are preparing for their match against Midsomer Worthy. But just moments before the match, Tara Cavendish, the second wife of local landowner and the cricket captain Robert Cavendish, has since gone missing after taking their dog for a walk. Her body is later discovered nearby in the disused quarry, with a weapon, a cricket bat, lying next to her. The detectives find that years before, there had been an explosion at the quarry which killed a man, making them believe that the murderer could be out for revenge. The case gets more complex when the blackmailing scorekeeper is stabbed, during the cricket match. Different secrets are being unveiled, and the previous housekeeper of Cavendish was found dead when she was pushed, and then fell into the quarry, eighteen months earlier. | ||||||||
9 | 4 | "Blood Will Out" | Moira Armstrong | Douglas Watkinson | 19 September 1999 | June–July 1998 | 9.99 | |
Shortly after two groups of travellers arrive in the village of Martyr Warren, local magistrate Hector Bridges is killed in his library with his own shotgun. Barnaby and Troy had to dissuade him from forcefully evicting the travellers with help from his army friends and learn Hector was a bully and disliked by many who knew him, with his stepdaughter, Fleur, receiving brutal beatings from him. Fleur tells the detectives about her stressful life, when her parents, Will and Jenny, divorced, along with Hector and his first wife Muriel. Despite her daughter's protests, Jenny married Hector. Fleur tells Barnaby that she constantly kept in touch with her father, telling him about the abuse, and when her father eventually remarried, he and his new wife tried to take Fleur away, but Hector managed to foil their plans. Things get even more confusing when Fleur's stepmother turns out to be Muriel, who married Will because they felt neither of them had been treated fairly by their former spouses, and they, too, felt Will deserved custody of Fleur far more than Jenny did. The detectives have to unravel this tangle of relationships before they track down the culprit. |
Series 3 (1999–2000)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Filming Date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | 1 | "Death of a Stranger" | Peter Cregeen | Douglas Livingstone | 31 December 1999 | October 1999 | 5.87 | |
Only shortly before his retirement, Superintendent Pringle arrests a local poacher for the murder of a tramp during a fox hunt in woodland close to the village of Upper Marshwood. DCI Barnaby is unsure that the poacher was the killer. So upon returning from holidaying in France, Barnaby is proved right, when the poacher's father is found murdered with his own shotgun. As they reopen the investigation, they just find many hidden secrets amongst the villagers. However, just after he retires, Pringle is killed in an accident, which Barnaby also suspects was murder. | ||||||||
11 | 2 | "Blue Herrings" | Peter Smith | Hugh Whitemore | 22 January 2000 | June–July 1999 | 8.88 | |
Alice Bly arrives at Lawnside, a nursing home in Aspern Tallow, to rest after having hospital treatment. She soon suspects something is not right when a fellow resident dies the night after her arrival. It is discovered that the lady's valuable Cartier watch has gone missing. Alice's nephew, DCI Barnaby, agrees to look into things, despite having the week off duty. Two more deaths quickly follow the first, and a mysterious visitor is seen lurking around at night. DCI Barnaby and DS Troy investigate the nursing home's doctor, and its staff, along with what's really going on at Lawnside. | ||||||||
12 | 3 | "Judgement Day" | Jeremy Silberston | Anthony Horowitz | 29 January 2000 | July–August 1999 | 9.65 | |
Residents of Midsomer Mallow are only preparing themselves for the 'Perfect English Village' competition, after the murder of local thief and lothario Peter Drinkwater. Barnaby and Troy discover that Drinkwater had been stabbed with a pitchfork while squatting at an abandoned farm called Windy Whistle Farm. The two detectives must now deduce if one of his burglary victims, his accomplice in the robberies, or another disgruntled villager may have been the killer. And as the competition unfolds on the village green, one of the judges is poisoned and killed in front of everyone. Barnaby and Troy have to travel back in time to identify the killer. | ||||||||
13 | 4 | "Beyond The Grave" | Moira Armstrong | Douglas Watkinson | 5 February 2000 | September–October 1998 | 9.40 | |
A slashed portrait of Jonathan Lowrie in the museum at Aspern Tallow brings Barnaby and Troy to investigate. They need to step back in time, to deal with a series of ghostly events, the death of elderly Marcus Lowrie—who was found murdered in the tomb of his ancestor, a mysterious escaped criminal, a therapist who isn't quite what she seems, and a museum trustee with a hidden past. It is not long before the bodies start piling up, and things begin to make sense. |
Series 4 (2000–2001)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 | 1 | "Garden of Death" | Peter Smith | Christopher Russell | 10 September 2000 | 7.65 | |
The villagers of Midsomer Deverell are angered over plans by the Inkpen family to convert the public memorial garden into a tea shop. And when Elspeth Inkpen's daughter 'Fliss' is found murdered in the garden, shortly after the village meeting, Barnaby and Troy believe that someone may be determined to stop the destruction. As their investigations continue, they discover a web of snobbery, greed, illegitimacy, and mourning. When Elspeth herself is murdered while staying at the vicarage, they need to find the truth and catch the culprit. | |||||||
15 | 2 | "Destroying Angel" | David Tucker | David Hoskins | 26 August 2001 | 9.99 | |
Gregory Chambers, manager of the Easterly Grange Hotel, goes missing just before the funeral of Karl Wainwright, his employer, after venturing into the woods, to collect some wild mushrooms. His wife Susanna just tells everyone, including the police, that nothing is wrong. During a search of the woods, a severed hand is found. The murder case becomes more complex when the beneficiaries of Wainwright's will start receiving death threats. Then the hotel's head chef inadvertently ingests poisonous mushrooms, and Wainwright's solicitor is murdered by being crushed by his own drinks cupboard in the presence of both Barnaby and Troy. | |||||||
16 | 3 | "The Electric Vendetta" | Peter Smith | Terry Hodgkinson | 2 September 2001 | 9.99 | |
Not only do Midsomer Parva's wheat fields include crop circles, they also contain an added mystery element, when a naked body of a dead ex-con is found. And it is later discovered that he was first electrocuted, and that he has puncture marks on his back, and a chunk of his hair is missing. Barnaby and Troy have their work cut out, with rivalries, secret affairs, and loves, jealousy, and hatred. When more bodies turn up, with one, the field owner's son-in-law, again in a crop circle, the detectives enter an alien world, dealing with the sightings of UFOs and where nothing is what it seems. | |||||||
17 | 4 | "Who Killed Cock Robin?" | David Tucker | Jeremy Paul | 9 September 2001 | 9.13 | |
The village doctor 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. And the body of Robin Wooliscroft, who disappeared over a year before, is found, pulled up from 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 is found and they get to the truth. | |||||||
18 | 5 | "Dark Autumn" | Jeremy Silberston | Peter J. Hammond | 16 September 2001 | 9.77 | |
In the remote hamlet of Goodman's Land, local postman and casanova Dave Cutler gets murdered whilst doing his early postal delivery. Barnaby and Troy, together with WPC Jay Nash, start investigating. They discover Dave had slept with many women in the village. A witness later recalls having heard strange 1950s dance music before the murder. When a farmer's wife, an antique dealer, and a businessman all become victims to the killer as well, the detectives need to find a possible link to connect the murders before Jay gets into a perilous situation herself. | |||||||
19 | 6 | "Tainted Fruit" | Jeremy Silberston | Peter J. Hammond | 23 September 2001 | 9.80 | |
In the affluent village of Midsomer Malham, pariah Melissa Townsend is found murdered by an injection of barbiturates. Miss Townsend had angered many and had just received death threats after being blamed for the death of a local tenant. Both Barnaby and Troy will soon discover that the barbiturates had been stolen in a burglary, at the local vet's surgery. With attempted blackmail, greed, jealousy, and secrets in the mix, the detectives have to set out to catch the killer, not long after one man is killed with barbituates on a tennis court and another person dies in what appears to be a freak accident. |
Series 5 (2002)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
20 | 1 | "Market For Murder" | Sarah Hellings | Andrew Payne | 16 June 2002 | 8.99 | |
During one evening in Midsomer Market, a car belonging to wealthy stockbroker Selwyn Proctor is set ablaze shortly after he has started its engine, and he narrowly escapes. Barnaby and Troy start investigating and it is not long after someone is murdered. The body of Marjorie Empson, head of the local ladies' reading club, is found bludgeoned to death in her own house. Marjorie was killed by her own cane, and the detectives quickly discover that the two events may be connected, when it transpires that the club was secretly investing in the stock market. With an array of suspects and motives, the two detectives uncover hidden passions, secrets, and a bunch of jealousy. But when another club member is found dead in her pool, and a wealthy tycoon's wife is pushed from the roof of their manor house, Barnaby and Troy learn that the murder victims opposed a great threat to somebody, and now the murderer wants to protect that person. | |||||||
21 | 2 | "A Worm in the Bud" | David Tucker | Michael Russell | 23 June 2002 | 9.52 | |
When Susan Bartlett is found murdered in Setwale Wood in Midsomer Worthy, DCI Barnaby and DS Troy discover that the wood is the center of a court case over the proposed redevelopment, between neighboring farmers Simon Bartlett and James Harrington. The detectives quickly suspect murder, when two curious children tell them that they found the body the previous afternoon, while they were playing in the woods. As they investigate the case, they uncover a web of witchcraft, potions, and hidden secrets in the chase of finding the person responsible for the murders. But when James Harrington is found murdered as well, Barnaby and Troy realise that they need to work fast if they want to be able to find out who the murderer is. | |||||||
