OLD MIDSOMER NEWS

Series Nine News

The four final episodes of series nine are to be broadcast. The new episodes will also come on TV exactly a decade after the first episode, 'The Killings at Badger's Drift', was filmed (September 1996). The episode attracted 13.5 million and the good decision to make it into a long-running series was made. 

Death in Chorus - The 50th episode goes back to all Midsommer's original elements which made the show such a success, with a story about the Midsomer Worthy choir fearing the worst when one of their group is killed - a choir which Joyce Barnaby is part of! This episode also contains a nude scene in which DS Jones is singing in the shower! When filming was completed on this episode, the crew celebrated with a glass of champagne. The episode is written by David Lawrence and directed by Sarah Hellings.

Country Matters - A village of saucy shenanigans falls upoon Barnaby and Jones when a man surveying the site of a controversial supermarket is shot dead. The man had apparently been using the service of three posh but impecunious women who are running a brothel! A show insider said: "It is a homely Midsomer vice ring. One of the women, played by actress Juliet Aubrey, runs a 'stable' but it's really a front for a brothel where she is the resident dominatrix. It's whips 'n' all! Another woman is in charge of a 'cookery' school, but it's not the usual recipes that are on the menu! I will let you use your imagination. It's actually a very funny episode. Barnaby, of course, doesn't get involved. He is merely tickled by the whole thing." The episode is written by Andrew Payne and is directed by Richard Holthouse.

Midsomer's Future

The last episode filmed was  episode 55, 'The Axeman Cometh', directed by Renny Rye, who has also directed episode 53. 

The show has no plans to stop and is only looking forward, as said by Brian True May who is currently working on an 11th and 12th series: “I currently over commission at least three scripts per series. So if we have any we’re not sure about, we don’t make them. And we get the scripts months before we shoot and that means that the actors, director and technicians can get their act together and make sure we’ve got a polished production.

"ITV are planning on a substantial amount of daytime repeats, starting in September. So we’re having to re-edit them. We have to check that they comply for daytime viewing, because we had some pretty horrific murders in the early ones, which we’re very careful to avoid."

Unfortunately some of the methods of murder have been banned, including an episode filmed recently in which the episode starts with a suicide pact in a car. Some of the more graphical parts of this method had to be cut. 

The crew have been trying their best to find some new locations - 'We've gone through Buckinghamshire, and we're moving onto Berkshire now!' says John Nettles, who plays the leading detective. 

In 'The Axeman Commeth'  which is was filmed in August/September 2006, doors are opened for possible new stories when Cully meets her future husband, leading to a big wedding near the end of series 10!

In series nine, the crew filmed at the coast of Beer, Devon to change the environment a bit. It proved to be a success, and the same writer who penned this episode, Douglas Watkinson, has written an episode, 'Death and Dust', about Cully and her new boyfriend trekking in North Wales - obviously, one of their number doesn't stay alive for too long. 

ROGER MOORE IN MIDSOMER?

Ex-James Bond star Sir Roger Moore wants to meet a grisly end in hit ITV1 cop drama Midsomer Murders.

John Nettles who plays DCI Tom Barnaby in the show, told us: “Roger Moore has expressed his interest in playing a murder victim.

“The trouble is how could we kill Roger Moore, it would be like killing God?

“I think he’s a fan of the show so we’ll see what develops.”

Sir Roger, 78, is currently filming a voice-over for new animated movie Agent Crush with Ewan McGregor. His last on-screen acting role was four years ago in the film Boat Trip with Cuba Gooding Jr.

Roger Moore would not be the first Bond star to appear in the show. Julian Glover, Honor Blackman and Samantha Bond have all appeared in the series in the past.

Midsomer Murders is a worldwide hit for ITV and has been sold to 222 countries and territories. It returns for a tenth series in September.

ITV REPEATS

ITV will be repeating 'The House in the Woods' in order to compete with the BBC1's new 'Doctor Who'.

Episode Broadcast Date
The House in the Woods 22nd April 2006

SHARON STONE IN MIDSOMER MURDERS?

After revealing that Hollywood actress Sharon Stone is a big fan of 'Midsomer Murders', it seems John Nettles thinks she is just right for the show. Here is the article:

BASIC Instinct beauty Sharon Stone is all set to play a killer again — in ITV’s Midsomer Murders.

Actor John Nettles, who plays DCI Tom Barnaby, reckons the sex goddess would be perfect to spice up the series.

