Long-running crime drama Midsomer Murders returns to ITV for a nineteenth season this winter.
Neil Dudgeon is back as DCI Barnaby, alongside Manjinder Virk as pathologist Dr Kam Karimore and Fiona Dolman as Sarah Barnaby. They will be joined by newcomer Nick Hendrix (Marcella, The Crown) as DS Jamie Winter.
Buy the complete Season 18 box set on Amazon here.
Storylines in Season 19 will include a deserted village full of secrets, an extreme Neighbourhood Watch, a cricket festival and a rabbit and guinea pig show.
Episode 1: ‘The Village that Rose from the Dead’
Sunday 18 December 2016, 8pm
It is the night before the reopening of Little Auburn, a derelict village left untouched since WW2, and a 1940s themed party is in full swing at The Cross Keys pub in Great Auburn.
In the back room, three camps fight for Little Auburn’s future: idealists Finn Thornberry and Corina Craven champion their Eco-village dream, flashy developers Lucy and Blake Keswick present their Luxury Villas scheme, whilst Sylvia Lennard campaigns to preserve the village as a ‘living museum’. Local landowner Roderick Craven will announce his decision tomorrow. Later that night, Finn cycles back to his squat in Little Auburn but is blinded by the lights of a tank which drives straight at him….
Next day, the launch is spoiled when Finn’s body is found, crushed beneath the tank. Barnaby and Sarah are mourning the passing of Sykes when Barnaby is called to Little Auburn by his new temporary DS, Jamie Winter. At the crime scene, Winter is pleasantly surprised to encounter Kam as they met years ago on a training course. Digging into the victim’s past reveals he was a conman.
Finn abandoned his wife and child and stole community funds, but Barnaby and Winter discover that fiancée Corina had no idea. With his decision on hold, Roderick refuses to tell the police whose bid was going to win. Barnaby and Winter visit Finn’s rivals Lucy and Blake Keswick to glean more information. Lucy appears helpful, then once the police leave she makes a secret phone call, but to whom? In the deserted village, the peace is broken as a hooded figure makes their way through the gloom towards a derelict building. Gloved hands caress a snake…
Over dinner, Sarah probes Barnaby about his new DS. Barnaby refuses to be drawn but Sarah knows he likes cheerful Winter. Next morning, old publican Fred Messinger finds Roderick’s dead body in Little Auburn. Kam tells Barnaby and Winter he was poisoned with cyanide after being lured down a ‘foxhole’ trench. An old flask is found on the body and Barnaby concludes it has an army connection, putting ex-military man Blake Keswick in the frame.
At the pub, the villagers wait for Roderick to announce his decision but are shocked to hear he has been murdered. Barnaby and Winter speak to solicitor Julian Lennard, Sylvia’s son, to find out about Roderick’s will. Milo Craven, Roderick’s estranged brother, is puzzled to discover he will inherit Little Auburn. Later on, Milo and his wife Andrea witness their son Josh collapse to the ground in a fever. A pale Josh tells his dad that he needs to sort out the situation. Now.
Milo heads to Little Auburn, but is hit over the head from behind. Alerted by a concerned Andrea, Barnaby and Winter locate Milo and enter the derelict building after him. But they find themselves in a sticky situation as they meet an angry ball-python head on. Quick-thinking gets our heroes out of trouble, but Milo Craven is not so lucky: he lies dead, constricted by snakes…
After exposing the illegal snake farm, Barnaby and Winter delve into the Cravens’ background and discover that Andrea cleaned for Julian Lennard’s firm. Suspecting she could have tampered with Roderick’s will, they ask forensics to investigate. Meanwhile a furious Blake finds out that his wife Lucy is having an affair with Julian Lennard. Julian goes missing just as Barnaby and Winter have a breakthrough with a clue that reveals the killer’s identity but can they get there in time?
Episode 2: ‘Crime and Punishment’
Wednesday 4 January 2017, 8pm
Dusk falls in Bleakridge, the most remote village in Midsomer, and a group of villagers walk the streets, reporting anyone who falls foul of the law. Welcome to Bleakridge Watch country. ‘Code Red’ sounds through their walkie talkies. One of their members, local butcher Angus Colton, is dead, lying frozen in his meat freezer…
Barnaby and Winter meet Angus’ devastated sister, Maxine Lockston and her daughter Tara. They learn that Angus was investigating a recent spate of burglaries in the village, but hadn’t identified the culprit. Next port of call is Ingrid Lockston, the Watch leader. She set up the Watch two years ago in honour of her brother Frank, Maxine’s husband, who was killed in a hit-and-run accident. His killer was never found. Adrian Peck, Ingrid’s lackey, tells the police that pub landlord Mitch McAllister hated Angus. At The Gallows, Barnaby and Winter learn from a beleaguered Mitch and his partner Lena, a mobile hairdresser, that the Watch are a total nuisance. Abuse of power is rife amongst them. Later in a dark field, an old barn is set alight…
Angus’ post-mortem reveals strange restraining injuries on his wrists. Winter finds it odd that Angus made a 5am phone call to fellow Watch member Azeem Meer. Azeem tells him Angus wanted to borrow his digital camera for ‘Watch business’, but the camera is nowhere to be found. Ingrid causes tension with Maxine when she muscles her way into her niece Tara’s affections. Maxine is distracted as she is secretly seeing Henry Marsh, local builder and bad boy turned good. Later that night, someone breaks into The Gallows and causes a flood.