22 | 3 | "Ring Out Your Dead" | Sarah Hellings | Andrew Payne | 15 September 2002 | 9.43 | |
Just shortly after winning £30,000 on a horse race, the bell-ringers of Midsomer Wellow ring in their own success, which include hopes to win the annual striking competition. It leads to unrest in the village when a grudge from the past begins to resurface. Someone now begins to target all these bell-ringers, one by one, and one of them, Greg Tutt, is found in the belfry, shot through the heart. Later, during a wedding, the bride, another bell ringer, is killed as well. A little while later, a third person is found killed, drowned in a creek. Barnaby and Troy now investigate a case where they need to step back in time, following all the lines of a well-known poem left next to each victim. That is the thing to do, if they want to find the identity of the killer. | |||||||
23 | 4 | "Murder on St Malley's Day" | Peter Smith | Andrew Payne | 22 September 2002 | 9.37 | |
During the annual St. Malley's Day race, Daniel Talbot, a student at the imposing Devington School, is attacked and stabbed in woodland. DCI Barnaby and DS Troy discover that Daniel had wanted to run away during the race. Their investigation leads them into hidden conspiracies involving the school, and their secretive elite group known as "The Pudding Club", whose members are not readily forthcoming with information, before a teacher is found murdered, and a missing student from a rival school is found dead in a creek. |
Series 6 (2003)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
24 | 1 | "A Talent for Life" | Sarah Hellings | David Hoskins | 3 January 2003 | 9.23 | |
In the village of Malham Bridge, an eccentric widow, Isobel Hewitt, and an adulterous doctor, Duncan Goff, are found murdered, while they were fly fishing at the riverbank. Barnaby and Troy question if one or the other was the target, and whether one just happened to stumble across the other. Many suspects and motives abound, as the two detectives try to find out. And later, when the prime suspect also turns up dead, apparently having committed suicide, Barnaby deduces that it all might have been a distraction, only to conceal the killer's true identity. Barnaby and Troy have to deal a lot with betrayals, jealousies, and hidden truths before they finally catch the killer. | |||||||
25 | 2 | "Death and Dreams" | Peter Smith | Peter J. Hammond | 10 January 2003 | 9.46 | |
The body of Martin Wroath is found in his own home in Midsomer Worthy. From first appearances, it only looks as he had committed suicide by a shotgun. The evidence soon suggests that he was murdered. When another man is found drowned in a lake on the grounds of the cottage hospital, and the high school band teacher has been strangled, the detectives realise they need to uncover any possible connections to a link to all the deaths, as well as the mysteriously disappearing rope. | |||||||
26 | 3 | "Painted in Blood" | Sarah Hellings | Andrew Payne | 17 January 2003 | 9.45 | |
Joyce joins the local watercolor society for an open-air art class, upon the village green in Midsomer Florey. Shortly before taking a break, she stumbles across the body of elderly Ruth Fairfax, a fellow artist, found in the undergrowth. It turns out that she had more to her than meets the eye. Barnaby is taken off the case by the NIS, and it is left to Troy to 'apprehensively' let Barnaby in on what's going on with the investigation. Barnaby and Troy will soon uncover that someone had planned an armed robbery, with unaccounted money. They find out all information about former criminals alongside all the secret liaisons, before they bring all the culprits to justice. | |||||||
27 | 4 | "A Tale of Two Hamlets" | Peter Smith | Alan Plater | 24 January 2003 | 9.28 | |
At the family home of actor Larry Smith in the village of Upper Warden, a crowd has gathered to watch the promotion for the sequel to his hit film, 'The House of Satan', when Larry walks into a summer house on the grounds that suddenly explodes. His family quickly suggest that it was someone from the rival village of Lower Warden. When Larry's director, another member of his family, is also murdered, electrocuted while using an exercise bike, DCI Barnaby and DS Troy deal with affairs and secrets, alongside blackmail, to find the reason why. | |||||||
28 | 5 | "Birds of Prey" | Jeremy Silberston | Michael Russell | 31 January 2003 | 9.32 | |
In the village of Midsomer Magna, the body of the local resident Julian Shepherd is found, having apparently drowned himself by just driving into a lake. It is discovered later that he was desperately seeking a way out of bankruptcy, after visiting a local millionaire, to get back his money from a scheme he had invested in. And the post-mortem says that he was indeed murdered. DS Troy assists a pretty wildlife liaison officer with an investigation into the illegal sale of protected birds' eggs. Barnaby and Troy find their cases intertwining when another man who owned a collection of illegal birds eggs is killed in a hit-and-run, and a historian is found stabbed to death by someone dressed as a witch doctor. They now deduce that the 'scheme' is being used to defraud its investors. |
Series 7 (2003–2004)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
29 | 1 | "The Green Man" | Sarah Hellings | Michael Russell | 2 November 2003 | 10.01 | |
During a canal restoration project near Midsomer Worthy, on which Joyce is working as a volunteer, several skeletons are discovered shortly after the tunnel collapse. DCI Barnaby begins his investigations, when it is found that one skeleton only had modern dental work. Meanwhile, DS Troy, having been promoted to Inspector, has his last case in Midsomer, to look into the murder of a teenager, Simon Mayfield, who had caused problems for many in the village. Simon had been shot with a gun that he and his friends had been using during the night before, "lamping in the woods". Both the detectives uncover a web of lies, affairs, and domestic arguments alongside a mysterious recluse with a hidden past. Last regular appearance of DS Gavin Troy | |||||||
30 | 2 | "Bad Tidings" | Peter Smith | Peter J. Hammond | 4 January 2004 | 9.96 | |
DS Dan Scott, a charming young man but with a bit of an urban chip on his shoulder, arrives in Midsomer as DS Troy's replacement. He is instantly involved in his very first case, when a college secretary is found murdered in Chenies Field, after she attended a Spanish-themed evening in Midsomer Mallow with her husband. A retired doctor, for whom she had worked, is found murdered as well, happening during the village's annual garden open day. Now Barnaby and Scott learn that the two victims knew a secret about one of the villagers. Are both crimes connected? The murder and the burning of a homeless drunk give Barnaby and Scott the chance they only need to find out. Meanwhile, Cully is organizing a reunion with a group of old school friends. First appearance of DS Dan Scott | |||||||
31 | 3 | "The Fisher King" | Richard Holthouse | Isabelle Grey | 11 January 2004 | 10.17 | |
Back in late 1970, Roger Heldman died in what appeared to be an accident, during a dig at the Midsomer Barrow. It unearthed two important Celtic pieces, a spear and a chalice. In the present day, Roger's son Gareth is killed with the spear, after having altercations with many villagers. At the climax of the summer solstice celebration, Gareth's own half-brother, David Heartley-Reade, is killed while performing a ceremony to save his failing marriage. Barnaby and Scott are investigating rituals, plagiarism, lies, and a tangle of relationships. | |||||||
32 | 4 | "Sins of Commission" | Peter Smith | Elizabeth-Anne Wheal | 18 January 2004 | 9.71 | |
DCI Barnaby and DS Scott just arrive in Midsomer St. Michael to investigate the apparently accidental death of former prize-winning author Richard Rackham. But it is discovered that he had had his neck expertly broken before he was pushed down the stairs. And the village celebrating the 12th annual Literary festival just brings feuding writers, publishers, and also editors to town. When Mr. Rackham's editor, Neville Williams, is then found dead during the festival's opening ceremony, and another author is found murdered, only being stabbed by the lakeside, it leads police on a trail of deception, fraud, lies, and hidden truths, to reveal a murderer. | |||||||
33 | 5 | "The Maid in Splendour" | Richard Holthouse | Andrew Payne | 25 January 2004 | 10.24 | |
The village pub of Midsomer Worthy, The Maid in Splendour, is the workplace for many of the locals. But one night, popular barman Jamie Cruickshank, is found shot dead, near an abandoned cottage in the woods. The new manager Stephen Bannerman, is much disliked by many, but nevertheless, he wants to sell the Maid to some property developers in secret. When Stephen is murdered, Barnaby and Scott have to find out whether Jamie or Stephen was the intended target of the first murder. | |||||||
34 | 6 | "The Straw Woman" | Sarah Hellings | Jeff Dodds | 29 February 2004 | 10.03 | |
The villagers of Midsomer Parva have all come out one evening to see the revival of an old Pagan festival. The centerpiece is a straw effigy of a woman. When it is set alight and people look on in wonder, it soon turns to horror when the local curate, Alex Deakin, screams out in pain as he burns to death within the effigy. The villagers quickly turn against Liz Francis, a local teacher who had organized the event. As the police investigate, they discover that the curate had been in dispute with Alan Clifford, an impresario who had recently moved into the area. When both Liz and the vicar Jim Hale are also killed from bouts of apparent spontaneous human combustion, Barnaby and Scott soon suspect that someone is using the illusion of witchcraft to hide their true motives. | |||||||
35 | 7 | "Ghosts of Christmas Past" | Renny Rye | David Hoskins | 25 December 2004 | 6.90 | |
Nine years after Ferdy Villiers committed suicide at the family home of Draycott Hall, his elderly aunt, Lydia, gathers her other nieces and nephew, together with their families, to celebrate Christmas. When Lydia's grand-nephew, Howie, receives a riddle in a Christmas cracker proclaiming that two members of the family will be dead by midnight on Boxing Day, everyone takes no notice, until Aunt Lydia nearly dies after getting locked in the garage and her car restarts itself, and then later in the night, falls down the stairs and is fatally injured. Just before she dies, Lydia tells Barnaby she was pushed and that her near-death earlier in the evening was no accident. Both the detectives try to discover the motive and uncover many secrets and lies connected to Ferdy's death, before his sister Jennifer is killed in an apparent shooting accident. |