John revealed that the 48-year-old Hollywood blonde is a big fan of the drama. Sharon — currently starring in movie sequel Basic Instinct: Risk Addiction — regularly tunes in to the show.

And John now hopes to get Sharon — best known for playing ice-pick wielding, sex-mad Catherine Tramell — signed up for a guest appearance.

John, 61, said: “I heard she is a fan of the show after seeing it on US TV.

“She would fit very well into a story over here.”

He has previously criticised his own show because it had “gone a bit bland”.

SPRING 2006 NEWS - SERIES 10

Filming for Series 10 will begin in May using the same writers and directors. Episodes of 'Midsomer Murders' will also be broadcast weekdays on ITV1 in May. 

One episode, just completed by by Douglas Watkinson, is about ramblers. Watkinson has also indicated that Barnaby will be taking a trip to Wales in a new episode. 

With thanks to Douglas Watkinson

WINTER 2006 NEWS - BROADCAST DATES

The 50th Episode of Midsomer Murders, 'Death in Chorus', is currently being filmed in and around Buckinghamshire back where the series began. This episode revolves around a religious community and a church choir, and sees the return of an actress who has worked on Midsomer Murders in 'Dead Man's Eleven' (Annabelle Apsion).

A further episode will be filmed from February to March and then there will be a break before Series 10 commences.

The new series (9), which was due to be broadcast in early January, had been held back until the end of February now to make way for a new series of 'Foyle's War', 'Miss. Marple' and 'A Touch of Frost' repeats. The forthcoming episodes are named 'Dead Letters', 'Vixen's Run', 'Down Among the Dead Men'.

Episode Broadcast Date
Dead Letters 26th February 2006
Vixen's Run 05th March 2006
Down Among the Dead Men 12th March 2006

CHRISTMAS SHOWINGS

ITV 1 will have a repeat showing of last year's Christmas episode, 'Ghosts of Christmas Past'. This episode attracted 6.5 million when it was shown last year on Christmas Day, which I believe was rather a disappointment for the producers, but it is hoped that the episode will be watched by a larger audience this Christmas. It may be a repeat, however there are some new episodes lined up for 2006. More details to follow about the showings of these episodes shortly.

Ghosts of Christmas Past 30th December 2005

AUTUMN NEWS

'Midsomer Murders' has come to filming its last episode of the year, 'Country Matters'. This is an episode about a supermarket being built in Midsomer, only to reveal a hotbed of passion, jealousy and small minds. They recently completed filming 'Four Funerals and a Wedding' in September which took place in Brill, Buckinghamshire. This might be familiar having featured in 'A Tale of Two Hamlets'. They should be having a selection of new episodes in the New Year, starting January 8th. The New Year will also mark the filming of the show's fiftieth episode! 

FORTHCOMING EPISODES

Midsomer Rhapsody 02nd October

The House in the Woods 09th October

These two episodes will see the end of Scott and the start of Barnaby's new sidekick DC Ben Jones. 

John Nettles has also recently commented that he is happy playing DCI Barnaby and will continue to do so for at least another two years. 

JOHN'S WISH!

John Nettles has told of how he finds Barnaby such a boring character. Ever since the sixth series of 'Midsomer Murders', Barnaby has begged TV chiefs to bring some romance into Barnaby's world. John said, "I sometimes contemplate, in the early hours of the morning, the horrors of Barnaby's sex life. In the books Barnaby was overweight and suffering from indigestion but he still liked the occasional bounce with the missus.

"I would like the occasional bounce with the missus, but we are not allowed. It really is a case of no sex please, we're British."

TV bosses were so worried about upsetting their 10million viewers they even banned Nettles from holding Bella Monday's hand in The Maid in Splendour, played by Sophie Hunter, when he tried to make his character more raunchy with an extra-marital affair. And what should have ended in a passionate clinch in a jam factory never even got to the first touch. This refers to Sauce for the Goose when Barnaby had a passionate drink with Helen Plummer, in Sauce for the Goose, played by Geraldine Alexander.

"I put my hand on her hand - and it was cut, " Nettles complains. "It was not allowed. Middle England would not like it. But I would like it, " says Nettles.

I suppose we'll have to wonder what the writers and the producers decide in the future!

SERIES NINE

Series Nine is in the works with DCI Barnaby and new sidekick DC Ben Jones, played by Jason Hughes. Also, the new deal with ITV means up to 15 writers are now working on scripts at least a year ahead of filming. Production of the current series of eight films continues into 2006.

