Summary

• Midsomer Murders is a popular murder mystery show based on Caroline Graham's books, known for its over-the-top murders and tongue-in-cheek tone.
• The show uses close-up shots during outdoor conversations to hide the effects of rain and cold weather during filming.
• The show was originally titled Barnaby and is still referred to by that name in some regions. It deviated from the source material in the first episode by featuring additional murders.

The British series Midsomer Murders was first broadcast in 1998 and has since become one of the most popular murder mystery shows on television. More than 25 years later, the series is still going strong and finding even more popularity thanks to new viewers discovering it on streaming platforms. There are the over-the-top (almost comic) murders, the snappy banter between Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby and his sidekick Sergeant, and an idyllic English village setting in fictional Midsomer County. However, part of the fun in the show are the clever details in Midsomer Murders that even die-hard fans might miss.

The series is based on the characters in Caroline Graham's Midsomer Murders books and the show's tone is very much tongue-in-cheek, with a light humorous edge. Though there are less than a dozen novels in the original series, 140+ episodes have been produced. The best episodes of Midsomer Murders have allowed for some great fleshing out of recurring characters, fascinating mysteries, and, of course, intricately placed details that are more than easy to miss on first viewing — even for the most eagle-eyed Midsomer Murders fans.

12 Crossword Clues In "Death Of The Small Coppers"

The Puzzle Pays Homage To Past Episodes

The 20th-anniversary special of Midsomer Murders, season 20's "Death of the Small Coppers", was filled with Easter eggs and nods to the long-running TV show for eagle-eyed fans of the series to catch. Several of them came in details within crossword puzzles worked on during the episode.

One crossword clue, for example, read “A village whose black and white inhabitants migrate,” and the answer is “Badgers Drift,” which is also the very first episode of Midsomer Murders. Another crossword clue in the episode is “Fast choir ails the poisonous flower,” and a character writes in the answer as “Orchis Fatalis,” which is another episode title from the show’s run. All in all, the episode featured four different crossword puzzle clues that called back to earlier episodes of the show.

11 Why Midsomer Murders Features So Many Close-ups

Inclement Weather Means Production Result In Simpler Shots

Fans who have been watching the show for years might not notice that Midsomer Murders features a lot of close-ups when groups of characters are in conversation outside instead of using wider angles to get everyone in the shot. There’s a reason for that, and it isn’t because actors are filming at different times. Instead, it has to do with the weather. There are a lot of rainy and cold days when filming Midsomer Murders, especially since each episode can take over a month to film.

In order to keep the effects of the rain, like muddy boots, hidden from the eyes of viewers when an episode doesn’t feature rain, the production team uses a lot of closeup shots so that they don’t have to worry about cleaning up the effects of rain puddles. Rumor has it the cast members will even place ice cubes in their mouths before outdoor takes to lower the temperature so that their breath won’t appear on camera.

10 The Show Was Supposed To Be Called Barnaby

The Original Title Is Still Used In Some Places

There have been two DCI Barnabys in the history of the show. John Nettles played Tom, the intelligent TV detective, from Episode 1 until he and Tom both retired in 2011. Some speculated that his retirement would come at the expense of his wife, Joyce Barnaby's death, but that didn't happen. In that year, Neil Dudgeon became DCI John Barnaby, Tom's cousin.

Before screenwriter Anthony Horowitz suggested they call it Midsomer Murders, producers had gone with the working title, Barnaby. In fact, to this day, in some jurisdictions, the show is called Barnaby. Variations of that title, like Inspecteur Barnaby, are also used in some regions. So, the plot line had to provide another DCI Barnaby to take up the job of running down homicidal maniacs in the countryside. Hence, enter John Barnaby.

9 The Killings At Badger's Drift

The Season 1 Episode Showcases A Last-Minute Departure From The Source Material

The very first episode of Midsomer Murders, "The Killings at Badger's Drift" also contains the first time the show deviated from the books by Caroline Graham. Midsomer Murders episode 1 gave the television world Iris and Dennis Rainbird, an odious blackmailing mother and her creepy undertaker son, pulled straight from the novel from which the episode drew its title.

In the episode, they are both brutally murdered because they have discovered the incestuous secret of a brother and his sister. In Graham's book, only the mother is murdered. Some scenes in the television episode refer only to the mother's murder and not the son's, probably indicating that the show originally followed the book's plot line before deciding two brutal murders were better than one.

8 Cully's Wedding Guests

The Season 11 Wedding Episode Chose Some Notable Extras

Tom Barnaby is happily married to housewife Joyce, played by Jane Wymark. They have a daughter named Cully, who, by the way, was conceived on their honeymoon in Cully, Switzerland. In an episode called "Blood Wedding," first aired in 2008, Tom is called in to deal with the death of a bridesmaid at a posh wedding, while simultaneously dealing with Cully's pending nuptials.

