Midsomer Murders - Echoes of the Dead [DVD]

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Instead I'm going to concentrate on how this series has been depleted by the loss of John Nettles and the Barnaby family.

In general, the supporting cast have very little to do, other than be saddled with underwritten characters that are bland, pantomimic and thoroughly unpleasant. A sad waste of the talents of Adrian Rawlins and Pam Ferris. The script is in the top 5 'Midsomer Murders' scripts that should never have been approved beyond first draft, again taking things too seriously, with all the humour and charm completely taken out (with the sole exception of Sykes), and full of ridiculous and illogical moments. Little Crosby are hosting its folk festival and event organiser Toby Winning is shortly found dead, having drowned in a bowl of eggs and live eels. The murder seemed to have been inspired by a ballad by late musician Johnny Carver. Toby had recently announced plans to relocate the event to London, which would have proved very costly for entrepreneur Frank Wainwright. Many villagers come under suspicion, and when two more murders echo lyrics from the same song, the detectives need to catch the person responsible. As the preparations are underway for Cully Barnaby's wedding, Ned Fitzroy and Beth Porteous are married in Bledlow village. At the reception at Bledlow Hall, the maid of honour, Marina Fellowes, is found murdered. With the honeymoon postponed, the newlyweds and their guests find themselves under investigation by the police. Evidence soon points to a connection with archery when a fletching is found at the crime scene. Barnaby and Jones uncover a long family history with many secrets, lies, deception, and an illegitimate son. These things become even more complicated when the estate manager and former cook are also found murdered.From the pilot episode in 1997 until 2 February 2011 the lead character, DCI Tom Barnaby, was portrayed by John Nettles OBE.

The other thing reviewers are complaining about the new DCI Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon), is how he treats Jones. Were none of these people actually watching the earlier episodes with Tom Barnaby? He blatantly treated Jones and all of his previous assistant detectives like lowly servants. He even made one put their coat down over a puddle so he could step on it. Anything physical or potentially difficult or dangerous, Tom would send the poor detective in to do it first. He was quite smug about it. It was pretty obvious, so much so that I started to think it must be a running gag. The story is grislier than usual, but while one doesn't mind different the grisliness is done to overkill and gratuitous effect and feels really out of place not just for the show but (for when it first aired) for something airing barely past the watershed. Let's not get started on the insultingly farcical ending, with a far too obvious killer and one of the most intelligence-insultingly absurd motives in 'Midsomer Murders' history. Apley Court, in the village of Granville Norton, is home to historic beehives that produce a well top-of-the-range ‘Apley Gold’ honey. Master beekeeper Ambrose Deddington attributes his survival from a life-threatening cancer to a combination of Apley Gold and bee venom. When he is injured trying to prevent the theft of his beloved bees, Barnaby and Winter investigate. Later the local doctor, Serena Lowe, is found murdered, and stung to death. Barnaby and Winter discover that a previous event is the key to the case. When a young woman is dressed like a bride and drowned in a bath, it triggers a spate of ghoulish wedding-themed murders in Great Worthy. The case takes Barnaby and Jones to a donkey sanctuary, a heritage steam railway and a pub run by an ex-copper and former brothel madam. With the serial killer still at large, could history be repeating itself?

In the remote hamlet of Goodman's Land, local postman and Lothario Dave Cutler is murdered during his early postal delivery. Barnaby and Troy, together with WPC Jay Nash ( Gillian Kearney), start investigating and discover Dave had had numerous affairs with women in the village. A witness later recalls having heard strange 1950s dance music before the murder. When a local man's wife, an antique dealer, and a businessman ( Alan Howard) all become victims to the killer as well, the detectives need to find a possible link to connect the murders before Jay gets into a perilous situation herself. Celia Imrie also appears. The 'Creeper' is a daring cat burglar responsible for a series of daring thefts across Midsomer. After the Creeper strikes twice in one night, a writer, David Roper, is found smothered to death in his bed on the Chettham family estate. The police soon learn that Mr. Roper had been planning to write a book that could have exposed many Chettham family secrets of years past. The mystery deepens when a second victim who knew the family is shot in woodland. The detectives have to search the family's history to solve the crimes and finally uncover the Creeper's identity. The launch of the latest sparkling wine, which is produced by the Carnarvon Estate Winery in Midsomer Vinae, loses all its fizz when wine critic Nadia Simons gives it a very harsh review. Moments later, guests who had been sampling the vintage start collapsing. Owner William Carnarvon suspects the Farmers' Wives' Association of trying to destroy his business. Kate Wilding tells Barnaby and Nelson that the glasses had been laced with slug poison. There are many suspects and motives and the detectives set out to piece the puzzle together. There is a fierce rivalry between traditional and digital photographers in the village of Luxton Deeping. When the photographic society's committee decides not to accept digital images at the annual photographic exhibition, matters take an ugly turn and there is a confrontation. The following day, photographer Lionel Bell is found murdered in woodland, strangled with the cord of his light meter. As the detectives begin to investigate, evidence seems to implicate Barnaby in the murder and he is taken off the case. He is replaced by DI Martin Spellman, a colleague disliked by Tom, who appears more interested in his upcoming wedding than the case. When another photographer is murdered, Barnaby continues his investigation unofficially to discover who is framing him and bring the guilty party to justice. Tensions run high in the village of Solomon Gorge when a fishing competition, and an extreme obstacle course, are both scheduled for same weekend. The excitement for these two events soon turns to fear when the electrocuted body of Lex Bedford is found within the water obstacle. Two further murders, of Ned Skye and Cornelius Tetbury, soon follow. But it is only later when Barnaby and Winter learn of the death of Lola Silvermane ten years previously, who had been believed to be travelling the world after she left the village, that they uncover the key to the case.