Series 8 (2004–2005)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
36 | 1 | "Things That Go Bump in the Night" | Peter Smith | Peter J. Hammond | 10 October 2004 | 8.56 | |
Undertaker Patrick Pennyman is found dead in the village of Fletcher's Cross, in his own chapel of rest, by his wife, Janet. Barnaby and Scott arrive, and they start looking into a spiritualist church in the village, which had been heavily controversial. Elizabeth, a friend of Joyce, who had attended their meetings, tells her that she was very suspicious of both the spiritualist church and the undertaker, and believed they were acquiring information and stealing from the dead. When both Elizabeth and a local laborer are found killed as well, Barnaby and Scott uncover a lot more secrets in Fletcher's Cross, in their quest to find the perpetrator. | |||||||
37 | 2 | "Dead in the Water" | Renny Rye | Douglas Watkinson | 17 October 2004 | 9.13 | |
Down at the Midsomer Regatta, the beautiful day is interrupted when the dead body of Guy Sweetman is found in the water. Chairman of the local rowing club, he resurfaced midway through a race. Barnaby and Scott learn that Guy was a ladies' man with many past conquests. Sweetman had just been in secret meetings with a few other members. The two detectives now uncover so many lies, blackmail, jealousy, and a very well timed planned robbery, moments before the latest woman Guy was planning to marry is being attacked, and she nearly dies during the assault. | |||||||
38 | 3 | "Orchis Fatalis" | Peter Smith | Terry Hodgkinson | 9 January 2005 | 8.74 | |
When a local handyman finds a female classics teacher and a member of a group of orchid enthusiasts poisoned in her own home, DCI Barnaby finds himself heading back to Midsomer Malham, the day after he and Joyce had helped out during the village's annual garden show. It is discovered that the victim had a secret lover and had helped to smuggle a rare one-of-a-kind orchid, the Yellow Roth, out of Borneo. With suspects and motives abounding, the police find themselves dealing with grudges, jealousies, envy, and more—and where the orchid goes, murders follow. | |||||||
39 | 4 | "Bantling Boy" | Sarah Hellings | Steve Trafford | 16 January 2005 | 8.80 | |
A successful day at the races for the racehorse, Bantling Boy, the previous day, it is not long before one of the horse's owners is found murdered in the horses' stables. The victim, Bruce Hartley, had been in dispute with the other owners of Bantling Boy, and the night before his murder had had a rather heated argument with them and had refused to let their acceptance of an offer to buy the horse. It seems to make things a whole lot worse for the others in the syndicate and starts a series of other killings and strange events, before a darker motive is revealed and the detectives bring the culprit to justice. | |||||||
40 | 5 | "Second Sight" | Richard Holthouse | Tony Etchells | 23 January 2005 | 8.69 | |
John Ransom gets thrown out of the village pub in Midsomer Mere for fighting with his brother-in-law, and a short while later he is found dead on the green. It is discovered that John had been used as a guinea pig for scientific experiments by his brother Max, who suspected he had the ability of 'Second Sight'. Barnaby and Scott soon discover that another family possesses the same talent. They have to delve deeper to unravel many secrets within the village to find the truth. | |||||||
41 | 6 | "Hidden Depths" | Sarah Hellings | David Hoskins | 13 March 2005 | 8.56 | |
When solicitor Nick Turner apparently commits suicide by walking off the roof of his home in Midsomer Magna, then Nick's neighbor Jack Wilmot mysteriously disappears that same day, it starts a series of unexplained events. Barnaby and Scott soon discover that a large amount of money has gone missing from the account of one of Nick's clients. Shortly afterward, Nick's rival gets murdered in an elaborate ritual, by his own model of a medieval catapult, while his wife is forced to watch. Then Barnaby and Scott fall into danger as they get locked in an apparently forgotten wine cellar. | |||||||
42 | 7 | "Sauce for the Goose" | Renny Rye | Andrew Payne | 3 April 2005 | 9.73 | |
The body of a visitor is found on-site at the famous relish factory of Plummer & Son in the village of Little Upton. When the detectives begin investigating the Plummer family and its staff, it turns out that the victim, Dexter Lockwood, was known to the family and had been on a guided tour of the factory the day before his body was found. It is not long before legal documents, family resentments, and mysterious sightings add to the complexity of the case. | |||||||
43 | 8 | "Midsomer Rhapsody" | Richard Holthouse | Richard Cameron | 2 October 2005 | 6.97 | |
Retired music teacher Arthur Leggott is murdered after disturbing an intruder at his home in Badger's Drift. It is discovered that a musical manuscript by the late composer Joan Alder has since gone missing before being sent to auction. When the manuscript shows signs that it has been written by another hand, a handwritten letter by Joan Alder turns up indicating the manuscript is a forgery. Where the manuscript goes more murders follow. Last appearance of DS Dan Scott |
Series 9 (2005–2006)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Filming Date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
44 | 1 | "The House in the Woods" | Peter Smith | Barry Simner | 9 October 2005 | May–June 2005 | 8.49 | |
Peter and Caroline Cave are house-hunting in Midsomer Newton when they hear about a house called Winyard, a tumbledown cottage in the woods. At the estate agents, they get informed: "that the house is not yet available for viewing". They view the house a short time later by themselves anyway. The following morning they are both found dead in their car, near the house. DCI Barnaby and Acting DC Ben Jones (DS Scott having "called in sick" per Tom) enter a world of property developers, eccentric villagers, conservationists, estate agents, and ghost stories, before another villager ends up dead. First appearance of DC Ben Jones, later promoted to DS Ben Jones | ||||||||
45 | 2 | "Dead Letters" | Renny Rye | Peter J. Hammond | 26 February 2006 | June–July 2005 | 8.54 | |
In the village of Midsomer Barton, the villagers are all celebrating the annual Oak Apple Week. After the body of a woman is found in a stream, the return of the carnival queen event, after a hiatus of eight years, is speculated to be the reason for a series of murders. With recognizable faces from the past, drunken boasts, hidden obsessions, and secret loves, Barnaby and Jones try to restore peace and harmony to the village. | ||||||||
46 | 3 | "Vixen's Run" | Peter Smith | Michael Aitkens | 5 March 2006 | July–August 2005 | 8.94 | |
The wealthy, eccentric, and obese Sir Freddy Butler drops dead, shortly after gathering all three of his wives to Haddington Hall to make an announcement. George Bullard tells Barnaby that the death was from natural causes. The case gets more complex when Freddy's solicitor is deliberately killed in an arson attack on his home and Freddy's will goes missing. DCI Barnaby and DC Jones work their way through the extended Butler family and uncover hidden secrets, illegitimate children, and elusive treasure before they catch the killer. | ||||||||
47 | 4 | "Down Among the Dead Men" | Renny Rye | Douglas Watkinson | 12 March 2006 | August–September 2005 | 8.07 | |
In the village of Midsomer Worthy, council clerk Martin Barrett is shot to death through his kitchen window, while the mystery woman settles in, in Martin’s spare room upstairs. Barnaby and Jones discover Barrett was a skillful blackmailer, and believe his murderer to be one of his many victims. The investigation takes Barnaby and Joyce to the seaside at Fennacombe Bay. Jones is set to question Sir John Waverley. They find themselves in a position where they need to start questioning many people, a former marine geologist, a police committee chairman, a cleaner, and also a fisherman. The murderer is hidden in plain sight, and it takes a long time before Barnaby finally realises who the murderer is. | ||||||||
48 | 5 | "Four Funerals and a Wedding" | Sarah Hellings | Elizabeth-Anne Wheal | 24 September 2006 | September–October 2005 | 7.29 | |
A 90-year-old feud between the male and female inhabitants of Broughton once again comes to a head with an event known as the . When elderly Ms. Danvers is poisoned a short time before the event takes place, Barnaby and Jones have to investigate whether it was to do with the feud, a long-held buried secret, or something else. This looks more likely when the Rev. Anthony Gant is shot and killed whilst taking part in the traditional ride, and another villager is stabbed to death. | ||||||||
49 | 6 | "Country Matters" | Richard Holthouse | Andrew Payne | 10 September 2006 | November–December 2005 | 5.80 | |
Villagers of Eleverton-cum-Latterly are divided over the building of a new supermarket development. Shortly after a heated meeting, Frank Hopkirk, an independent environmental supervisor, is found stabbed at Jubb's timber yard, the site of the new supermarket, by a pair of children. When Barnaby and Jones investigate, they find he came to the village for secret rendezvous with various female villagers in fantasy role-playing scenarios, along with making investigations of his own into the possibility the future supermarket's land was contaminated. The detectives need to delve deep to uncover what's really going on in Elverton. | ||||||||
50 | 7 | "Death in Chorus" | Sarah Hellings | David Lawrence | 3 September 2006 | January–February 2006 | 6.28 | |
Midsomer Worthy is gearing up 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. After it is found he had been photographing suspicious activity, attempted murder is interrupted. With a mysterious figure seen lurking around the churchyard, conductor rivalry, and a possible art scam, there are many things to uncover in the investigation. In an understated visual joke, pathologist George Bullard makes a neat Y-incision in his chicken. | ||||||||
