THE MAID IN SPLENDOUR
First Broadcast: January 25, 2004
| The
Maid in Splendour has been owned by charming landlord Michael Bannerman
for years, but the rumours in Midsomer Worthy that he passing the pub to
his less charming son, Stephen, upsets a lot of the villagers. Stephen
has a wife, Lorna, who cannot wait to get her hands on the place and
start knocking things down. Michael's wife, Susan, died, and ever since
he has been half in a relationship with Audrey Monday, a waitress at the
pub. Stephen and Audrey's daughter, Bella Monday, have been having an affair and meeting down in a shack in the woods every night to spend time with each other. Recently though, someone has been following them and on one occasion with a shotgun. Bella's ex-boyfriend Jamie Cruickshank suspects that Bella has a new lover and is obviously jealous. When he overhears that they meet at the small shack, Jamie investigates one night. However what he finds is far from what he thought - there is someone waiting there with a shotgun. Jamie is shot twice in the back and falls dead beside the stagnant pond. |
| Out
shooting in the morning, a punter at the pub called Wesley finds the
body. Bullard doesn't need telling them it's definitely murder, but
finds it hard as he knew Jamie, being a regular at the pub. Barnaby and
Scott face the awful news of breaking the news to Jamie's devastated
mother, Maureen, and his father, Clive, who seems less concerned but
could be hiding his grief. When the workers at The Maid in Splendour pub are notified, and more people are talked to, it appears more and more as if the victim had no enemies at all. All apart from Stephen Bannerman, who doesn't seem like he could care less. Barnaby and Scott decide that they could threaten to inspect some shotguns belonging to some of the villagers, and see who is less forthcoming. |
| Then
the news breaks out that Stephen is getting the pub. Clive Cruickshank
and Stephen begin to row and Stephen clearly states Clive is barred for
life after having a drink thrown at his face. Clive returns to confront
him with a shotgun, but Michael breaks up the dispute before realising
the gun wasn't even loaded. Stephen becomes the next victim when he is shot the next evening in a footpath, on his way to Laurence Haggard whom he was going to sell the pub to. Lorna cannot believe that Stephen would do such a thing behind her back, but she can't wait any longer to get a drill and hammer out. Then she throws out Michael, who is still mourning the death of his son. Barnaby and Scott believe the answer lies in the shack, and they believe they are proved right when a suspect sets it alight.
|
|
DCI
Tom Barnaby |
John
Nettles |
|
DS
Daniel Scott |
John
Hopkins |
|
Joyce
Barnaby |
Jane
Wymark |
|
Cully
Barnaby |
Laura
Howard |
|
Dr.
George Bullard |
Barry
Jackson |
|
Michael
Bannerman |
William
Gaunt |
|
Stephen
Bannerman |
Alan
Cox |
|
Lorna
Bannerman |
Rachel
Power |
|
Audrey
Monday |
Frances
Tomelty |
|
Bella
Monday |
Sophie
Hunter |
|
Clive
Cruickshank |
Dave
Hill |
|
Maureen
Cruickshank |
Elaine
Donnelly |
|
Jamie
Cruickshank |
Leon
Ockenden |
|
Lawrence
Haggard |
Raymond
Coulthard |
|
Marcus
Poole |
Stephen
Beresford |
|
Benbow |
Freddie
Jones |
|
Wesley |
Peter-Hugo
Daly |
|
Amanda |
Siobhan
Hewlett |
|
Architect |
John
Sackville |
|
--- |
--- |
|
Screenplay |
Andrew
Payne |
|
Director |
Richard
Holthouse |
|
Producer |
Brian
True-May |
Page Links
|
Stunt Animal Works - |
Animal Dramatics |