Speaking on location this week, True-May said he was confident about the future of the drama, which has so far featured over 125 suspicious deaths, including 107 murders. He's just sent one writer off to Devon to research a story to be filmed there. 

"Things are looking very good for Midsomer Murders." One of the new films - Dead Letters - marks the first time that guest stars have appeared twice. Elizabeth Spriggs plays Ursula Gooding, look-alike sister of the grotesque Iris Rainbird she played in the drama's first episode, The Killings At Badger's Drift. Richard Cant also returns to create the role of Alistair Gooding, cousin of vile undertaker Dennis Rainbird, who he previously played. Barnaby is convinced he has seen them somewhere before, but knows the Rainbirds were brutally murdered. 

New guest stars include George Baker, Simon Callow, Caroline Goodall, Sophie Thompson (sister of Emma) and former Coronation Street actress, Tracy Brabin. George Baker will feature in 'The House in the Woods' as two characters: male identical twins. One of the twins are in prison for a murder the other committed! 

The ninth series also sees a change of car from Barnaby. Following the troubles at the Midlands car company, he's been forced to give up his Rover and now drives a Jaguar X-type.

Settings for the latest murders include: 

Sitting in a country pub already used in four previous Midsomer films, True-May says he believes the drama can go on for years to come. He gives all the Midsomer villages fictious names to prevent them being over-run by tourists. Even so, plenty of fans find their way to the fictional killing grounds either side of the M40. Locations are chosen if they have a village green, where traffic can be cut off, and if they have retained the English country atmosphere which is a trademark of the series. 

Although there won't be a Christmas special this year to follow last year's first Midsomer festive story, Nettles is keen to film another at some stage, amid talk that he could stay in the role for another five years. 

The Cornish-born former Bergerac star recently flew out to Hamburg to promote the series after it was sold to German TV - one of the few countries which had so far resisted it charms. True-May always believed German viewers would fail to appreciate the particular English humour of Midsomer. But he's delighted to have been proved wrong. "I had a report back saying that it's the highest rating foreign show they've had for many years. So we're over the moon about it." . 

ITV ANNOUNCES

'Midsomer Murders' has been offered £10,000,000 to continue filming for five years. This will mean eight two-hour shows being filmed each year. This would also mean more repeats for the channel and the extra addition ITV2 and ITV3. 

This also means that John Nettles could be in the role for another five years. Brian True May stated that he is fine in the role and there are no problems, but also suggests that the series might continue if John wants to stop early. The series would keep going until their 90th episode!!

Jason Hughes will join the show as DC Ben Jones, after DS Scott signs off ill. The actor who played him, John Hopkins, left to move on to other roles. 

There will also be a new series starting in the autumn, beginning with 'Midsomer Rhapsody' on the 6th November. It has also been confirmed elsewhere that 'The House in the Woods' will be shown the following week, 13th November. 

MAKE WAY FOR SERIES 9!

John Hopkins has left for the ninth series. His character will be replaced by Jason Hughes, best known as his role as Warren in 'This Life.' He will join the series when he's still a mere constable. His first episode will be 'The House in the Woods' directed by Peter Smith. 

Peter Smith will direct the first episode and later go on to directing the third.

Series 9 is set to have another eight episodes. We expect the return of writers Terry Hodgkinson, Douglas Watkinson, Peter J Hammond and David Hoskins. The directors remain the same: Peter Smith, Sarah Hellings, Renny Rye and Richard Holthouse.

Series 9 will reach the series' 50th episode. 

NEWS FOR REMAINDER OF SERIES 8

Hidden Depths 13th March 2005

Sauce for the Goose 3rd April 2005

Filming for Series 8 ends in March. Series 9 will start in mid-May.

SERIES 8 AND SERIES 9

These three episode will be shown on ITV 1 at 9:00 on Sunday nights.

Orchis Fatalis  9th January 2005

Bantling Boy  16th January 2005

Second Sight  23rd January 2005

For the rest of Series 8, we can expect the writers David Hoskins, Andrew Payne and Peter J Hammond. 

Series 9 may include another script by Terry Hodgkinson, who has written other episodes of Midsomer Murders such as 'The Electric Vendetta' and 'Orchis Fatalis.' The episode he is currently working on is about murderous golfers!

MIDSOMER: NEW AND OLD

A lot of Midsomer Murders will be on television for the end of 2004 and 2005 commencing.

