Midsomer Murders, Set 19 Blu-ray delivers great video and solid audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
Homicide, blackmail, greed, and betrayal: just a taste of what goes on behind the well-trimmed hedges of Midsomer County. Inspired by the novels of Caroline Graham, "the best detective writer since Agatha Christie" (Sunday Times, UK), this British series is deliciously sinister and darkly humorous.
Once again, Acorn Media is commencing their Blu-ray release of a beloved British crime series
in midstream. The first eighteen sets of Midsomer Murders were issued on DVD, where they
have gained a loyal following aided by broadcasts on the A&E Network and public television.
With Set 19, Acorn begins simultaneous releases on DVD and Blu-ray. Presumably they'll loop
back at some point to reissue the earlier sets on Blu, as they've done with other popular series
such as Poirot, George Gently and, shortly, Murdoch Mysteries.
Midsomer Murders is based on characters created by crime writer Caroline Graham, but the
series' popularity quickly outstripped Graham's writings, and most of its plots are original
creations. Set in the fictional English county of Midsomer, the series follows the methodical
detective work of Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) of the Criminal Investigation
Division (or "CID") in the main town of Causton. DCI Barnaby has had several sergeants
throughout the series, but in the 2010 episodes contained in Set 19, his partner is Detective
Sergeant Ben Jones (Jason Hughes).
Despite the pastoral setting and the veneer of English civility, the Midsomer environs are
brimming over with homicidal mania. Each of the 91 episodes (to date) of Midsomer Murders
involves one or more killings, frequently of a bizarre nature, and almost always committed by a
member of the local population. As crime statistics routinely bear out, most murders are
committed by someone with whom the victim is acquainted. For DCI Barnaby, this principal is
axiomatic, and so, too, for the writers of Midsomer Murders, who gleefully take advantage of the
small town milieu and 90-minute running time (two hours with commercials) to fill each episode
with a plethora of suspects known to the victim(s). Red herrings abound and are frequently
ingenious.
Midsomer Murders is noted for its dark sense of humor, much of it courtesy of the constant
parade of eccentrics found in Midsomer County and the arch detachment with which DCI
Barnaby regards each one. The tone of the series is perfectly captured by its signature theme
composed by Jim Parker, a traditional-sounding waltz played on a non-traditional electronic
instrument (a theremin) that sounds like demented circus music. Imagine something that Danny
Elfman might compose for a Tim Burton film, and you'll get the idea.
Although Acorn calls this group of four episodes "Set 19", it is really the first half of the
thirteenth season (or "series") of Midsomer Murders. ITV broadcast the show's pilot
in March 1997, with individual seasons following roughly one year apart thereafter. The U.K. is currently
in the fifteenth season.
The Made-to-Measure Murders (disc 1)
The title refers to a "bespoke" clothing shop called Woodley and Woodley in the village of
Milton Cross, which used to be run by two brothers, Gerald (Nigel Williams) and Matthew
(Philip Bretherton). Two years before the main story, Gerald, an angry brute of a man, died of a
heart attack in his backyard. Now the shop is run by Matthew and Gerald's son, Luke (Karl
Davies). But the family's livelihood is threatened, because the shop's lease is about to expire,
and the landlord, Edward Milton (James Wilby), may not renew. As the name suggests, Milton
pretty much owns Milton Cross. People don't exactly bow when he approaches, but they might
as well.
Gerald's widow, Sonia Woodley (Maureen Beattie), seems unusually disturbed by the
anniversary of her husband's death—so disturbed that she refuses to take communion at Sunday
services, an act that draws immediate attention from Milton, whose routine display of piety is
almost suffocating. Sonia also has possession of a letter that she finds deeply troubling and
shares with her close friend, Wendy Minchin (Carolyn Pickles). She is about to share the letter
with the vicar, Reverend Moreland (Nicholas Jones), when she is murdered outside the church.
As Barnaby and Jones investigate, Barnaby draws special insight into the case from his wife,
Joyce (Jane Wymark), who happens to be a patron of Woodley and Woodley and, indeed, was
present recently when Milton intervened to quell an altercation between the Woodley family and
some local troublemakers. (The involvement of Barnaby's family in his cases is a recurring
element of Midsomer Murders.) The investigation uncovers layer after layer of secrets, lies
and
misdeeds, some understandable and some deplorable. Who knew that tailoring could be so
dangerous?
