GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS PAST
First Broadcast: December 25, 2004
| Midsomer
sees Christmas time and Barnaby's in-laws, Douglas and Muriel, are
coming over for the festivities. Over in the village of Draycott, there is a big family reunion at the rundown Villiers family manor. The house is now owned by Jennifer Carter, who lives there with her Aunt Lydia. Jennifer has a son, Aidan, who is set to inherit a large amount of money if he doesn't smoke until he's 21, but he has started doing it secretly. Aidan is coming along with his girlfriend, Emily, who has never met the family. Then there is Jennifer's sister, Kate Frears, who is coming with her husband Digby, and her two children, Phoebe and Howard, who loves magic. Jennifer is also having the pleasure of seeing her brother, Ross, who she hasn't seen for a long period of time. There is also a good friend of the family, Dominic Jones, who will be joining. Only Dominic, Lydia and Jennifer seem to be looking forward to the get-together - all the others seem to be dreading it. In fact, it's been nine years since the family got together, and that ended in tragedy when magician Ferdy Villiers, brother of Jennifer, Ross and Kate, committed suicide when he discovered his fiancée, Claire English, was a drug addict. Jennifer knows that she also took a priceless sculpture from the house. |
| That
evening, Kate's son Howard reads a joke from a cracker containing a
threat, that two of the family will be dead by midnight on Boxing Day.
Most of the family think it's one of Howard's practical jokes - all
apart from Lydia, who rushes from the dinner table, very nervous and
shaky, but most all scared. One of the deaths almost become true when Lydia is locked in the garage and she is almost gassed by carbon monoxide fumes. Thankfully, Dominic and Emily hears her cries for help and find her in time. |
| Jennifer
once again blames Lydia for being confused and having no idea what she
was up to. Lydia is adamant that the garage door remote didn't
work, but after finding her in the garage, Dominic instantly checked the
remote and it worked perfectly. In the night, however, whilst writing in her diary, Lydia is tricked to coming out on the landing, and when she comes by the stairs she is pushed. Everyone thinks it was an accident, except Howard who is sure it is foul play. First she is taken in unconscious, and as Barnaby escapes his in-laws to investigate with Scott, they have a phone call from the hospital where Lydia is staying. She has regained consciousness. Lydia is sure she was pushed. They talk to Jennifer, but then get a phone-call - Lydia has died. One of the deaths have been carried out - but who is next?
|
|
DCI
Tom Barnaby |
John
Nettles |
|
DS
Daniel Scott |
John
Hopkins |
|
Joyce
Barnaby |
Jane
Wymark |
|
Cully
Barnaby |
Laura
Howard |
|
Dr.
George Bullard |
Barry
Jackson |
|
Jennifer
Carter |
Haydyn
Gwynne |
|
Lydia
Villiers |
Margery
Mason |
|
Ross
Villiers |
Phillip
Quast |
|
Ferdy
Villiers |
Kevin
Doyle |
|
Digby
Frears |
William
Chubb |
|
Kate
Frears |
Mel
Martin |
|
Phoebe
Frears |
Lydia
Leonard |
|
Howard
Frears |
Rory
Copus |
|
Dominic
Jones |
Bruce
Alexander |
|
Aidan
Carter |
Dominic
Colenso |
|
Emily
Hide |
Alice
Patten |
|
Clare
English |
Claire
Carrie |
|
Douglas |
John
Burgess |
|
Muriel |
Daphne
Oxenford |
|
Howard
Aged 4 |
Luke
Foster |
|
Phoebe
Aged 12 |
Gemma
Martin |
|
Aidan
Aged 11 |
Christopher
Sutton |
|
Doctor |
Harry
Gostelow |
|
Girl |
Laura
Jeffree |
|
Vicar |
Brian
Matheson |
|
Detective |
Charles
Millham |
|
Tim
Treloar |
Drinker
in Pub |
|
--- |
--- |
|
Screenplay |
David
Hoskins |
|
Director |
Renny
Rye |
|
Producer |
Brian
True-May |