RING OUT YOUR DEAD

First Broadcast: September 15, 2002

The villagers of Midsomer Wellow have taken to regular practising, to ensure they win the Striking Competition in the village. The bell ringing leader, Peter Fogden, is very passionate about victory, so he can defeat the past members of his family who have done well in campanology. None, however, have ever won the competition. The other five are less desperate to win. Frances Le Bon, part of the group, is a widow with an excellent gun-aim; a good friend of hers who Frances has taken under her wing, Marcus, is also a bell ringer, who has a secret obsession with Emma Tysoe, a bell ringer, who is about to be married to her fiancée, Liam Brooker, angry at Greg Tutt, the local womaniser, who seems to be giving Emma some seductive looks.

Greg is married to Sue Tutt, who owns the local tea room with the help of Angie Blunstone, also a bell ringer but who was turned down for the team. Greg's numerous affairs with women have had him thrown out by Sue. Greg has most recently been at it with the lady of the manor, Rosalind Parr.
Wing Commander Reggie Barton, part of the church, is angry at the bell ringers for using the bells to win competition. It looks like many villagers are opposed to the group, but would any of them commit murder? It seems so when Greg Tutt's body is found in the bell tower, after being shot dead with a revolver. There is a rather malicious note left by the body that reads - DING DONG BELL.

Peter Fogden is sure that he was killed by one of the competition's opposing teams. Then Marcus helps Barnaby, but maybe not the wedding of Liam and Emma, when he explains that he met Greg in the town that day. Apparently he was going to meet Emma in the bell tower for a 'final fling before the wedding.' Liam runs away and tells Emma the wedding is off.
Meanwhile, Troy has visited Rosalind, who has shredded Greg's clothing and burnt the letter from Emma to Greg containing the invitation. He falls under her charm.

The investigation keeps going, but the bell ringers are being killed off one by one. Each time, there is a rhyme next to the body. They seem to be clues left by the killer. The rhyme, however, has been altered to fit in with a tragic murder in the village in 1860, which was caused by bell ringers. So who is killing them off?

 

DCI Tom Barnaby

John Nettles

DS Gavin Troy

Daniel Casey

Joyce Barnaby

Jane Wymark

Dr. George Bullard

Barry Jackson

Peter Fogden

Adrian Scarborough

Frances Le Bon

Gwen Taylor

Marcus Steadman

Jamie de Courcey

Emma Tysoe

Lyndsey Marshal

Liam Brooker

Seamus Whitty

Greg Tutt

Dugald Bruce-Lockhart

Sue Tutt

Clare Holman

Angie Blunstone

Julia Swift

Wing Commander Reggie Barton

Graham Crowden

Hugh Barton

Hugh Bonneville

Rosalind Parr

Carmen du Sautoy

Maisie Gooch

Gemma Jones

Dennis Ebbrell

Harry Burton

Jen Ebbrell

Caroline Lintott

Judge

Steve Pimlott

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Screenplay

Christopher Russell

Director

Sarah Hellings

Producer

Brian True-May

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