51 | 8 | "Last Year's Model" | Richard Holthouse | David Hoskins | 17 September 2006 | February–March 2006 | 6.78 | |
Around a year ago, Anne Woodrow was in love with but rejected by the married John Belyan and accused of killing his wife Frances. As Anne's trial begins, DCI Barnaby is uncertain of her guilt. A chance remark by Frances's youngest daughter and meeting with an old friend in psychiatry makes him reevaluate the evidence for her conviction. With DC Jones awaiting news of promotion to DS, they find themselves reinvestigating the case and soon discover that it implies someone else's responsibility in the murder. |
Series 10 (2006–2008)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
52 | 1 | "Dance with the Dead" | Peter Smith | Peter J. Hammond | 12 November 2006 | 7.80 | |
A disused airfield at Cooper's Cross is where Simon Bright's vintage car is found by Frances Kirby. Inside she finds Simon dead, as the evening before his death he had been on a romantic date with his girlfriend Laura Sharp. Laura is nowhere to be found, and both Barnaby and Jones, newly promoted to DS, need to work out if it was a suicide pact gone wrong, or whether it was murder, and track down Laura. Their investigation introduces them to the villagers of Morton Fendle, and it is revealed both Simon and Laura had met at Elaine Trim's dancing classes. Barnaby and Jones head off to a 1940s-style dance night at the village hall, before another man is found stabbed and more secrets come to light. | |||||||
53 | 2 | "The Animal Within" | Renny Rye | David Hoskins | 19 January 2007 | 6.95 | |
Faith Alexander and her husband arrive in Midsomer to meet her long-lost uncle Rex Masters. She receives a real shock when she discovers that Rex's friends had been told she had died in a plane crash. Things become complicated when Rex's body is found in the nearby river. Barnaby and Jones quickly turn up trying to work out who would wish Rex harm. Several friends of Rex come forward with multiple 'new' wills, each being sole beneficiary. When two more murders take place, the detectives investigate what possible motive there could be, whether it was just envy, finances, passion, or something else. | |||||||
54 | 3 | "King's Crystal" | Peter Smith | Steve Trafford | 26 January 2007 | 6.88 | |
Whilst on a business trip to China, Alan King suddenly dies. The family firm, King's Crystal, is in financial uncertainty, including plans to close its factory in Midsomer Magna. Six months later Alan's widow Hilary and his brother Charles are married, much to the chagrin of Alan's son Ian. With family feuds and factory workers angered by the loss of their jobs, there are many motives in the mix. Then Peter Baxter, the firm's accountant, is found dead, stabbed with a Masonic dagger, and Ian is fatally poisoned. Barnaby and Jones suspect a disgruntled employee is guilty. But with so many things to investigate, they will need to explore the Freemasons' and the family, and find a play of Hamlet may hold the key to the case. | |||||||
55 | 4 | "The Axeman Cometh" | Renny Rye | Michael Aitkens | 2 February 2007 | 6.87 | |
The Midsomer Rocks festival is due to take place and music fans descend on neighboring fields to enjoy the fiesta. The recently reformed band Hired Gun is one of the headlines acts, and during their opening performance, the band's vocalist Mimi Clifton is electrocuted on stage whilst holding on to her microphone stand, which had an added mystery wire. Barnaby and Jones soon discover other band members could be targets. When another is murdered, they uncover that a former member, Ginger Foxton, who disappeared 30 years before and was presumed dead, could still be alive. The detectives enter a world of rock music, drugs, grudges, and greed to find the killer. | |||||||
56 | 5 | "Death and Dust" | Sarah Hellings | Douglas Watkinson | 8 May 2007 | 6.18 | |
When popular GP, Dr. Alan Delaney, borrows fellow Dr. James Kirkwood's new car to do an evening call-out, he is mysteriously killed in a hit-and-run during a drive through woods in a thunderstorm. Barnaby and Jones start investigating Midsomer Market and discover that James may have been the intended victim. The case leads them to North Wales—the former home of Delyth Mostyn, James's fiancée, to delve further. There are many possible suspects in the murder and attempt on Kirkwood, including Delyth's children, who oppose the engagement, Delyth's husband, and other acquaintances of Doctor Kirkwood. They need to find the truth before a major walk is to take place at Mount Snowdon in hopes of tracking the killer. | |||||||
57 | 6 | "Picture of Innocence" | Richard Holthouse | Andrew Payne | 3 June 2007 | 7.31 | |
In the pretty village of Luxton Deeping, there's a fierce conflict between traditional film and modern digital photographers. When their society's committee decides not to accept digital images at the annual photographic exhibition, it appears to make things worse. It leads to a confrontation in the private view. The following day, Lionel Bell is found murdered in woodland, strangled with the cord of his light meter. The detectives begin to investigate and when it is discovered a villager is trying to implicate Barnaby in the murder, Barnaby is taken off the case. He is replaced by DI Martin Spellman, a colleague, disliked by Tom, who is more interested in his upcoming wedding than catching the culprit. When another photographer winds up dead, Barnaby works off the case to find out who is framing him and bring the guilty to justice. | |||||||
58 | 7 | "They Seek Him Here" | Sarah Hellings | Barry Purchese | 27 April 2008 | 7.98 | |
The inhabitants in the village of Midsomer Magna are in the spotlight, that quite literally, when a production crew descend on the village and impose on the Manor House to film their own version of The Scarlet Pimpernel. Not only the film crew arrive at the set, but a notorious criminal as well, George Ince, lurking around the Manor. When Nick Cheney, the film's director, is found dead by the use of the prop guillotine, the detectives have a bunch of motives to look through. DCI Barnaby and DS Jones are only wading through the many grudges, lies, betrayals, jealousies, and a planned robbery, to get to the truth. | |||||||
59 | 8 | "Death in a Chocolate Box" | Richard Holthouse | Tony Etchells | 11 May 2008 | 6.88 | |
In the village of Midsomer Holm, a rehabilitation scheme for reformed criminals continues. When Ronnie Tyler departs, he gets a good send-off from everyone, including DCI Barnaby. Another attendee is Jack Colby, a disgraced ex-policeman and former colleague of Barnaby. Jack is decidedly frosty towards his once-former friend and refuses to chat. When Jack is later murdered, Barnaby must search for answers in Jack's past for motives. In doing so, dark secrets resurface; and Barnaby must deduce whether Colby's involvement in misconduct at Causton Police Station years earlier could be the key to the case. Shortly afterward, another reformed criminal, Eddie Marston, after taking Ronnie's place, is murdered after attempting blackmail. The detectives need to work through deception, suspicions, lies, and grudges to find an unlikely culprit. |
Series 11 (2008–2010)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Filming Date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
60 | 1 | "Shot at Dawn" | Richard Holthouse | Michael Aitkens | 1 January 2008 | July–August 2007 | 6.62 | |
When the name of Tommy Hicks, who was executed for cowardice and desertion during World War I, is added to the war memorial in Midsomer Parva, the Hicks family are very glad. Tommy's grandson, Dave, the mayor of Causton, revels in the occasion with his father Lionel. However, the descendants of Doug Hammond, one of Tommy's buddies, are much more displeased. Henry Hammond, Doug's son and the patriarch of the Hammond family, is infuriated by the move, having sustained a long-running feud with the Hickses. That evening, a group of pranksters kidnap Henry and force him into a staged battle re-enactment in the village. After they depart, Henry is shot, and his wheelchair is electronically steered to collide with a milk truck. This sets off a feud as the Hammonds accuse Dave of the murder. Things only worsen when Henry's son Johnny is gunned down in front of his house and a bomb is planted in Dave's car, nearly killing him and Lionel. Barnaby and Jones delve deep into the history of both families to track down the killer. | ||||||||
61 | 2 | "Blood Wedding" | Peter Smith | David Lawrence | 6 July 2008 | June–July 2007 | 7.20 | |
As all the preparations are underway for Cully Barnaby's wedding, Ned Fitzroy and Beth Porteous are married in Bledlow village. At the gorgeous reception at Bledlow Hall, the maid of honour, Marina Fellowes, is found by a couple of guests, murdered in an upstairs room. And, with the honeymoon postponed, both the newlyweds and their guests, find themselves being interrogated by the police. Barnaby and Jones find out more about a long family history, and evidence soon points to archery, when a fletching is found at the crime scene. The two detectives investigate so many secrets, lies, deception, and on top of it all, an illegitimate son. These things are made even more complicated to solve when the estate manager is found murdered as well. Last appearance of Simon Dixon, and guest appearance of DI Gavin Troy | ||||||||
62 | 3 | "Left for Dead" | Renny Rye | Michael Crompton | 20 July 2008 | August–September 2007 | 7.25 | |
The village of Dunstan leads Barnaby and Jones to investigate the deaths of a reclusive couple, Ron and Libby Wilson. Early on in the case, they learn that their son Michael, a classmate of Jones in primary school, had been killed in a hit-and-run. Not too far away, a fiery dispute is in full swing, between Jack Drury, a builder who has a very short fuse, and a group of road protesters, protesting about plans for a bypass. With hostilities almost at breaking point, it is not long before both Jack and his brother Mark's wife are murdered, setting the village on edge. Both Barnaby and Jones need to find the link in unlocking the motives behind the murders. | ||||||||
63 | 4 | "Midsomer Life" | Peter Smith | David Hoskins | 13 July 2008 | October–November 2007 | 7.16 | |
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. | ||||||||
64 | 5 | "The Magician's Nephew" | Richard Holthouse | Michael Russell | 27 July 2008 | November–December 2007 | 7.01 | |