The Sword of Guillaume (disc 1)
"The Sword of Guillaume" is an important episode, because it introduces the character of DCI
John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) of the Brighton CID, who is Tom Barnaby's cousin. When actor
John Nettles retired from Midsomer Murders in 2011, John Barnaby relocated to Causton to take
his cousin's place. Only time will tell how the series fares with a new lead detective.
Here, however, the two cousins must work together in a case that arises out of a land deal
arranged between the mayors of their respective cities. Causton's Mayor Hicks (Brian Capron)
wants the town to buy coastal land of dubious value that Brighton's Mayor Wakely (Julie
Watson) is only too happy to unload. The whole deal sits badly with a powerful Causton resident,
Lady Matilda William (Janet Suzman), a harpy whose family ancestry traces back in a direct line
to the Norman invasion of 1066 and who consider the residents of Brighton to be Anglo-Saxon
rabble.
Lady Matilda's real grudge against Brighton stems from the fact that her only son, Richard (Colin
Brummage), was brutally mugged there twenty years ago, leaving him a helpless quadriplegic
confined to a wheelchair. Richard now requires 24-hour care from an attendant (Saskia Reeves),
whose presence is a constant reminder to Lady Matilda to be on guard against any incursion from
the seashore. She yearns for an earlier time, when her ancestor Guillaume would mete out
retribution surely and swiftly with the sword that he holds in his portrait.
Someone does just that during a "goodwill tour" from Causton to Brighton. One of Mayor
Hicks's principal allies in the land deal, one Hugh Dalgleish (Tim McInnerny), is found with his
head cleanly separated from his body, in what the reliable coroner, Dr. Bullard (Barry Jackson),
says was a single blow from an antique weapon. The cousins Barnaby, joined by DS Jones,
undertake a joint investigation of the land deal from both ends and uncover some interesting
schemes, but not before a few more heads have rolled. Let's just say that land and lineage have
always gone hand in hand.
Blood on the Saddle (disc 2)
Just the thought of an English country village trying to "do" the Wild West is giggle-worthy,
but
that's what happens every year in the village of Ford Florey, where they hold an annual Wild
West show, complete with horses, stage coach, six-shooters and a high-noon showdown. Only
this year someone gets shot dead for real, under circumstances indicating intimate familiarity
with the logistics of the show. Unfortunately, the list of people with such knowledge is
long.
As is so often the case in Midsomer County, land appears to be the issue. Local landowners Jack
Fincher (David Rintoul) and Silas Burbage (Malcolm Storry) have been arguing for years over a
piece of swamp land, for which the relevant papers appear to be lost in ancient records. A
"traveller"(an English gypsy) known as Dan Malko (Justin Avoth) would like to buy the land for
his people, if only it could be determined who owns it. Fincher has hired a solicitor (Pip Torrens)
to establish title, but there's also an old reprobate named Jude Langham (Kenneth Cranham),
who claims to have evidence that will settle the claim—if someone is willing to pay for it.
Fincher's hot-tempered son, Leo (Richard Harrington), supports his father all the way, or so it
appears. Fincher's much younger second wife, Susan (Caroline Langrishe), would probably
support him as well, but he plans to leave her.
Bodies keep piling up, each of them killed in a manner recalling the Old West: dragged behind a
horse, shot then tied to a horse and left to die, stabbed with a Bowie knife. Then DCI Barnaby
receives a hand-delivered envelope with a Winchester rifle bullet and a note identifying the next
victim. It's the equivalent of an invitation to a gunfight at the OK Corral.
The Silent Land (disc 2)
DCI Barnaby's daughter, Cully (Laura Howard), is home for a visit and accompanies her mother
to a musical recital that bores her almost to sleep. The car ride home is more exciting. Joyce
Barnaby thinks she sees someone on the road and swerves sharply. She and her daughter are
unhurt, but their vehicle is damaged and undriveable. Of greater concern is whether Joyce hit a
pedestrian, a concern that becomes critical when a dead body is found nearby.
