Midsomer Murders

Midsomer Murders is a hugely popular British television series about murders that take place in the fictional English county of Midsomer. Based on a series of crime novels by the author Caroline Graham, the detective drama focuses on the main character of Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby, played by actor John Nettles (of Bergerac fame). First transmitted in the United Kingdom in March 1997, filming has recently ended on the ninth series of the programme bringing the total number of episodes produced to fifty-one. These episodes attract extremely large viewing figures within the UK, currently averaging around nine million. Although the show's death rate is remarkably high, with each episode averaging at least three murders, the feature length drama is of the highest quality and attracts a number of well-known actors from the stage and screen in guest-starring roles. The majority of the early episodes were written by the writer and author Anthony Horowitz, who, together with the original producers Betty Willingale and Brian True-May, also created the series. Today, current writers include Douglas Watkinson, David Hoskins, Peter J. Hammond and Andrew Payne. Filming of the series takes place in the English counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire (often in Long Crendon), Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey, and, owing to its huge success, the series has been sold all over the world, including the United States, Latin America, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Australia, Sweden, Finland, France, Germany, and New Zealand.

Episodes

So far, forty-seven episodes have been broadcast in the United Kingdom. These are the episodes, listed in production order, and the date of their first UK broadcast.

Pilot episode: (filmed September/October 1996)

The Killings at Badger's Drift 23 March, 1997; Screenplay by Anthony Horowitz, Directed by Jeremy Silberston

Series 1: (filmed July – November 1997)

Written in Blood 22 March, 1998; Screenplay by Anthony Horowitz, Directed by Jeremy Silberston
Death in Disguise 6 May, 1998; Screenplay by Douglas Watkinson, Directed by Baz Taylor
Death of a Hollow Man 29 March, 1998; Screenplay by Caroline Graham, Directed by Jeremy Silberston
Faithful Unto Death 22 April, 1998; Screenplay by Douglas Watkinson, Directed by Baz Taylor

Series 2: (filmed May – October 1998)

Strangler's Wood 3 February, 1999; Screenplay by Anthony Horowitz, Directed by Jeremy Silberston
Blood Will Out 19 September, 1999; Screenplay by Douglas Watkinson, Directed by Moira Armstrong
Death's Shadow 20 January, 1999; Screenplay by Anthony Horowitz, Directed by Jeremy Silberston
Beyond the Grave 5 February, 2000; Screenplay by Douglas Watkinson, Directed by Moira Armstrong

Series 3: (filmed May – October 1999)

Dead Man's Eleven 12 September, 1999; Screenplay by Anthony Horowitz, Directed by Jeremy Silberston
Blue Herrings 22 January, 2000; Screenplay by Hugh Whitemore, Directed by Peter Smith
Judgement Day 29 January, 2000; Screenplay by Anthony Horowitz, Directed by Jeremy Silberston
Death of a Stranger 31 December, 1999; Screenplay by Douglas Livingstone, Directed by Peter Creegen

Series 4: (filmed May – November 2000)

Garden of Death 10 September, 2000; Screenplay by Christopher Russell, Directed by Peter Smith
Destroying Angel 26 August, 2001; Screenplay by David Hoskins, Directed by David Tucker
The Electric Vendetta 2 September, 2001; Screenplay by Terry Hodgkinson, Directed by Peter Smith
Who Killed Cock Robin? 9 September, 2001; Screenplay by Jeremy Paul, Directed by David Tucker
Dark Autumn 16 September, 2001; Screenplay by Peter J. Hammond, Directed by Jeremy Silberston

Series 5: (filmed April – October 2001)

Tainted Fruit 23 September, 2001; Screenplay by David Hoskins, Directed by Peter Smith
Ring out your Dead 15 September, 2002; Screenplay by Christopher Russell, Directed by Sarah Hellings
Murder on St. Malley's Day 22 September, 2002; Screenplay by Andrew Payne, Directed by Peter Smith
Market for Murder 2 June, 2002; Screenplay by Andrew Payne, Directed by Sarah Hellings
A Worm in the Bud 23 June, 2002; Screenplay by Michael Russell, Directed by David Tucker

Series 6: (filmed May – November 2002)

A Talent for Life 3 January, 2003; Screenplay by David Hoskins, Directed by Sarah Hellings
Death and Dreams 10 January, 2003; Screenplay by Peter J. Hammond, Directed by Peter Smith
Painted in Blood 17 January, 2003; Screenplay by Andrew Payne, Directed by Sarah Hellings
A Tale of Two Hamlets 24 January, 2003; Screenplay by Alan Plater, Directed by Peter Smith
Birds of Prey 31 January, 2003; Screenplay by Michael Russell, Directed by Jeremy Silberston

Series 7: (filmed May 2003 – March 2004)

The Green Man 2 November, 2003; Screenplay by Michael Russell, Directed by Sarah Hellings
Bad Tidings 4 January, 2004; Screenplay by Peter J. Hammond, Directed by Peter Smith
The Fisher King 11 January, 2004; Screenplay by Isabelle Grey, Directed by Richard Holthouse
Sins of Commission 18 January, 2004; Screenplay by Elizabeth-Anne Wheal, Directed by Peter Smith
The Maid in Splendour 27 January, 2004; Screenplay by Andrew Payne, Directed by Richard Holthouse
The Straw Woman 29 February, 2004; Screenplay by Jeff Dodds, Directed by Sarah Hellings
Ghosts of Christmas Past 25 December, 2004; Screenplay by David Hoskins, Directed by Renny Rye

Series 8: (filmed May 2004 – March 2005)

Things That Go Bump in the Night 10 October, 2004; Screenplay by Peter J. Hammond, Directed by Peter Smith
Dead in the Water 17 October 2004; Screenplay by Douglas Watkinson, Directed by Renny Rye
Orchis Fatalis 9 January, 2005; Screenplay by Terry Hodgkinson, Directed by Peter Smith
Bantling Boy 16 January, 2005; Screenplay by Steve Trafford, Directed by Sarah Hellings
Second Sight 23 January, 2005; Screenplay by Tony Etchells, Directed by Richard Holthouse
Hidden Depths 13 March, 2005; Screenplay by David Hoskins, Directed by Sarah Hellings
Sauce for the Goose 3 April, 2005; Screenplay by Andrew Payne, Directed by Renny Rye
Midsomer Rhapsody 2 October, 2005; Screenplay by Richard Cameron, Directed by Richard Holthouse

Series 9: (filmed May 2005 – March 2006)

The House in the Woods 9 October, 2005; Screenplay by Barry Simner, Directed by Peter Smith
Dead Letters 26 February, 2006; Screenplay by Peter J. Hammond, Directed by Renny Rye
Vixen's Run 5 March, 2006; Screenplay by Michael Aitkens, Directed by Peter Smith
Down Among the Dead Men 12 March, 2006; Screenplay by Douglas Watkinson, Directed by Renny Rye
Four Funerals and a Wedding TBC; Directed by Sarah Hellings
Country Matters TBC; Directed by Richard Holthouse
Death In Chorus TBC; Directed by Sarah Hellings
Last Year's Model TBC; Directed by Richard Holthouse