During a children's magic show, a performer assisting with a trick is poisoned whilst on stage. It is found that the poison came from a species of Ecuadorean frog. Barnaby and Jones discover that conflict is once again brewing between a village occult guide and enthusiast Ernest Baillol and famous writer Aloysius Wilmington, who are both searching for a treasured antique book on the subject. When others fall victim, they need to work out whether it was spellbinding, magical sorcery, something in times gone by, or a combination of them all to catch the killer. | ||||||||
65 | 6 | "Days of Misrule" | Renny Rye | Elizabeth-Anne Wheal | 24 December 2008 | February–March 2008 | 5.89 | |
A team-building exercise is imminently planned by a new acting Chief Superintendent John Cotton, and Barnaby and Jones are very reluctant to take part. Following an explosion in a truck at a haulage yard, both the detectives see the opportunity as a distraction to investigate. It is not long after that a body is discovered in a trunk that resurfaces from the nearby lake. It is identified as Alec Grainger, a man who had been arguing with James Parkes, the son of Colonel Matt Parkes. Shortly thereafter, James is murdered in his father's bird hide. Suspects and motives abound, with a mix of loyalty, smuggling, fraud, and lies to look into. | ||||||||
66 | 7 | "Talking to the Dead" | Sarah Hellings | David Lawrence | 5 May 2010 | March–April 2008 | 5.92 | |
In the village of Monks Barton, two couples seemingly disappear from their cottages. When Barnaby and Jones arrive, they just learn about the legendary and mysterious haunted woods. And shortly after, a body is found in a shallow grave, giving Barnaby and Jones an accurate description of one of the "missing" persons. The detectives have to delve much deeper into the woods and beyond, to find the answer. All these ghosts, are they all really responsible for the murders, or is it all just a coincidence? Note: This episode was delayed until 2010: it finally aired on ITV one week before the episode, "The Made-to-Measure Murders" . |
Series 12 (2009–2010)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
67 | 1 | "The Dogleg Murders" | Richard Holthouse | Andrew Payne | 22 July 2009 | 6.14 | |
Down at the prestigious Whiteoaks Golf Club, there is much rivalry and snobbery amongst its members. When bully Alistair Kingslake is coerced into the thicket to look for his ball on the notorious 13th hole, known as Crisp's Folly, he is bludgeoned to death. There are many suspects, from fellow members, several villagers who only have limited time on the course, and the club's staff. It is not long before another member is found stabbed in woodland close to the course, and Barnaby and Jones unearth hidden secrets, gambling, illegal money lending, and assault to catch the killer. | |||||||
69 | 2 | "Secrets and Spies" | Renny Rye | Michael Aitkens | 5 August 2009 | 6.28 | |
Former secret agent Geoffrey Larkin arrives in the village of Midsomer Parva and heads for a visit to Allenby House, a country manor run by former spies, the Frazer family, as a safe house. With an air of hostility towards Geoffrey, it is not long before he is murdered, by some who blame the 'beast of Midsomer', who believe the creature exists. Barnaby, a former spy himself, gets involved in the case. With a break-in at the local museum, a cricket match, rivalries, and secret loves, other murders take place and Barnaby soon suspects the killing of Larkin has links to Allenby House and Cold War-era Berlin. He is dropped from the case by MI6 and soon reappointed by MI6 Agent Glen Jarvis to close the case and bring the guilty to justice. | |||||||
68 | 3 | "The Black Book" | Peter Smith | Nicholas Martin | 29 July 2009 | 6.90 | |
When a newly discovered treasure by the 19th-century landscape artist Henry Hogson makes an impression, it is later sold at auction for £400,000. Shortly after, Felicity Law, the previous owner of the artwork, is tortured and killed. The following day another Hogson is stolen in a burglary and Barnaby finds himself having to investigate both. Meanwhile, Graham Spate, Felicity's assistant, is also tortured to death, and a historian who is researching Hogson is found with his throat slashed. In order to solve these crimes, Barnaby needs to become an expert on Hogson with the help of art teacher Matilda Simms (Susannah Harker), and they uncover many hidden secrets, deception, and more...where nothing and no one is what they seem. | |||||||
70 | 4 | "The Glitch" | Richard Holthouse | Michael Russell | 23 September 2009 | 6.34 | |
George Jeffers, a professor of Midsomer University and cycling enthusiast, threatens to go public with his state-of-the-art invention Kernel Logic. This angers the American software boss Clinton Finn, who fears he will lose millions if the truth is exposed. When schoolteacher Emily Harte is killed in a hit-and-run, which was meant to kill Jeffers, things become more complicated. | |||||||
71 | 5 | "Small Mercies" | Peter Smith | Peter J. Hammond | 28 October 2009 | 6.43 | |
In Little Worthy, model maker Bob Moss is just going to open his beloved model village when he stumbles across the body of Richard Tanner, stabbed and tied down like Gulliver in the stories of Lilliput. Barnaby and Jones start questioning all the villagers and discover many quirky characters in the process. When the girl Richard was secretly meeting on the grounds of the model village is murdered during the Crazy Craft Race, they realize that someone is not as innocent as they first appear. | |||||||
72 | 6 | "The Creeper" | Renny Rye | Andrew Payne | 27 January 2010 | 6.35 | |
A cat burglar known as 'the Creeper' could be responsible not just for burglaries, but also for murder when a writer, David Roper, is found smothered to death in his bed on the Chettham family estate, a few days after arriving. 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; secrets that would make someone quite uneasy and edgy. 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 crime and finally uncover the Creeper's identity. | |||||||
73 | 7 | "The Great and the Good" | Richard Holthouse | David Hoskins | 14 April 2010 | 5.46 | |
A school teacher, Connie Bishop (Nancy Carroll), who is known to sleepwalk, begins to believe that she has slit the throats of her mentor and a local handyman. Her friends are not convinced that she is to blame; neither is Barnaby. A local philanthropist and his social-climbing wife are planning the annual Frobisher night -- will it go ahead without a hitch? The detectives begin to piece the puzzle together and catch the killer. |
Series 13 (2010–2011)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
74 | 1 | "The Made-to-Measure Murders" | Peter Smith | Andrew Payne | 12 May 2010 | 5.53 | |
The villagers of Milton Cross depend on lord of the manor Edward Milton for their jobs and income. When Sonia Woodley is found murdered in the churchyard two years after the death of her abusive husband Gerald, the murder weapon is tailor's shears — but which one of the villagers is responsible? Barnaby and Jones arrive at Woodley and Woodley tailors to discover that the vicar had received a letter from Sonia a few days before. When the vicar is also murdered shortly afterwards, the police need to uncover what was written in the letter to solve the mystery. | |||||||
75 | 2 | "The Sword of Guillaume" | Renny Rye | Michael Aitkens | 10 February 2010 | 7.02 | |
During a council meeting, Causton Mayor Dave Hicks announces plans for a Chamber of Commerce exchange trip with Brighton. Barnaby suspects the mayor's proposal to buy coastal land there is a fraud and reluctantly joins the party. But during their time in Brighton, hated property developer, Hugh Dalgleish, is beheaded, on a ghost train ride. The detectives, together with Tom's cousin, DCI John Barnaby, must investigate who is responsible and which village the culprit is from before other murders take place. | |||||||
76 | 3 | "Blood on the Saddle" | Richard Holthouse | David Lawrence | 8 September 2010 | 6.07 | |
Ford Florey is anything but quiet when the Wild West Society bring their show and fair, consisting of many stalls and a shooting re-enactment. And the witch on the 'Dunk the Witch' stall gets truly dunked, and things go horribly wrong when the water starts turning red. Barnaby and Jones have to be alert, with a shooter in their midst now. With many grudges, fits of jealousy, and a dispute over the wasteland known as 'the swamp' as possible motives, it is not long before more people turn up dead, and they finally catch the killer. | |||||||
77 | 4 | "The Silent Land" | Peter Smith | Peter J. Hammond | 22 September 2010 | 5.45 | |
On a dark night in the village of March Magna, Joyce Barnaby swerves her car, and she narrowly misses a shadowy figure in the road. Shortly after, a body is found in the local old cemetery. The victim, Gerald Ebbs, was a member of the council and of the village's library. It is discovered from the villagers that Gerald had had a strange fixation on both the old hospital and the cemetery, in particular a grave, from within. Barnaby and Jones delve deeper into his background and to the village, to look for answers for why he was killed. In doing so they enter a world of ghost stories, grudges, secret friendships, and a deeper dive beneath the village's facade. | |||||||
78 | 5 | "Master Class" | Renny Rye | Nicholas Martin | 6 October 2010 | 6.10 | |
Devington Manor Winter School, led by an internationally renowned musician Sir Michael Fielding, is a magnet for the many aspiring piano students. Amongst the latest batch of students is Zoe Stock, a gifted young lady. Whilst on the grounds of the manor, and by the riverbank, Zoe sees a woman jump from the bridge and then she disappears in the water. When Barnaby and Jones start their enquiries into the possible drowning, they discover many shady connections to the past. Secrets begin to slowly emerge and then the murder attempts seem to befall Zoe, and eventually her boyfriend is murdered. The detectives need to investigate the school, students and their parents, to find the reason behind the murders. | |||||||
79 | 6 | "The Noble Art" | Richard Holthouse | Barry Purchese | 13 October 2010 | 5.70 | |
When famous boxer John Kinsella wins a world title in the city of New York, the villagers of Midsomer Morchard are so overjoyed at his success. Shortly afterwards a solicitor is found dead by his assistant and Kinsella's manager. Barnaby and Jones start to find out what’s really going on, and they come across infidelity, anger, betrayals, and blackmail in their investigation. Then a Victorian prize-fight re-enactment turns nasty and Kinsella's manager is found murdered in his home's gym. Without knowing, Barnaby turns a blind eye to the case, and his judgement just seems to be clouded. But in the end, he realises that he trusted the wrong person, and the killer is brought to justice. | |||||||
