Midsomer Murders

Sunday, 12 October 2008
8.30pm

Sam Nelms (Bill Ward) the postman arrives at two cottages on Lynton Pargeter's (Paul Jesson) estate. There is no sign of the inhabitants Stan (Richard Graham) and Nesta (Elizabeth Payne). Molly (Sarah Huntley) and Colin Thomas's (Brian Parr) neighbouring cottage is the same. Reverend Stone (Anton Lesser) tells Barnaby (John Nettles) about the history of Monks Barton and the surrounding superstition.

Sunday, 05 October 2008
8.35pm

Local barmaid Layla Barkham (Elspeth Rae) watches James Parkes (Joseph Millson) meet a man and follow him into dark woods. A figure drags a heavy trunk and casts it into the river. James Parkes arrives at Parkes Freight with a black eye, arousing a reaction from his father Colonel Matt Parkes (Tim Pigott-Smith).

Sunday, 28 September 2008
8.40pm

Witchcraft is the talk of Midsomer when tensions flare between former friends Aloysius Wilmington (Stuart Wilson) and Ernest Balliol (Ronald Pickup). Ernest, who runs a store selling magical artefacts, is a firm believer in a cult called the Temple of Thoth, but Aloysius has upset him by writing a book claiming the dark mythology was his own drunken creation.

Desperate to prove the cult is real, Ernest wants to locate a medieval text about the Temple in Aloysius's library. Aloysius's nephew Simon (Dominic Rowan) is cataloguing the collection, whilst also stealing some valuable editions to pay off his debts to antiquarian bookseller Hugo Cartwright (Michael Fitzgerald).

Isolde Balliol (Rachel Pickup), Ernest's daughter, tries to charm Simon into helping them, while his son Tristan (Tom Goodman-Hill) shoulders the burden of caring for their mother, who is losing her mind.

Sunday, 21 September 2008
8.35pm

The discovery of a body in woodland near Midsomer Sonning brings local magazine Midsomer Life into the news. The dead man, Charlie Finleyson, lived in the village until he ran off with the wife of city fund manager turned Midsomer Life owner Guy Sandys (Simon Williams), who lives nearby.

Guy has upset residents with negative articles about their businesses. Matt Morecroft (Thomas Lockyer), owner of the Morecroft Hotel, is criticised in the latest edition for opening an off-road centre for 4WD drivers, attracting urban types to the countryside.

Guy's ex, Christina Finleyson (Serena Gordon) seems detached about her husband's demise, and Jones (Jason Hughes) discovers she had visited Midsomer Sonning shortly before Charlie disappeared. Meanwhile Mr Tomlin (Richard Morant), a guest at the Morecroft, keeps receiving phone calls from a mystery woman.

Sunday, 14 September 2008
8.35pm

The deaths of Ron Wilson (Albert Welling) and his wife Libby shock the village of Dunstan in Midsomer. The couple, who became reclusive after the death of their son Michael in a road accident, were apparently victims of a botched burglary.

Veteran campaigner and psychic Lynne Fox (Maggie Steed), who discovered the bodies, is leading protests against a village bypass. Brutish wheeler-dealer Jack Purdy (Matthew Flynn) has won the right to flatten Alyssa Bradley's (Marion Bailey) house to make way for the road, but Alyssa fears her long-lost son Patrick (Albert Welling) will have nowhere to return to.

Charlotte Knight (Indra Ove), a photographer and school friend of Jones (Jason Hughes), is helping police at the crime scene. Barnaby (John Nettles) senses something is not right there.

Sunday, 07 September 2008
8.35pm

Although it’s 90 years since the end of WW1, the feud between the Hammond and Hicks families still festers. Much to the disgust of Colonel Henry Hammond (Donald Sinden), Private Tommy Hicks condemned for cowardice in the conflict, has been exonerated and his name added to the local war memorial.

Meanwhile, Barnaby (John Nettles) is not a happy man. His roof is leaking and his peaceful dinner with Joyce (Jane Wymark) at the local hostelry is interrupted when he has to break up a fight between the two elderly patriarchs of the Hicks and Hammond families who, despite being wheelchair bound, battle it out with baguettes!

Events take a more serious turn though when murder arises. Once again Barnaby and Jones (Jason Hughes) have to untangle secret passions and corruption in order to bring peace to Midsomer Parva.

Sunday, 31 August 2008
8.35pm

Wedding bells ring out in Midsomer at the start of a new series of ABC1's top-rating drama, Midsomer Murders.
Proud father DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) is looking forward to walking his daughter Cully (Laura Howard) down the aisle at her marriage to fiancé Simon (Sam Hazeldine).

But when another wedding day in the picturesque countryside is shattered by the fatal stabbing of the bride's maid of honour, Barnaby finds once again that murder and mayhem drag him away from his family.

As wife Joyce (Jane Wymark) despairs and Cully suffers last-minute nerves, can Barnaby discover the dark secrets haunting the upper crust Fitzroys and still make it to the church on time?

This episode, Blood Wedding, marks the beginning of a new series and new cases facing Barnaby and his sidekick DS Ben Jones (Jason Hughes).
Blood Wedding also features a special guest appearance by Daniel Casey as Barnaby's former sidekick Gavin Troy.

Saturday, 12 July
10.10pm

It’s Christmas in Midsomer, but before DCI Barnaby (John Nettles) can relax and enjoy time with his family, he has a double murder to solve.