Ghosts of Christmas Past Christmas Day 2004

Ghosts of Christmas Past 27th December 2004 (ITV 3)

Murder on St. Malley's Day 29th Decmber 2004

SERIES 8 NEWS - WRITERS AND ACTORS

Among the writers in Series 8 will include: David Hoskins, Andrew Payne and Peter J Hammond. There is only one episode title which hasn't yet been revealed by Bentley Productions.

The filming started in May this year, and goes up until next March. John Nettles and John Hopkins are busy filming 20 new episodes - series 8 and 9. 

Actors to be in Series 8 include... Harriet Walter, Oliver Ford Davies, Amelia Curtis, Caroline Blakiston, Roger McGough and Robert Daws.

Locations included for this series remain the same area as usual: Turville, Nether Winchendon, Littlewick Green, Skirmett, Thame and Harpsden.

INFO ABOUT CULLY IN SERIES 8

Cully is leaving to work in London at the end of one of the episode in Series 8. The Twyford Station, doubling for Causton station, is where Barnaby and Joyce watch Cully go. In fact they are factually correct that is the platform they did the shoot on is the one that goes to London! The same episode will also be shot in Cookham and Owlswick.

Many thanks to Paul Humphreys for this information

LATEST NEWS

An A-Z article of Midsomer was in TV Times recently, released on 5th October 2004.

Midsomer Murders was also among the programmes featured in 'It'll be Alright on the Night' shown 2nd October.

Bantling Boy, the most recent episode revealed is currently being filmed with locations including Littlewick Green, Flaunden, Bracknell and Nether Winchendon. Filming for Series 8 goes right up until March.

SERIES EIGHT EPISODES CONFIRMED DATES

The following episodes will be shown at 9pm to 11pm on ITV1. The tentative date for screening the rest of Series 8 starts on 2nd January 2005.

Things that Go Bump in the Night  10th October 2004

Dead in the Water  17th October 2004

The Barnaby's will be moving into a new house in this series! This is the first time since 'Blue Herrings.' In the Christmas episode we will also be seeing Joyce's mother, Muriel. Apart from Cully and Barnaby's aunt Alice Bly this is the only other member of the Barnaby family that we know about.

There will be a Christmas Special this year due to be aired on Christmas Day. 'Ghosts of Christmas Past' will be aired at 9pm to 11pm.

These are the only new episodes we'll be having for the remainder of the year. In 2005, the rest of Series Eight will be shown starting with 'Orchis Fatalis' which is based on a true life story. The episode will be written by Terry Hodgkinson, who also wrote 'The Electric Vendetta.'

MORE NEWS OF SERIES EIGHT ACTORS

Emma Amos will appear in episode 'Dead in the Water.' She plays the wife, Julie, in 'The Last Detective' and recently guest starred in 'Murder in Suburbia.'

Jack Klaff shows his face in Series 8, playing the character of Freddie Bonavita in 'Dead in the Water.' 

Geoffrey Chater will be another, his previous works have included 'Foyle's War', 'Poirot' and 'Rumpole of the Bailey.' 

LATEST NEWS OF VIDEO RELEASES AND DVD'S

Destroying Angel and The Electric Vendetta were recently released on DVD. You can order them online on http://www.amazon.co.uk or http://www.acornmediauk.com.

The Maid in Splendour and The Straw Woman of series 7 will be released on video on 13th September 2004. You can order them on the websites listed above. This means that all the shown episodes of Midsomer Murders will have been released on video!

MORE SERIES EIGHT NEWS

The villagers of Long Crendon have been given bottles of wine by the production crew of Midsomer Murders. The director and producer agreed they wanted to make the village look sleepy and gave wine to people living in the village so that cars were parked elsewhere, away from the filming. This happened during the filming of 'Things That Go Bump in the Night', episode 36. There is a possibility that the episode will be shown later this year, early autumn, and that the second episode of Series 8 will be shown on January 2nd before the other episodes of this series.  The actors for forthcoming episodes will include: 

Dearbhla Molloy, who has worked on 'The Last Detective' earlier this year. She will be in Things that Go Bump in the Night. 

Jonathan Slinger will be in the same episode. He starred alongside Daniel Casey in the same episode of 'Murder in Suburbia.'

Philip Quast is another guest star. He'll be in 'Ghosts of Christmas Past.' This is an Agatha Christie style special.

Some of the filming locations being used this Summer are: Flaunden, Bracknell, Aston, Beaconsfield, Nether Winchendon and Dorchester on Thames.

MORE REPEATS IN UK

The following episodes will be repeated on ITV 1 from 9:00pm to 11:00pm.