The victim is Gerald Ebbs, a resident of the village of March Magna, where he was generally
unpopular. A local history buff and one of the two librarians, Gerald was convinced that March
Magna was hugely significant in English history, much to the disdain of Ian Kent (Aden Gillett),
a credentialed historian who considers the town irrelevant. The town's claim to fame, in Gerald's
eyes, was proximity to a former tuberculosis hospital, now long abandoned, but world-famous in
the days when TB was not readily curable with antibiotics. So devoted was Daniel to preserving
the hospital's history that he'd volunteered to tend its adjoining graveyard for free. Indeed, that's
where his body was found.
All these developments are ideal for Jeff Bowmaker (Danny Webb), a showman and charlatan
who charges out-of-towners for "ghost tours" of March Magna, embellishing history with
whatever gory details are necessary to give his clientele a shiver. Bowmaker's endeavors aren't
popular with residents of March Magna, and Bowmaker himself does little to endear himself
(except, of course, to his landlady, Alice Carver (Suzy Aitchison), on whom his designs are quite
earthly).
The good Dr. Bullard's autopsy quickly eliminates Joyce Barnaby's auto as a factor in Gerald's
death, but that still leaves DCI Barnaby and DS Jones with a case to solve, and the townspeople
of March Magna seem distinctly uninterested. Certainly Gerald's fellow librarian, Sarah Sharp
(Christina Cole), doesn't miss him. She can't wait to clear out his belongings from the library
and make it her own, where she enjoys spending time with a love-sick boy who idolizes her,
Liam Peach (Jack Roth), son of the local florist, Adam Peach (Rupert Holiday-Evans).
Meanwhile, Barnaby continues to probe the history of the hospital and its cemetery, convinced
that the key to the mystery lies there somewhere.
All of the sources I consulted state that Midsomer Murders is shot on film in Super16 format.
If that is the case, then the image on these 1080i, AVC-encoded Blu-rays is the closest thing to hi-def
video I have ever seen from 16mm film. It seems more likely that the show switched shooting
formats at some point during its run, but that evaluation will have to wait until earlier seasons
arrive on Blu-ray for comparison. For now I'll just observe that the clarity, detail, depth of field,
color and black levels are generally superb, with no visible film grain at all. The only features
that mar the presentation are occasional (very occasional) instances of aliasing on angled
horizontal surfaces and an unfortunately more common pattern of minute video noise in solid
expanses that, to my eye, suggested a tell-tale sign of overcompression. I note that Acorn has
opted to use BD-25s to accommodate three hours of program material on each disc, whereas in
its presentation of George Gently, Series 1, it used a BD-50 for such a purpose. The latter is a much preferable practice. This is a fine image, and it deserves room to breathe.
Contrary to the packaging, the audio is DTS-HD MA 2.0, rather than PCM 2.0, but the difference
is immaterial, as both are lossless formats. Jim Parker's theme sounds wonderful in its various
incarnations, and the all-important dialogue comprising the police "enquiries" is always crystal
clear. This is a serviceable track, not a showy one, and the Blu-ray delivers it faithfully.
Photo Gallery for "Blood on the Saddle" (HD, 1080i; various; 1:41): Behind-the-scenes photos, which you shouldn't see
until you've watched the episode, because they'll
spoil some of the fun of the finale.
Bonus Trailers: At startup, disc 1 plays trailers for Acorn Media, Murder on
the Orient Express and George Gently, Series 1. These can be skipped with the chapter
forward button and are not otherwise available once the disc loads.
Acorn Media has made an excellent start with Midsomer Murders on Blu-ray, but with so many
sets already on DVD, I hope that fans don't have to rebuy each one separately. I would like to see
some consolidation to expedite the catch-up, especially for seasons that have been split into two
"sets" (as season 13 was split into "Set 19" and the forthcoming "Set 20"). In any case, these are
unique and entertaining police procedurals and, minor video quibbles aside, the set is highly
recommended.
Acorn Media will release Midsomer Murders: Set 19 on Blu-ray next February. The Blu-ray package of this popular television program stars John Nettles (Bergerac) and Jason Hughes (Killing Me Softly) as two detectives investigating the seedy underbelly of quaint ...
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