80 | 7 | "Not in My Back Yard" | Peter Smith | J.C. Wilsher | 12 January 2011 | 6.93 | |
The Midsomer Conservation Society are up in arms, when a recent new build, called Swanscombe House, is a highlight of an open garden day. Everything leads to an ugly confrontation between a couple of its members and those responsible for the planning application, design, and build, the people of which are suspected of involvement in the money-making scam. Political squabbles, burglaries, and sexual liaisons all come to the fore in picturesque Great Pelfe. When the owner of the house is stabbed to death, and the architect's neck is crushed by a malfunctioning sliding door, will Barnaby catch the culprit? | |||||||
81 | 8 | "Fit for Murder" | Renny Rye | Andrew Payne | 2 February 2011 | 8.10 | |
A spa weekend at Swavely Manor proves far from relaxing when Tom and Joyce arrive. It starts stressfully and goes rather downhill when a female client is found murdered in a flotation chamber. Joyce found her body, and Barnaby decides to take a break from his spa treatment to investigate the case alongside Jones. The mystery deepens when the woman's husband disappears in the middle of the night shortly afterwards. Tom worries about his future, and it seems to distract him a lot from the murder case. With grudges, hostility, betrayals, and hidden secrets in the mix, other bodies soon start turning up at the Spa Hotel. Barnaby and Jones delve in to find all the motives behind this case, finally catching the murderer. And when the murder case is solved, Barnaby announces his impending retirement as DCI at Causton CID, and tells them that he is handing the baton over to his cousin, John. Last appearance of Tom Barnaby, Joyce Barnaby, Cully Barnaby, and DC Gail Stephens |
Series 14 (2011–2012)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
82 | 1 | "Death in the Slow Lane" | Richard Holthouse | Michael Aitkens | 23 March 2011 | 6.44 | |
New Causton DCI John Barnaby arrives in Midsomer county and 'feels all at sea' with its many quirky inhabitants and villages. The death of a local DJ, who had been asked to help judge a vintage car rally, brings Barnaby and Jones to the prestigious Darnley Park Girls School, where the event is being held and the DJ was crushed by the crank handle of the car he was trying to start. The two detectives look for motives, exploring hidden secrets, drugs, deception, and disappointments along the way, before Barnaby finds himself in a difficult situation with the killer. First appearance of Sykes the dog | |||||||
83 | 2 | "Dark Secrets" | Simon Langton | Michael Aitkens | 30 March 2011 | 6.32 | |
The lives of elderly eccentrics William and Mary Bingham come under police investigation when a social services inspector is found dead in the river, apparently from a canoeing accident. It brings with it many hidden secrets that the reclusive couple may wish to keep concealed. But when a tower of newspapers topples over — to make murder look like an accident? — it's left to both Barnaby and Jones to identify the killer and find the truth. First appearance of Sarah Barnaby | |||||||
84 | 3 | "Echoes of the Dead" | Nick Laughland | Peter J. Hammond | 20 April 2011 | 5.47 | |
Many strange goings on, oddities, and a feeling of history repeating itself permeates the village of Great Worthy, when the body of a young woman is found drowned and dressed as a bride. A series of gruesome murders makes it seems no one is safe. DCI Barnaby and DS Jones's enquiries lead them to a donkey sanctuary, a heritage steam railway, and the village pub run by other quirky residents, before bringing the guilty to justice. | |||||||
85 | 4 | "The Oblong Murders" | Renny Rye | David Hoskins | 25 May 2011 | 5.33 | |
DS Jones is asked to work undercover after one of the Oblong Foundation's cult members, Lucy Oliver, suddenly disappears. When the detectives hear stories in the village, including that of a couple who died in a boat explosion, they begin to unravel many secrets that someone is desperate to keep quiet by any means possible, and it seems both crimes could be connected. Only time will tell if Lucy can be found and they catch the villain. Last appearance of Dr. George Bullard | |||||||
86 | 5 | "The Sleeper Under the Hill" | Nick Laughland | David Lawrence | 21 September 2011 | 5.83 | |
Farmer Alex Preston's dead body is found on his land in the centre of Crowcall stone circle just days before the spring equinox. Suspicions point to the New Dawn Druids, who had been angered over Preston's plans to plough the meadow, making the sacred place inaccessible. With infidelity, betrayals, superstitions, deception, and many hidden treasures, there's so much to look into, before two further deaths rock Midsomer Mow. First appearance of Dr. Kate Wilding | |||||||
87 | 6 | "The Night of the Stag" | Simon Langton | Nicholas Martin | 12 October 2011 | 6.04 | |
Peter Slim, a tax inspector searching for illicit alcohol, goes missing shortly before the Midsomer Abbas spring fair. And the fair is a celebration of the village’s friendship with Midsomer Herne, with Barnaby and Jones also attending. It becomes more lively when the temperance parson, Reverend Grigor, and his followers show up, asking the people to repent of their intoxicating ways. Upon sampling the cider, Barnaby is suddenly very ill, and just moments afterwards, the body of Peter Slim is found, floating in one of the cider barrels. Meanwhile, Samuel Quested, a villager and the pub landlord of Midsomer Abbas, seeks to revive the ancient rite known as 'The Stag,' leading the police to finally catch the killer. | |||||||
88 | 7 | "A Sacred Trust" | Renny Rye | Rachel Cuperman and Sally Griffiths | 26 October 2011 | 6.38 | |
Barnaby and Jones enter the cloistered world of Midsomer Priory to investigate the death of Mother Thomas Aquinas, who had been strangled. The complexity of the case involves exploring the diverse leads of missing antique silver, holy orders, teenage romantic liaisons, and African art to find the person responsible. | |||||||
89 | 8 | "A Rare Bird" | Nick Laughland | Steve Trafford | 11 January 2012 | 6.43 | |
A village meeting of bird watchers descends into a lively affair when trivial squabbles break out. When their society's president, Patrick Morgan, is found murdered shortly afterwards, the detectives need to work out whether it was obsession with ornithology or if it just was something else, and they have to delve into the lives of the villagers of Midsomer-in-the-Marsh to find out. |
Series 15 (2012–2013)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
90 | 1 | "The Dark Rider" | Alex Pillai | Michael Aitkens | 1 February 2012 | 6.94 | |
When eccentric Bentham DeQuetteville goes out onto the roof to try to fix a broken flag during a thunderstorm, he falls to his death after seeing 'the headless horseman'. His rather blue-blooded family seem to not worry about the incident, with more attention given to their upcoming Civil War re-enactment. With the ghostly figure making more appearances and several murders, Barnaby and Jones must delve further into the lives of the family to find the truth. | |||||||
91 | 2 | "Murder of Innocence" | Renny Rye | Elizabeth-Anne Wheal | 21 March 2012 | 5.60 | |
When convicted murderer Grady Felton gets released from prison and returns to Binwell Village, where he grew up and the murder took place, the villagers are very angered. But when a barrister is killed shortly after his arrival, Grady's alibi is rock solid. Barnaby soon suspects that Grady has an accomplice until Grady himself is targeted in an arson attack. That nothing is what it seems to be adds to the complexity. | |||||||
92 | 3 | "Written in the Stars" | Renny Rye | Steve Trafford | 24 September 2012 | 5.05 | |
As darkness covers Midsomer Stanton, where the Astronomical Society has gathered on Moonstone Ridge to observe a total eclipse of the sun, amateur astronomer Jeremy Harper is killed by a blow to the head with a meteorite. Many suspects and motives abound, and Barnaby and Jones discover anger, intrigue, sexual tension, and academic rivalry are rife amongst the stargazing community. | |||||||
93 | 4 | "Death and the Divas" | Nick Laughland | Rachel Cuperman and Sally Griffiths | 2 January 2013 | 6.49 | |
When Eve Lomax, a film journalist, writing a book about 1960s horror actress Stella Harris is found dead in Midsomer Langley, it appears her neck was punctured by a vampire. Shortly after Stella's more famous sister Diana Davenport returns to the village after a 40-year-old family rift. The series of killings continue, each depicting similar deaths from Stella's films. Barnaby and Jones finally discover who is behind the crimes. | |||||||
94 | 5 | "The Sicilian Defence" | Alex Pillai | Paul Logue | 9 January 2013 | 6.95 | |
Harriet Farmer wakes up, after being in a coma for almost a year. Shortly after running away to elope with her boyfriend, Finn Robson, Harriet had been left for dead in local woodland. Barnaby and Jones look into whether the attack could be connected to rivalry in a chess club, whose members are very competitive. Before long, Harriet starts remembering that night, leading to her possibly revealing who attacked her and where is her boyfriend Finn? The detectives need to solve chess notation to identify the culprit. | |||||||
95 | 6 | "Schooled in Murder" | Andy Hay | Lisa Holdsworth | 30 January 2013 | 6.89 | |
Midsomer Pastures is on the map due to its famous connection with producing the Midsomer Blue cheese. When Debbie Moffett is lured to the caves and is subsequently bludgeoned by a stale wheel of cheese, it leads the detectives to investigate secret and controversial plans to modernize the dairy as well as the private lives of the parents of children at the local preparatory school in the same village. When more cheesemakers are killed, long-held hidden secrets about the dairy, school, and the villagers are revealed and play a key role to catch the killer. Last regular appearance of DS Ben Jones |
Series 16 (2013–2014)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
96 | 1 | "The Christmas Haunting" | Nick Laughland | Chris Murray | 24 December 2013 | 4.92 | |