Birds of Prey  22nd August 2004

A Worm in the Bud  29th August 2004

ORLANDO BLOOM TO APPEAR IN FUTURE EPISODE!

It has been said that Orlando Bloom is going to be filming an episode of Midsomer Murders in October 2004, later this year. The episode he is going to be making a visit in will be shown next spring, the episode title to be confirmed.

"He may be a huge Hollywood star now but Orlando Bloom hasn't forgotten his roots. He's about the start recording a new series of Midsomer Murders which will be on TV next Spring. He reckons it's his favourite TV job so far. When the show's bosses approached him he was more than happy to help."

MIDSOMER MURDERS RE-COMMISSIONED FOR A FURTHER TWO SERIES

Due to the phenomenal success at home and abroad, the international hit Midsomer Murders produced by Bentley Productions has recently been re-commissioned by ITV1 for a further 16 TV movies. Series 8 which has started production, will be 8 X 100' and series 9 will also be 8 X 100', with filming to start in 2005.

Series 7 of Midsomer Murders was recently screened on ITV and reached an audience high of over 11 million and 42% share. The final episode in this series is a Christmas special to be screened in December 2004.

Midsomer Murders is now on air in over 164 countries worldwide, making it one of the biggest selling UK drama series. The series of TV movies (43 x 100 mins in all) is based on the award-winning Inspector Barnaby novels by mystery writer Caroline Graham, who has been described by UK's Sunday Times as "the best detective writer since Agatha Christie" and stars John Nettles as Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby.

Recent International sales of the series include ZDF (Germany), ABC (Australia), Hallmark (various feeds), SVT (Sweden), DR (Denmark), France 3 (France) TVNZ (New Zealand) RTL-TV1 (Belgium), Holland Media Group (Netherlands) to name but a few.

With lots more murders, betrayal and blackmail, no one will be safe in Midsomer villages for a long time to come.

From All3Media

MORE FILMING NEWS FOR SERIES 8

A FILM crew from Pinewood Studios have been attracting a lot of attention in the Upper High Street this week.
The first of a new series of 'Midsomer Murders', starring John Nettles, is currently being filmed in the area, and 34 Upper High Street, formerly inhabited by Sheild Recruitment, has been temporarily turned into a morgue for an episode called 'Things That Go Bump In The Night.' The filming has now been going on for 21 days.
The friendly film crew were unaware of the appropriateness of the title, until told about the Civil War ghost who inhabits the top right-hand room.
They will be back in Thame in June, with a 'cherry picker', filming in the town centre.  http://www.thamenews.net/local_news.htm

JOHN NETTLES COMING TO WALLINGFORD

There is also going to be a Midsomer Fete in Hospital Grounds, Wallingford, and it will be opened by Midsomer Murders star John Nettles on the 5th June at 14:00. 

http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/ecodev/Events.jsp

SERIES EIGHT NEWS

The first episode of Series 8 will be entitled 'Things that Go Bump in the Night.' The episode will be about spiritualism and healing and they are using the Long Crendon Manor House (used in Garden of Death) as the Spiritualist Hall. 

The episode will be directed by Peter Smith, and produced once again by Brian True-May. The actors in the episode include: Dearbhla Molloy, Kathryn Pogson and Liza Sadovy. One episode of Series 8 will be shown in October 2004 and the rest is set to start off in January 2005!

MIDSOMER REPEATS

Series six episodes 2-4 to be repeated on ITV at 8:30pm to 10:30pm.

Death and Dreams 7th May 2004

Painted in Blood 14th May 2004

A Tale of Two Hamlets 21st May 2004

VIDEO RELEASES

Episodes 3 and 4 of series 7 (The Fisher King and Sins of Commission) to be released on video. Order them here http://www.acornmediauk.com/

 Episodes 1 and 2 of series 7 (The Green Man and Bad Tidings) to be released on video. Order them here http://www.acornmediauk.com/

NEW EPISODE TO BE SHOWN

Episode 6 of Series 7, The Straw Woman, to be shown 9:00pm to 11:00pm, ITV.

The Straw Woman 29th February 2004

SERIES SEVEN NEW EPISODES

Series seven episodes 2-5 are shown on ITV at 9:00pm to 11:00pm.

Bad Tidings 4th January 2004

The Fisher King 11th January 2004

Sins of Commission 18th January 2004

The Maid in Splendour 25th January 2004  

Episode 1 of Series 7, The Green Man, was shown last year on November 2nd. This was Troy's last episode, and he was replaced by Dan Scott (John Hopkins) in Bad Tidings.

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