A sleepy Mitch tries to stop them but is hit over the head as the intruder escapes into the night… Barnaby and Winter track down the culprit – disgruntled ex-employee Adrian Peck – but Ingrid gives him an alibi and the police leave frustrated. Winter asks an awkward Kam out for dinner to talk about their drunken night in Dorset. Over ribs, they are coy about whether or not something happened between them. Both agree to be professional. Back in Bleakridge, Azeem is working late in his hardware shop when someone enters and selects a hammer from the display….
Next day Barnaby and Winter find poor Azeem bludgeoned to death and are perplexed to spot similar restraining marks. Winter discovers a stash of stolen goods hidden in the shop: Azeem was the village burglar. Barnaby then finds proof that Ingrid organised the burglaries to keep the village in check. An outraged Watch turn on their leader. Meanwhile, Winter has spotted a photo of a barn on Azeem’s cloud account, but finds it has been torched to the ground. Amongst the debris, he spies a burnt-out car… but whose is it?
It belongs to mild-mannered Duncan Walton, a retired GP who runs a community cafe with his wife Barbara. Barnaby and Winter arrive to find Maxine informing best friend Barbara that she plans to move to Wales with Henry. Duncan tells the police the car was stolen two years ago on the day of Frank’s hit-and-run. Meanwhile, Lena heads off to yet another hairdressing appointment and Mitch is suspicious: what is she up to? Kam finds traces of hair dye on Azeem’s body. Believing Lena is connected to the murders, Barnaby traces her to a hotel. Uniform enter to find Lena dressed in full dominatrix gear with a blushing Duncan shackled to the bed.
The mystery of the restraining marks is solved. Barnaby receives confirmation that Duncan’s car killed Frank, but who was driving it? A fingerprint points to Henry Marsh. After his arrest, Henry explains that he stole the car but didn’t hit Frank. Barnaby and Winter find out that Frank was abusive to Maxine and the final piece of the puzzle falls into place…. but who would go to such lengths to protect the person they loved?
Episode 3: ‘Last Man Out’
Wednesday 11 January 2017, 8pm
Pom-pom girls go wild as Lower Pampling’s star cricketer Leo Henderson wins the match, taking his team through to the C10 Slam tournament semi-final. But later that day, Leo is found dead in the practice area, pummelled by cricket balls…
At the cricket ground, Barnaby is surprised when he encounters his old DS Ben Jones. Jones introduces himself as Leo’s teammate ‘Jack Morris’ and warns an intrigued Barnaby not to blow his cover. In the dark about Jones’ real identity, Winter’s hackles are raised. Barnaby learns from Leo’s friends, Serena and Elliot Luthando, that fast-paced C10 is not everyone’s cup of tea.
Council members St John Beachwood and Germaine Troughton, a famous ex-cricketer, hate its vulgarity and plan a village vote to decide whether it stays. Later that night, Jones consoles Leo’s widow Melody. An intruder breaks in but Jones fails to catch him. Once Melody goes to bed, Jones finds a bag of cash hidden in Leo’s study. Meanwhile, venerable St John makes a phone call asking someone to come home… but who is he speaking to?
Best friends Melody and Serena discuss a special anniversary and later Serena ceremonially places a flower by a tree, marking the trunk with a knife. St John is delighted when a mysterious person shows up. Whilst Kam and Sarah watch the C10 semi-final together, Kam admires Jones’ prowess on the pitch. After Lower Pampling’s win, Jones is approached by captain Fitz Theara who bribes him to fix the final. Serena returns home to find an anxious Elliot glued to his computer.
Upstairs she is spooked by a flower on her bed, but who has left it there? Melody is also frightened when she receives a funeral wreath from an anonymous donor. By the memorial tree, an impatient Fitz waits for someone. Fate deals him a cruel blow when he is stabbed through the heart with a cricket stump…
At the crime scene, Barnaby spots twenty notches on the tree and tasks Winter to find out what happened in the village twenty years ago. Jones comes clean to Barnaby and Winter about his undercover investigation into match-fixing, revealing both Leo and Fitz’s involvement. The discovery that architect Elliot Luthando owed Fitz a lot of money puts him under suspicion. When questioned, Elliot confesses his gambling addiction but denies murder.
