Midsomer Murders Set 14 DVD Review

Acorn Media / Region 1 / Released February 23, 2010

With news just announced that John Nettles is stepping down from his much loved role as Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby then the timing is definitely right to spend some quality time in front of the box with the man and the show that always entertains.

Set 14 features four more feature length all star mysteries set in the sleepy villages of the county of Midsomer. It’s the last four stories from the tenth season and our early reasonings about how to spot the Midsomer Murderer (the bigger the star name the more the likelihood of them being the killer) has been blown out the water somewhat by the fact that the show attracts some big names indeed. Death and Dust which guest stars the fabulous Roj Blake himself Gareth Thomas, takes us to Wales for a spot of mountain climbing and a case of murder between two feuding families. Picture of Innocence is the second mystery, its written by Andrew Payne who also created the excellent tec series Pie in the Sky and is about a murder that strikes at the heart of a pair of rival camera clubs. What out too for an appearance by Montserrat Lombard who is now a major part of the Life on Mars sequel Ashes to Ashes.

In Barnaby’s third case They Seek Him Here a film crew descends on Midsomer to shoot a film about the French revolution and before you can say Vive La Baguette a murderer has struck, this episode guest stars a couple of great English character actors in the shape of Nicky Henson and Matthew Marsh. Finally there is Death in a Chocolate Box sees Barnaby and his sidekick Jones investigating murder at a halfway house for ex-convicts run by two former colleagues of the DCI’s. Christopher Fairbank from the all time great Auf Wiedersehen Pet is a prominent guest star too (as well as 1980’s Lord Peter Wimsey Edward Petherbridge and Red Dwarfer Chris Barrie).

Midsomer Murders has been on the air for well over ten years now and shows no sign of a lessening in quality, always involving and full of great performances, not least those of John Nettles as Barnaby and Jason Hughes as Jones. Definitely one for the collection!

19.1.10