Press Release for Series IV
***Press Release*** MIDSOMER MURDERS A NEW FIVE-PART MURDER MYSTERY SERIES STARRING JOHN NETTLES AND DANIEL CASEY Transmission : Sunday 26 August 2001 A Bentley Production for ITV Index Introduction Page 1 John Nettles is DCI Tom Barnaby Page 3 Daniel Casey is Sergeant Gavin Troy Page 5 Production Credits Page 7 Destroying Angel - Sunday 26 August 2001 Synopsis and Cast List Page 8 Rosemary Leach Page 9 Tony Haygarth Page 9 Robert Lang Page 10 Abigail McKern Page 11 Madeleine Worrall Page 12 The Electric Vendetta - Sunday 2 September 2001 Synopsis and Cast List Page 13 Alec McCowen Page 14 John Woodvine Page 14 Daisy Bates Page 15 Amanda Mealing Page 16 Ursula Howells Page 17 Who Killed Cock Robin - Sunday 9 September 2001 Synopsis and Cast List Page 18 Larry Lamb Page 19 Ian McNeice Page 19 Yolanda Vasquez Page 20 Noah Huntley Page 21 Jane Lapotaire Page 22 Sean McGinley Page 23 Polly Hemingway Page 23 MIDSOMER MURDERS Index (cont) Dark Autumn - Sunday 16 September 2001 Synopsis and Cast List Page 25 Gillian Kearney Page 26 Celia Imrie Page 27 Alan Howard Page 27 Robert Glenister Page 28 Kim Thomson Page 29 Tainted Fruit - Sunday 23 September 2001 Synopsis and Cast List ................ Page 30 Benjamin Whitrow Page 31 Lucy Punch Page 32 Eleanor David Page 32 MIDSOMER MURDERS - 1 - Introduction John Nettles returns to ITV to tackle more murder, mayhem and mystery in the beautiful English countryside in five new MIDSOMER MURDERS films. John stars as DCI Tom Barnaby with Daniel Casey as his keen-as-mustard sidekick Sergeant Gavin Troy in a new series of the worldwide and UK ratings hit from Bentley Productions. The five two-hour films open with the 100th murder in the sleepy villages of Midsomer. Barnaby and Troy uncover ghastly goings-on and evil secrets hidden amid the tranquil rural locations. Once again, their investigations lead them to an array of eccentric village characters as they try to unravel valuable clues from the many red herrings. Since it began, MIDSOMER MURDERS has earned a reputation for attracting the finest British actors and actresses to appear as the guilty and innocent residents. Samantha Bond, Alan Howard, Celia Imrie, Rosemary Leach, Alec McCowen, Ian McNeice, and John Woodvine are just some of the many guest stars in the new series, which also sees Jane Wymark returning as Barnaby's wife Joyce. In the first film, Destroying Angel, the disappearance of a Punch and Judy man and the discovery of a severed hand in Strangler's Wood spark off a spooky new case for Barnaby and Troy. Rosemary Leach, Tony Haygarth, Robert Lang, Samantha Bond, Abigail McKern, Adie Allen and Jonathan Coy co-star in the whodunnit set amid the rolling countryside around Midsomer Worthy. The Electric Vendetta, a chilling tale of murder set amongst mysterious crop circles, is the second film, and stars John Woodvine, Alec McCowen, Daisy Bates, Amanda Mealing and Ursula Howells. Sean McGinley plays a horse whisperer in the third film, Who Killed Cock Robin? which also stars Larry Lamb as an old adversary of DCI Barnaby, alongside Jane Lapotaire and Ian McNeice. Romance could be on the cards for Troy in the fourth film in the series, Dark Autumn, when the sergeant is attracted to a young WPC played by Gillian Kearney. Alan Howard, Nicky Henson and Celia Imrie co-star as the detectives uncover murder and adultery within remote Goodman's Land. In the fifth film 'Tainted Fruit' Barnaby and Troy find the dead body of local beauty, Melissa Townsend, by a swimming pool at her manor house. Starring Benjamin Whitrow, Ann Bell, Terence Harvey, Lucy Punch and Eleanor David. MIDSOMER MURDERS - 2 - Filmed on location in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, the Chilterns and the Home Counties, MIDSOMER MURDERS is one of the top ten shows on ITV, regularly attracting audiences of over 10 million. It is also a big hit in the United States, where it has proved an English classic, and is sold to 120 countries worldwide. Says John Nettles: "Midsomer is a pretty dangerous place and we average about six murders an episode. But luckily we also have a 100 per cent clear up rate - and inside two hours as well. "It's delightful to work on a series which has become such an international success story with cast lists to die for. Our gentle whodunits, set in a bucolic England with me as an ordinary detective, have even been sold to China and Japan!" MIDSOMER MURDERS is based on the novels by Caroline Graham and is written by Peter J Hammond, Terry Hodgkinson, David Hoskins and Jeremy Paul. The directors are Jeremy Silberston, Peter Smith and David Tucker and the series producer is Brian True-May. The production consultant is Betty Willingale. The series is produced by Bentley Productions, part of the Chrysalis Group, for ITV. MIDSOMER MURDERS - 3 - John Nettles is DCI Tom Barnaby John Nettles notched up a personal achievement in the new run of MIDSOMER MURDERS mysteries - with the guest appearance of his acting hero Alan Howard. "Alan is my favourite actor of all time - because he's the best. He has an amazing ability to walk on stage in whatever part he's playing and bring a whole world on with him. You are not conscious of he fact that he's acting and I think he's the last of the great heroic actors." John has appeared on stage with Alan before in an RSC production of Anthony and Cleopatra. "I was a young fellow in those days and even then he was a big star. He played Anthony and I was a humble spear carrier. To go full circle and have him appear with me in Midsomer Murders is wonderful. "It was also great to have Celia Imrie. She played my girlfriend for a year in Bergerac and is a terrific actress who plays a sex-mad Telegraph reading lady in this. Also Robert Glenister who has a way of cocking his head back and snarling - yet underneath he's a gentle and wise fellow." The newcomers are among a host of guest stars who have appeared in MIDSOMER MURDERS over the past four years. "We have such an amazing cast of actors. I've decided it's a lovely back-handed compliment. When actors say they might enjoy doing it, it's a measure of success. I hope they enjoy being on the show. I don't think there is any point making television like this unless it's great fun for the actors to come and do their acting. "Equity is full of wonderful character actors and our programme provides them with a forum where they can come and be as mad as they like. There's nothing like English eccentricity - it's a one-off. It's wonderful to have that psychopathic 67-year-old hiding behind the net curtains!" John Nettles has scored a rare double in television by creating two top-rating detectives - DCI Barnaby and his former alter-ego, Bergerac. "Barnaby is a man of infinite patience and he's non-judgmental about the people he meets and the crimes he uncovers. I know him pretty well now, he is gentle and kind and treats people with respect. Caroline Graham, the author, made the point that he has conversations with people rather than interviews. "He and Sergeant Troy have a rather testy relationship, but they provide the point of reference for the audience as we take them into the realms of Home County villainy. We are the sane element in the journey, a still centre in an ever-shifting universe, but the people we meet are not particularly sane and are often idiots or lunatics." MIDSOMER MURDERS
