Midsomer Murders: The Oblong Murders (ITV1 25 May 2011)

In The Oblong Murders other Barnaby and Jones investigate more strange doings (directed by TV legend Renny Rye no less). The plot sees Jones going undercover at Malham Hall, the headquarters of a cult known as The Oblong Foundation after one of its young female members goes missing. It seems the previous owners Jeremy and Carolyn Lambert died in a mysterious boat explosion and talk is rife in town about their death.

Their lawyer, Susan Crane (Francesca Hunt), reveals that her clients withdrew thousands of pounds from their account, supposedly for gambling – but she also gave them advice about the use of a promissory note (a legal IOU). At Malham, Jones is befriended by Blaze (Christine Bottomley), who persuades him to go snooping in a bedroom under the guise of visiting the ‘love room’, but they get locked in and have to call on Barnaby for help. While Barnaby tries to find out who might have borrowed money from the Lamberts, another cult member dies suspiciously. The police uncover existence of a promissory note and discover that the man who witnessed it died the same night as the Lamberts. Barnaby and Jones must try to find out who killed the owners of Malham Hall, and whether the case has a link to the missing woman.

Well Neil Dudgeon is settling in nicely as Barnaby mark II and truth be told as much as we love John Nettles, and we do love him in a bona fide TV hero kind of way, it is the outrageous plots and idyllic scenery that always draw us in to the world of Midsomer.

production details
UK | ITV1 Network

RUNNING TIME: 120 minutes | AIRDATE: Wednesday 25 May 2011 @ 8.00pm

WRITER: David Hoskins | DIRECTOR: Renny Rye

Series: Midsomer Murders Season Fourteen Episode Six

cast
NEIL DUDGEON as DCI John Barnaby
JASON HUGHES as DS Jones
KEVIN DOYLE as Paddy Powell
HOLLY AIRD as Claire
FRANCESCA HUNT as Susan Crane
CHRISTINE BOTTOMLEY as Blaze
PAUL HILTON as Dominic Segal
BARRY JACKSON as Dr Bullard
NICK THOMAS-WEBSTER as CID Officer
LEE ASQUITH-COE as Oblong Cult Member
JENSEN FREEMAN as Reporter