A prominent family in the district comes under investigation when their elderly aunt Lydia (Margery Mason) dies after a suspicious fall. Jennifer Carter (Haydn Gwynne), one of Lydia’s nieces, denies any wrongdoing and claims that her aunt merely had an unfortunate accident. But when Barnaby and Scott (John Hopkins) learn that Lydia nearly died the day before while trapped in the garage, their instincts tell them something’s not quite right and warn the family to take extra care.

Foolishly, Jennifer ignores their advice and continues with her traditional Christmas shooting trip. The murderer strikes again and Jennifer dies in a well-disguised accident.

Saturday, 05 July
10.10pm

The Maid in Splendour is an old rambling pub and restaurant in the village of Midsomer Worthy. It was once run by Michael Bannerman (William Gaunt) but after his wife died, and due to ill health, his son Stephen (Alan Cox) and his wife Lorna (Rachel Power) now run the pub.

Stephen has his own plans for the pub that do not impress the locals, nor Laurence Haggard (Raymond Coulthard), a property developer trying to buy up most of the village.

DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) and DS Dan Scott (John Hopkins) investigate the shotgun murder of Jamie Cruikshank (Leon Ockenden), a barman at the Maid in Splendour. Jamie was a country boy at heart and was in love with the beautiful Bella Monday (Sophie Hunter) who also works at the pub with her mother and good friend of Michael, Audrey Monday (Frances Tomelty).

Saturday, 21 June
10.05pm

The Straw Woman starts late one night in the Midsomer village of Midsomer Parva. The local teacher, Liz Francis (Susannah Wise), has revived the Straw Woman festival where a large effigy of a straw woman is set on fire.

It is the first time the festival has been held in over 200 years and the village turns out in force, however the curate named Alex Deakin is trapped inside the straw effigy and burned alive in front of the horrified villagers...

DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) and Sgt Dan Scott (John Hopkins) are on the case. Many of the villagers lay the blame on Alan Clifford (Keith Barron). Clifford has bought the local manor and is at constant loggerheads with the church about the use of his chapel. He is a 60-year-old ex-London nightclub owner who has made his fortune in the sex industry and has transformed the chapel into a boudoir.

Saturday, 14 June
10.10pm

During the 12th Annual Midsomer St. Michael Literary Festival, local author Richard Rackham is found dead at the bottom of the stairs in his house.

Rackham was often drunk and depressed due to the failure of his second novel for which he blamed his publisher Sam Callaghan (Tom Mannion) but the pathologist confirms that his neck was broken before he fell.

Their main suspect is John Denton (Robert Whitelock), but apparently he's become a new man.

A man was seen leaving Rackham's house on the night of his murder stealing Rackham's laptop and piggy bank. When book editor Neville Williams (Mark Umbers) is also found dead, DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) and Sergeant Dan Scott (John Hopkins) learn that he was one of Sam's editors and Rackham's lover.

Saturday, 07 June
10.10pm

The Fisher King starts late one night at an archaeological dig known as the Midsomer Barrow during 1970 where a young Nathan Green (Jim Carter) steals a ceremonial spear from the site and also witnesses the murder of a Roger Heldman...

Fast forward 30 odd years later and the Midsomer Barrow is now a site of historic interest. David Heartley-Reade (Nicholas Rowe) has written a book about the site based on his late father's diary. His father initially discovered the site back in 1970 and David is organising a 'Solstice Festival' at the Barrow.

DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) and Sergeant Dan Scott (John Hopkins) are called in when a local resident named Gareth Heldman (Henry Ian Cusick), son of Roger, is found brutally stabbed to death with the stolen spear which has been planted at David's house. The spear used to be owned by Harry Green (Nick Barber) son of Nathan.

Saturday, 24 May 2008
10.10pm

Nothing is what it seems behind the well-trimmed hedges of the picturesque cottages in the idyllic English countryside of Midsomer. Beneath the tranquil surface of sleepy village life, there exist dark secrets, scandals and downright evil.

Murder, kidnap and blackmail are commonplace among the eccentric inhabitants of Midsomer. In each episode, the peacefulness of the Midsomer community is shattered by violent crimes, suspects are placed under suspicion and it's Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby, played by John Nettles together with his faithful assistant Sergeant Scott (John Hopkins), who calmly and diligently eliminate the innocent and ruthlessly pursue the guilty.

8.30pm Friday, 02 May 2008

The day begins with the usual tours around the Plummer's relish factory. It is also the day of the Plummer's annual general meeting. At the meeting, the family argues over what to do with the failing family business. It is suggested by Anselm (Jasper Britton) and Caro (Lizzy McInnerny) that the business should be sold to Fieldway Foods for a profit, however Ralph (James Fleet), their older and wiser brother and also the company's MD, overrides this suggestion with the help of his mother's vote. Both Ralph and his mother Amelia (Annette Crosbie) decide they must uphold their promise to Maurice Plummer who bequeathed Plummer's to the family and only the family, on his death bed.

8.30pm Friday, 18 April 2008

Rich kid John Ransom (James Hoare) collapses and dies after being ejected from The Luck in the World pub in Midsomer Mere. He has deep scorch marks across his scalp. Landlord Jimmy Kirby (Sean Chapman) says John went berserk.
The dead man lived at Lower Mere House, a former asylum. Inventor Dr Gregory Ransom (Geoffrey Whitehead) tells Barnaby that the burn marks came from John being willingly wired up inside a cage by his other son Max (Joe Anderson), who is experimenting on brainwave activity.
After spending a morning in the cage, John won £6,000 from the bookie Lucky Lol Tanner (Bill Stewart), before getting into a fight with Bill Kirby (Tom Frederic) at the pub. It appears that the Kirby family have second sight - the ability to see the future - but Barnaby is dismissive.