DCI Barnaby, assisted by new DS Nelson, arrives in the village of Morton Shallows, to investigate the death of a visitor during a ghost-hunting party at the local Manor House. The murder victim had been stabbed with an antique sword. The Manor itself is said to have a haunted reputation by some, when legendary stories of a blacksmith's daughter are told. With many secrets to uncover, will they find the true motive behind the murder, before more take place? First appearance of DS Charlie Nelson | |||||||
97 | 2 | "Let Us Prey" | Alex Pillai | Paul Logue | 8 January 2014 | 6.06 | |
When a medieval fresco is unearthed after being recently discovered in the church crypt of Midsomer St Claire, it starts a series of murders, inspired by many macabre illustrations, and appears that someone is prepared to stop hidden secrets from resurfacing. And as the village prepares for storms and flooding, will Barnaby and Nelson be able to catch the murderer now? | |||||||
98 | 3 | "Wild Harvest" | Renny Rye | Rachel Cuperman & Sally Griffiths | 15 January 2014 | 6.24 | |
When the body of farmer Martin Strickland is found in woodland, on his own land, it is discovered that he was covered in truffle oil and mauled to death by a wild boar. Barnaby and Nelson head to Midsomer Wyvern. The village is known as the home to Wyvern House, an upmarket, picturesque country house restaurant, run by a passionate celebrity chef, Ruth Cameron. The detectives now race to find the motive for the murder, as Martin's daughter is also killed, and attempts are made on the lives of other staff of Wyvern House. | |||||||
99 | 4 | "The Flying Club" | Luke Watson | Michael Aitkens | 5 February 2014 | 6.05 | |
When the owner of Finchmere airfield, Bernard King, is dropped from a plane to meet his demise, Barnaby and Nelson enter a world of stunt pilots and military heroes. Upon investigating, they discover many good hidden secrets, from unrequited love, sabotage, deception, smuggling, and blackmail. Could anti-aircraft campaigners be to blame, or does it link back to a tragic mission in World War II? Barnaby and Nelson hope to 'reach for the skies' in their pursuit of finding the killer. | |||||||
100 | 5 | "The Killings of Copenhagen" | Alex Pillai | Paul Logue | 12 February 2014 | 6.54 | |
Eric Calder, Chairman and boss of Calder's Biscuits, is found murdered whilst on a business trip in Copenhagen, shortly after he had opened a box of Calder's biscuit, which had been laced with Strychnine coating. It is discovered the tin had been sent from the village of Badger's Drift, home to Calder's firm. The detectives team up with two female Danish police, to investigate, where many suspects and motives abound to unravel the mystery. |
Series 17 (2015)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
101 | 1 | "The Dagger Club" | Alex Pillai | Chris Murray | 28 January 2015 | 5.91 | |
The crime festival and book fair opens in the village of Luxton Deeping. Shortly after, an announcement is made, during a meeting of a newly discovered manuscript by the late crime writer George Summersbee. When the manuscript is stolen and a woman is found dead after spinning a roulette wheel trap, Barnaby and Nelson know they are set to work to uncover many secrets and obsessions within the village. | |||||||
102 | 2 | "Murder by Magic" | Charles Palmer | Rachel Cuperman & Sally Griffiths | 4 February 2015 | 5.59 | |
When the village church becomes the setting for a magic show by famous illusionist Gideon Latimer, it starts a series of mysterious events in Midsomer Oaks, when pub landlady and pianist Hannah Altman is crushed during the opening set piece. After the box that Gideon had made his entrance in suddenly falls, Kate Wilding discovers the safety wires had been sabotaged, leading Barnaby and Nelson to wonder if Gideon had been the real target. More murders follow and the police need to act quickly to catch the killer and find out why. | |||||||
103 | 3 | "The Ballad of Midsomer County" | Renny Rye | Paul Logue | 11 February 2015 | 5.39 | |
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. | |||||||
104 | 4 | "A Vintage Murder" | Nick Laughland | Lisa Holdsworth | 18 February 2015 | 5.03 | |
The launch of the latest sparking wine, which is produced by the Carnarvon Estate Winery in Midsomer Vinae, loses all its fizz when wine critic Nadia Simons gives it a very harsh review. Moments later, guests who had been sampling the vintage start collapsing. Owner William Carnarvon suspects the Farmers' Wives' Association of trying to destroy his business. Kate Wilding tells Barnaby and Nelson that the glasses had been laced with slug poison. Many suspects and motives abound; could the unforgettable wine launch be connected to the death of a village girl in a hit and run? The detectives set out to piece the puzzle together. Last appearance of Dr. Kate Wilding |
Series 18 (2016)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
105 | 1 | "Habeas Corpus" | Alex Pillai | Rachel Cuperman & Sally Griffiths | 6 January 2016 | 6.04 | |
When wealthy landowner Gregory Lancaster's body goes missing on the night of his death, it starts a series of mysterious events in the village of Little Malton. DCI Barnaby, DS Nelson, and new forensic pathologist Kam Karimore enter a very macabre world of body-snatching. Nothing is quite what it seems, and when another strange event takes place, the detectives set out to catch the culprit. | |||||||
106 | 2 | "The Incident at Cooper Hill" | Renny Rye | Paul Logue | 13 January 2016 | 5.90 | |
Nothing prepares a forest ranger, when upon driving through the forest, she suddenly gets stopped by mysterious lights in the sky over UFO hotspot Cooper Hill. She subsequently disappears from her truck. UFO spotters visiting the site of her disappearance are convinced alien activity is to blame. When her dead body is found, Barnaby and Nelson share the spotters' thoughts, and their investigation brings them to the local RAF base. The detectives discover suspicions, betrayals, and long held buried secrets going back over twenty years. They also unearth that secret research was being conducted at the RAF base, too, using aerial spying equipment. The case also leads them to uncover secret affairs between villagers and RAF personnel to catch the culprit responsible. | |||||||
107 | 3 | "Breaking the Chain" | Rob Evans | Chris Murray | 27 January 2016 | 5.80 | |
The village of Burwood Mantle is hosting an international cycling competition, when the race leader defies orders, beats his teammate to the finishing line, and is subsequently murdered. It literally opens up many jealousies and betrayals amongst his fellow competitors, with sponsorship concerns, blackmail, bribery, and more to explore, before more murder occurs. | |||||||
108 | 4 | "A Dying Art" | Matt Carter | Jeff Povey | 3 February 2016 | 5.54 | |
Art is the setting in the village of Angel's Rise, with the opening of a new Sculpture Park. But on the night of its opening, Brandon Monkford is found murdered, beside one of the centrepiece sculptures. DCI Barnaby and DS Nelson have to work their way through jealousies, betrayals, and lies to crack the case. | |||||||
109 | 5 | "Saints and Sinners" | Renny Rye | Lisa Holdsworth | 10 February 2016 | 5.83 | |
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. | |||||||
110 | 6 | "Harvest of Souls" | Nick Laughland | Caleb Ranson | 17 February 2016 | 5.60 | |
When the annual harvest fair arrives in the village of Whitcombe Mallet, it reopens old wounds for some villagers. After the son of an equestrian centre owner is found trampled by his own horse, the detectives have to look into a case with much complexity that has its roots in the past, in order to solve an investigation where nothing is what it seems. Last appearance of DS Charlie Nelson and Sykes the dog |
Series 19 (2016–2018)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | UK air date | Filming Date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
111 | 1 | "The Village That Rose from the Dead" | Nick Laughland | Rachel Cuperman & Sally Griffiths | 18 December 2016 | April–May 2016 | 5.68 | |
All the villagers of Great Auburn come out in force to see the grand re-opening of Little Auburn, a village abandoned by the army, ever since the end of World War Two. Upon exploration, Finn Thornberry, one of the people who had submitted plans for its redevelopment, is found killed, hit by a military tank. When Roderick Craven, and his brother, Milo, are found murdered as well, DCI Barnaby and new DS Jamie Winter find out that it all is about inheritance, and the question arises whether the murderer is related to Roderick and Milo Craven. First appearance of DS Jamie Winter and Paddy the dog | ||||||||
112 | 2 | "Crime and Punishment" | Renny Rye | Paul Logue | 4 January 2017 | May–June 2016 | 6.25 | |
The Bleakridge Watch think they are the law, ruling over the villagers' lives and businesses within the remote backwater of Bleakridge. When the village butcher and Watch member is found murdered in his shop, the police set to work to uncover many hidden secrets amongst the villagers to identify the guilty. | ||||||||
113 | 3 | "Last Man Out" | Matt Carter | Jeff Povey | 11 January 2017 | June–July 2016 | 6.55 | |
Lower Pampling sees a cricket tournament, breaking with the tradition in the village, with a new format that is seen as somewhat controversial by some. But when cricketer Leo Henderson is murdered in the club's training shed, DCI Barnaby and DS Winter find out that this case is about gambling, bribery, burglary, and the disappearance of a local woman. Former DS Ben Jones, now promoted to DI, returns to Midsomer, helping Barnaby and Winter to uncover the truth about the tournament, to put a stop to the match fixing that got a chance to blossom beneath the surface. Guest appearance of DI Ben Jones | ||||||||
114 | 4 | "Red in Tooth & Claw" | Steve Hughes | Lisa Holdsworth | 18 January 2017 | August–September 2016 | 5.98 | |
When the annual summer pet show comes to the village of Bellville, it is somewhat rocked by the murder of a local estate agent, Seb Huntington, discovered in the marquee, surrounded by live rabbits. DCI Barnaby and DS Winter explore whether the motive was animal-rights activism, theft of one of the prize-winning pets, or something more sinister, to catch the culprit. | ||||||||
115 | 5 | "Death by Persuasion" | Alex Pillai | Chris Murray | 13 May 2018 | September–October 2016 | 5.82 | |
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 by a quill. It is discovered that she was a journalist curious about the village's new trial drone delivery programme for healthcare. Both Barnaby and Winter find themselves with many suspects and motives, and work out that the answer lies in the past. | ||||||||