Most TV wedding episodes are special events in the show and Midsomer Murders is no different. It was such a big moment that members of the British press were invited and appeared in the scene as guests, while members of the production and their families appeared as the wedding party. Despite the big deal of the wedding, once it was over, Cully's husband Simon disappeared from the show.

7 The Theme Music Mystery

The Unusual Instrument May Sound Familiar

Die-hard fans will know that the haunting waltz tempo Midsomer Murders theme music is played on a Theremin. Sitcom fans will also know Sheldon Cooper plays the instrument in The Big Bang Theory, though it's not a widely played instrument. It's an electronic metal instrument with two antennas invented by Russian physicist Leon Theremin in the early 20th century.

The Theremin an instrument that isn't touched, rather it's "played" by moving one's hands around it and above it to control sound and volume. The sound is sent to an amplifier. The best description is that it resembles a human's low whistle. Though there are some fans who will have a hard time separating the sound from Sheldon Cooper, it is a fitting theme for a British murder mystery.

6 The Return Of The Pitchfork

A Memorable Murder Weapon Makes A Return Cameo

Midsomer Murders has cast a lot of budding A-list actors, including a very young Orlando Bloom. In 2000, Series 3, Bloom was a womanizing thief in "Judgement Day." In typical Midsomer Murders fashion, he was dispatched by being skewered on a pitchfork, one of the most outrageous murders on Midsomer Murders. In the 20th anniversary special "Death of the Small Coppers", there is an Easter egg real fans will have spotted. In the foreground of one shot, there is a pitchfork innocently leaning up against a caravan in a nod to Bloom's episode.

5 The Only Murderless Episode

Season 18 Made A First For The Series

Series 18 kicked off with "Habeas Corpus." which became a controversial episode due to the fact that it was the first to not have any murders. It was also the episode that introduced the new (humorless) medical examiner Kam Karimore (Majinder Virk). There have been around 330 murders since the show began over twenty years ago. On average, there are around two or three per episode. Drama, serial killing, and great scenery make up every episode, so the lack of one of those things was a surprise that not all fans appreciated.

4 The Green Man Pub

A Hint To An Earlier Episode With A Famous Guest Star

The 2003 Green Man episode of Midsomer Murders is notable for many fans as it features an early role from Henry Cavill. In that episode, a body from the 1960s is found in a collapsed tunnel. The episode also features the Green Man Pub, complete with echoes of eco-friendly pursuits. Perhaps due to the notoriety of the particular episode, when Midsomer Murders did the 20th anniversary Easter egg special, they decided to have a cyclist ride by a sign for none other than the Green Man Public House.

3 Actor Neil Dudgeon Appeared In An Earlier Role

The Future John Barnaby First Appeared In Season 4

Long before he played DCI John Barnaby, actor Neil Dudgeon appeared in Series 4's "Garden of Death." He was Daniel Bolt, a slightly seedy, lecherous gardener who was not only carrying on with his female boss but who also had a brief flirtation with Tom Barnaby's wife, Joyce. Bolt even tried something with the boss's daughter, after the lady was poisoned with lethal pesto.

Dudgeon has joked that Bolt was only a cousin of his to explain the resemblance. His experience isn't that unique though. There are several local actors who have played multiple roles in the show's long run because of reused filming locations. The practice isn't exclusive to Midsomer Murders either. Shows like Law & Order have seen up-and-coming actors play multiple roles over the course of a decade.

2 The Case Of The In-Joke

The Show Features Running Gags About Various Characters' Shortcomings

Midsomer Murders is full of inside jokes. Tom Barnaby's wife Joyce is a very bad cook. When Tom is asked if he remembers when she took a Cordon Bleu cooking class, he mumbles "vividly". Tom's first sidekick Troy (Daniel Casey) was a careless, almost reckless driver. When Tom tells him he was on the wrong side of the road, he replies "only for a second, sir."

Another sidekick, Jones (Jason Hughes) is about as politically incorrect as is possible. Dedicated fans can tell stories of Troy almost running into a truck full of pine straw or Joyce's failed attempt at making jam. The running jokes are an endearing, light-handed comic touch. It's one of the reasons the show is so popular and provides consistency in the series that fans love.

1 Midsomer Vinae Winery Makes A Comeback

The Deadly Wine Resurfaces In The Anniversary Episode

When Midsomer Murders did the 20th-anniversary episode "Death of the Small Coppers", they included an Easter egg that referred to 2015's "A Vintage Murder". That episode is set in Midsomer Vinae Winery where a vintage launch party is totally wrecked when the Midsomer Vinae is laced with slug poison.

In the anniversary episode, there is a chalkboard sign offering Midsomer Vinae at around $50, a truly exorbitant price. The joke for fans was that it wasn't very good wine, and not worth that price. It's hidden details like that one that makes Midsomer Murders such a fun watch for those who have enjoyed the series since the start.