Midsomer Murders (1997)
Midsomer Murders is a 1997 crime series created by Anthony Horowitz and Caroline Graham. It stars John Nettles, Jane Wymark and Barry Jackson.
Midsomer looks like the most peaceful county in England: honey-stone villages, flower shows, cricket greens, gossip over the garden fence. It is also, improbably, one of the deadliest, and DCI Tom Barnaby spends his days untangling the poisonings, blackmail and long-buried grudges hidden behind the net curtains. His younger sergeant supplies the legwork and the raised eyebrows. Adapted from Caroline Graham's novels, the series mixes genuine whodunit plotting with a dry, almost affectionate wit about English village life, all set to a title theme carried by an eerie theremin.
Quick answers
What is Midsomer Murders about?
Midsomer looks like the most peaceful county in England: honey-stone villages, flower shows, cricket greens, gossip over the garden fence. It is also, improbably, one of the deadliest, and DCI Tom Barnaby spends his days untangling the poisonings, blackmail and long-buried grudges hidden behind the net curtains. His younger sergeant supplies the legwork and the raised eyebrows. Adapted from Caroline Graham's novels, the series mixes genuine whodunit plotting with a dry, almost affectionate wit about English village life, all set to a title theme carried by an eerie theremin.
When was Midsomer Murders released?
Midsomer Murders was released on 23 March 1997.
How many episodes does Midsomer Murders have?
Midsomer Murders has 144 episodes across 25 seasons.
Who made Midsomer Murders?
Midsomer Murders was created by Anthony Horowitz, Caroline Graham and Jim Parker.
Where can I watch Midsomer Murders?
Midsomer Murders is available on Acorn TV, Acorn TV (Via Amazon Prime), Britbox (Via Amazon Prime), DirecTV On Demand, Prime Video and Spectrum On Demand.
Where to watch Midsomer Murders
Stream: Acorn TV, Acorn TV (Via Amazon Prime), Britbox (Via Amazon Prime), DirecTV On Demand, Prime Video, Spectrum On Demand, YouTube TV, fuboTV
Watch free: Amazon Freevee, Fawesome, Hoopla, Plex, Pluto TV, The CW, The Roku Channel, Tubi TV, Xumo Play
Rent: Google Play
Buy: Amazon, AppleTV, Google Play
Official site
Cast
- John Nettles as DCI Tom Barnaby
- Jane Wymark as Joyce Barnaby
- Barry Jackson as Dr. George Bullard
- Laura Howard as Cully Barnaby
- Neil Dudgeon as DCI John Barnaby
- Fiona Dolman as Sarah Barnaby
- Jason Hughes as DS Ben Jones
- Nick Hendrix as DS Jamie Winter
- Kirsty Dillon as WPC/DC Gail Stephens
- Daniel Casey as Sgt Gavin Troy
- Annette Badland as Dr. Fleur Perkins
- Tamzin Malleson as Doctor Kate Wilding
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Midsomer Murders in our writing
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A few thoughts on Midsomer Murders
The village-whodunit DNA runs straight back to Agatha Christie, so pick up Murder in Three Acts or The Big Four for Poirot working the same closed-circle puzzles. Fans wanting the format in comics should try The Kindaichi Case Files, where a teenage sleuth cracks locked-room murders. For a cinematic take, Knives Out nails the cozy tone.
Agatha Christie whodunits where the killer is always close to home
Midsomer draws its plots from Caroline Graham's novels, but its DNA is pure Christie: a small, closed circle where everyone has a motive. Murder in Three Acts and The Big Four put Poirot to work on exactly that kind of gathering, Crooked House lets an entire family fall under suspicion at once, and Knives Out updates the same locked-room formula with a fortune, a will and a houseful of suspects.
Detective duos who work a case one clue at a time
Tom Barnaby and his sergeant carry Midsomer's cases through legwork, patience and the odd raised eyebrow, and these procedurals build on that same partnership model. Ironside and Barnaby Jones run their investigations through sharp, methodical minds, Dalziel and Pascoe pair a blunt veteran with a careful junior officer, and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and Van der Valk send a senior detective and their partner into communities that guard their secrets.
Play-it-yourself investigations where you piece together the truth
Midsomer hands its audience every clue alongside Barnaby, daring you to solve it first, and these picks put you directly in the detective's chair. Disco Elysium has you build a case out of fragments and instinct, Heavy Rain splits an investigation across several playable lives, The Wolf Among Us works a murder through a town of liars, and The Kindaichi Case Files traps its sleuth in one puzzle after another.