116 | 6 | "The Curse of the Ninth" | Matt Carter | Julia Gilbert | 20 May 2018 | October–November 2016 | 4.98 | |
After a musical concert in the village church, the winner of the Falconer Award is announced. It leads to many shocked and disappointed people, both fellow musicians and audience members. When a body is found and with the disappearance of a treasured Stradivarius violin, Barnaby and Winter delve into rivalry, disappointments, disagreements, and hidden identities to catch the killer. Last appearance of Dr. Kam Karimore |
Series 20 (2019-2020)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | UK air date | Filming Date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
117 | 1 | "The Ghost of Causton Abbey" | Matt Carter | Helen Jenkins | 10 March 2019 | March–April 2017 | 6.39 | |
Causton is buzzing at the opening of a new brewery on the site of a famously cursed Abbey. With the unveiling of a new beer, excitement turns to fear when a man is found boiled to death in one of the vats. Could this really be about beer? DCI Barnaby and DS Winter will need to work out the clues to catch the killer. | ||||||||
118 | 2 | "Death of the Small Coppers" | Paul Harrison | Chris Murray | 17 March 2019 | April–May 2017 | 6.00 | |
When Mahesh Sidana—butterfly collector and founding member of an elite IQ society—is found murdered, pinned to a wall in a manner akin to his treasured butterfly specimens, DCI Barnaby and DS Winter are thrust into a crime that has impacts not only on their community, but internationally. With the help of an old friend, can they catch the culprit before another victim is found? This episode contains 20 'Easter eggs'—objects that make fleeting reference to previous episodes. | ||||||||
119 | 3 | "Drawing Dead" | Toby Frow | Jeff Povey | 19 May 2019 | May–June 2017 | 4.76 | |
Carver Valley's seventh comic festival is in full swing when the village is shocked by the murder of a former supermodel. With a scathing comic magazine shaming several villagers as the only lead, Barnaby and Winter are left trying to separate fact from fiction, as nothing is what it seems. | ||||||||
120 | 4 | "The Lions of Causton" | Matt Carter | Nick Hicks-Beach | 26 August 2019 | June–July 2017 | 4.65 | |
A death at Stubbington Hall Sports Club, home to the rugby of Causton Lions, brings DCI Barnaby and DS Winter to the club investigating a muddle of rucks, old grudges, and new romances. Where do artisanal chocolates fit into the case? | ||||||||
121 | 5 | "Till Death Do Us Part" | Audrey Cooke | Helen Jenkins | 6 January 2020 | July–August 2017 | 5.59 | |
Barnaby and wife Sarah are in attendance at a family friend's wedding, the wedding of Laurel Newman and Gavin Webster. Barnaby is less than impressed to be dragged along. During the reception, the newly-wed bride disappears. Again Barnaby has to work on a case to investigate and find the murderer with an apparent penchant for local brides. | ||||||||
122 | 6 | "Send in the Clowns" | Nick Laughland | Julia Gilbert | 14 January 2020 | August–September 2017 | 5.12 | |
Things take a gruesome turn when Ferabbees Circus comes to town, bringing with it a chain of sinister clown sightings, threatening notes, and deathly dangerous circus acts. Barnaby will have to face up to his fears in order to solve the case. |
Series 21 (2020-2021)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | UK air date | Filming Date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
123 | 1 | "The Point of Balance" | Audrey Cooke | Nick Hicks-Beach | 21 January 2020 | March–April 2019 | 4.82 | |
Midsomer is buzzing with excitement at the arrival of the annual 'Paramount Dance Extravaganza'. But behind the sequins and smiles are deep running feuds and passions, and when the stakes are high, the desire to win can outweigh just about anything. | ||||||||
124 | 2 | "The Miniature Murders" | Toby Frow | Helen Jenkins | 4 February 2020 | May–June 2019 | 5.62 | |
The worlds of miniature dolls houses and real houses collide when prolific real estate agent Alexander Beauvoisin is murdered in front of a crowd at the unveiling of a new dolls house Collection at Midsomer Museum of the Family. | ||||||||
125 | 3 | "The Sting of Death" | Matt Carter | Julia Gilbert | 21 March 2021 | April–May 2019 | 5.56 | |
Beautiful manor house, Apley Court, on the edge of the village of Granville Norton, is home to historic hives that produce ‘Apley Gold’ honey, the valuable top-of-the-range honey. Bee obsessive lord of the manor, Ambrose Deddington, is the eighth generation of honey producers at Apley Court, and is the survivor of a life-threatening cancer, for which he cites a combination of Apley Gold and bee venom from his own famous bees as his saviour. And with the whole unyielding support of his sister Tamara, his faith in its extraordinary healing power has brought Ambrose success, wealth, and a dedicated following of Apitherapy devotees. | ||||||||
126 | 4 | "With Baited Breath" | Jennie Darnell | Jeff Povey | 28 March 2021 | July–August 2019 | 4.94 | |
Tensions run high in the village of Solomon Gorge when a fishing competition and extreme obstacle course are scheduled for the same weekend. It is not long before both groups start sabotaging each other's event. Will both Barnaby and Winter discover whether the legendary lake creature exists and find the culprit before a murder takes place? |
Series 22 (2021)[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | UK air date | Filming Date | Viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
127 | 1 | "The Wolf Hunter of Little Worthy" | Matt Carter | Chris Murray | 4 April 2021 | October–November 2020 | 5.18 | |
Jez Gladberry is found murdered in the woods, with several bruises on his face from a metal claw, and a shot in the head from a silver bullet. A while later, a young woman is found killed, hanging from a gravestone, with a funeral wreath around her neck. Some time before the murders, a local photographer, Steve Skelton, won a competition with his own creation of The Wolf Hunter. Has the myth about The Wolf Hunter started just like a murderous reality, or does the killer want to put the blame on Steve who created The Wolf Hunter? It seems that a feeling of being lonely and being abandoned is what this case is all about. | ||||||||
128 | 2 | "The Stitcher Society" | Roberto Bangura | Jeff Povey | 11 April 2021 | November–December 2020 | 4.99 | |
Toby Wagner was accused of the murder of Viola Deepdale. Now he tries to settle down in the village of Tamworth Springs in Midsomer. By doing so, he wants to join The Stitcher Society, which is not very well received by the other members. Reuben Tooms, the husband of Alberta Tooms, sister of the late Viola Deepdale, wants them to believe that Toby is innocent. The following morning, Reuben is found murdered with a chinai stick stuck in his chest. It turns out that Reuben had initiated a relationship with Julia Steinem, the sister of Toby Wagner, which might have led him into a very difficult spot. Shortly after, Georgie Tremayne is murdered at the society’s premises, and they believe that she might have talked to Reuben about Toby the same night that he was killed. Then a third person dies when firing a shotgun, which only struck back at him instead. The real murderer behind Viola’s death wants to conceal the crime, but in the end, the real killer is found, and Toby can now live the life that he wants, as a new and free man in Midsomer. | ||||||||
129 | 3 | "Happy Families" | Audrey Cooke | Nick Hicks-Beach | 3 October 2021 | January–February 2021 | 4.58 | |
People are gathered at the Hulton Manor to celebrate Victor Karras' 70th birthday. His wife, Eleanor, believed it only seemed fitting to build that celebration upon a game, to arrange a murder mystery weekend on that special occasion. But the celebration only turns quite in an opposite direction, when Victor Karras falls down the stairs, poisoned by cyanide. Barnaby comes along, with Fleur and Winter, and they start to talk to the people who attended the celebration. The same evening the ferry stops working, and Barnaby and Winter are stuck at Hulton Manor. Hugo Welles is later found murdered, and Barnaby and Winter realise the victims might have known something to reveal the murderer, and the person’s true identity. | ||||||||
130 | 4 | "The Scarecrow Murders" | Christine Lalla | Helen Jenkins | TBA | March–April 2021 | TBA | |
Naomi Ashworth is found murdered at the start of the annual scarecrow festival in Midsomer, sitting by one of the festival’s straw creations. Naomi was well liked, but appears to have had a secret that few people really knew about. Later on, Reverend Oscar Hayden and Thea Stannard are found murdered, next to some of the festival’s straw creations, just like Naomi Ashworth was found. It turns out that the scarecrow festival only is a diversion, and that the real meaning behind has links to gambling problems. Barnaby and Winter learn that among all the people involved, some of them will do just about anything to win. | ||||||||
131 | 5 | "For Death Prepare" | Toby Frow | Julia Gilbert | TBA | April–May 2021 | TBA | |
Sarah Barnaby has got a part in a role play by The Midsomer Mummers, the company responsible for amateur opera. But during the rehearsals, a man is found murdered at the stage inside a treasure chest, concealed underneath the treasures. Fleur Perkins tells Barnaby and Winter that the person might have been dead for some days already when he was found. | ||||||||
132 | 6 | "The Witches of Angel’s Rise" | Gill Wilkinson | Maria Ward | TBA | May–June 2021 | TBA | |
When the body of Tilly Mulroney is found surrounded by ritual symbols on the night of Angel’s Rise Psychic Fayre, Barnaby and Winter step into a world of spirituality to find out who’s responsible for Tilly’s death. And when another person is found murdered in the woods, hanging upside down from a tree, the murder case takes a new turn--if the person in question did find out something about Tilly and her death that would expose the murderer. It later turns out that the accidental death of a young woman, Bea Saint-Stephens is essential to this murder case, and the murderer won’t listen to the people who believe that Bea is still alive. |
Series 23 (TBA)[]
References[]
- ^ The Guardian (2 January 2008). "Midsomer shines for ITV". London. Retrieved 9 April 2008.
- ^ John Nettles#cite ref-Telegraph-2009 12-0
External links[]
- Full episode guide at IMDb.com
- Lists of British crime television series episodes
- Midsomer Murders episodes