Meanwhile Winter unearths an article about Cilla Troughton, Germaine’s daughter, who went missing twenty years ago. Nothing has been seen or heard from her since. But after receiving a strange summons, a terrified Serena and Melody meet at the tree to find Cilla herself there. St John asked her to come home once Leo was dead. Cilla reveals she wanted to scare her former friends as retribution for hounding her out of the village.
Twenty years ago they dragged her to the tree to torment her for having an affair with Leo. Germaine has a painful reunion with her daughter as Cilla explains she rejected her when she needed her most. Hot on Cilla’s trail, Barnaby deduces that she was pregnant with Leo’s son who she later gave up for adoption, but who else knew?
The village buzzes with excitement for the final of the C10 tournament. An undercover Jones closes in on the match-fixing ring and is shocked to discover that team manager Wade McMaster is the brains of the outfit. With the scam now fully exposed, Jones prepares to play cricket but moments before, he is kidnapped by the killer. A vital clue comes to light and Barnaby realises who murdered both victims. But as the clock ticks down, can Barnaby and Winter save Jones before he’s bowled out?
Episode 4: ‘Red In Tooth And Claw’
Wednesday 18 January 2017, 8pm
Under cover of darkness, local Estate Agent Seb Huntington releases animals from their cages at the Belville Small Pet Show. Someone confronts Seb and the following morning Ailsa Benson arrives to set up her pet food stall to find Seb dead, surrounded by escaped bunnies…
At the crime scene Barnaby and Winter meet Locum Pathologist Dr Oliver Marcet. While Winter hides his disappointment that Kam is on a course, Barnaby learns the victim died from a stab wound to the neck. Hearing Ailsa Benson’s alibi, Barnaby and Winter next interview Seb’s distraught girlfriend Tegan Langton and her boss, Hall owner and Pet Show patron the stately Delphi Hartley.
Finding no reason anyone would want to harm Seb or sabotage the show, they leave Tegan to be comforted by best friend Shray Varma – watched from afar by the mysterious Errol Judd. Barnaby and Winter go to see Cleo Langton, Tegan’s mum and Seb’s boss at the Estate Agents, and discover Seb was trying to get Delphi to sell the hall, but Delphi wasn’t interested. Theorising the murderer might be a competitor sabotaging the show, Barnaby and Winter next visit Best In Show defending champion Timothy Benson, whose alibi unwittingly throws suspicion back onto his estranged wife Ailsa. Timothy is distraught to discover Hercules has been kidnapped. Meanwhile in a secret room an unknown figure strokes the sleeve of a luxury fur coat.
When Winter gleans from Seb’s computer that he was sabotaging the show, Barnaby posits that someone murdered Seb to stop him. Winter reveals that local hotelier Perry Tressel has form for animal rights campaigning and fits the bill. Winter follows up on Ailsa’s dodgy alibi at the pet shop, learning of her affair with charming builder Jayesh Varma and sensing Ailsa is hiding something.
At the pet friendly hotel he runs with wife Belinda, Perry dismisses his activism as ancient history. Upset at having uncovered wife Ailsa’s affair with charming builder Jayesh Varma, Barnaby witnesses Timothy accuse fellow competitor Cleo of stealing Hercules so she will win Best In Show. Cleo drives off, passing Errol Judd. She immediately turns round and attempts to run him over.
Back at the show Barnaby witnesses workmen taking the sponsorship boards down and tasks Winter to looking into Delphi’s finances, finding she’s broke. Confronting her, Barnaby discovers Seb sabotaged the show to try to force Delphi to sell the hall earning him a big commission. When Errol reveals to Tegan he is her long lost father, Tegan reacts angrily towards Cleo – she lied saying he was dead. However, driving home it is Cleo who struggles for breath and ends up dead…
When Oliver reveals Cleo died from respiratory distress, Barnaby cleverly identifies it was murder. Digging into ex-husband Errol, Winter uncovers a colourful past that puts him in the frame – along with the angry Tegan, vengeful Timothy and the Varma’s, who Barnaby discovers were suing Cleo for negligence. Facing financial ruin, Delphi reveals to Tegan she owns the luxury fur coats and plans to sell them to save the Hall and show – but they’ve been stolen. Tracing Cleo’s movements helps Winter to find the scissors used to kill Seb.
Discovering they belong to Timothy Benson leads Timothy to confess – not to killing Seb or Cleo, but to the fact the real Hercules had died and he’d replaced him with a look-a-like. Fearing he’d be caught led to the kidnapping. When Winter catches Ailsa and Jayesh with Delphi’s missing fur coats, their revenge plot is foiled. Back at the show, Errol is knocked unconscious by an unknown assailant.
Learning Errol plans to take Tegan away with him, Barnaby deduces the murders are all linked to Tegan, and Errol is in mortal danger. Racing back to the show, Barnaby & Winter arrive just in time to catch the killer…
Episode 5
Episode 6
Buy the complete Season 18 box set on Amazon here.
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