Customer Reviews

Midsomer Murders: Set 12

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

For all of us who wondered how Cabot Cove wound up with any citizens left after all those murders in Jessica's wake...take heart...the territory has been expanded into a whole British equivalent of a county (Midsomer) in the heart of Jolly Olde England, chock full of villages just simmering over with perfect villiany. This series is still going full steam in Britian. In fact a rerun of one on ITV recently out performed all original programming on the other channels. So it is just as appreciated in it's homeland as it is becoming in the colonies. It is the epitome of well thought out murder plots brimming over with those gloriously quaint characters one only encounters in England. Long time Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby (played by John Nettles) and his now third Deputy Inspector are forever unraveling unsavory goings on in towns as diverse as Carsten (evidently the urban center of the county) or villages like Midsomer Mallow where the citizens busy themselves about the business of building up petty hatreds and retributions galore. The pace is never too fast. The murder or murders are always diabolique or so interpersonally convoluted as to render you entranced at it's revelation. While lacking the bitter sophistication of Morse...or the witty repartee of Poirot in another era...these murder mysteries will bequile you with their scenery, their down to earth eccentrics, and even DCI Barnaby's happy home life (gone are the psychological demons attacking modern detectives and making them as miserable as the victims they encounter). None of that in Midsomer. You get the feeling Barnaby wouldn't trade his job for a promotion to London in a million years, he's content, but constantly amazed at the capacity for murder in his elysian fields. He has a loving wife and a grown daughter who keeps moving in and out of his life. The different villages are all interesting. Nobody does this murder business better than the British...period. It's just a lark on all counts. At my house the wife, the kids, and the grandkids know that on Sunday evening it's my Midsomer Murder night and woe to those who disturb me during those 100 minutes of mayhem.

Murders, and there are a lot of them, happen regularly in the villages of Midsomer County. The landscape is idyllically English, with ample greensward, manicured lawns, carefully trimmed hedges, cozy cottages and perfect gardens. The people of Midsomer County, ranging from working blokes to landed aristocrats, are for the most part well-mannered. Gossip is a cottage industry. If it weren't for all the corpses, the villages and towns of Midsomer County would be a fine place to live. As it is, they're a fine place to die.

Because of the corpses, we have Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Barnaby, unflappable, courteous, curious and relentless, with a sly, dry sense of humor that should make a smart murderer wary. DCS Barnaby is played by John Nettles, and it's hard to say who is the more authentic, the actor or the character. The one thing for sure is that it's a perfect fit. Nettles makes the series work. When he as Barnaby comes on the scene, we know we're in for an intelligent, very British, understated and amusing series of lethal riddles and satisfying solutions.

The four 100-minute mysteries in Set 12 are:

Four Funerals a Wedding is set in Broughton during the annual Skimmington Fayre. This festival commemorates the superiority of Broughton's women over the men. Only a chosen man who survives riding a course on a donkey while chosen women attempt to knock him off can change things. The man, of course, must ride backwards with a hood over his head. Needless the say, this time only the donkey finishes the ride.

Country Matters comes to Elverton when a supermarket is planned for the village. The construction site is easy to find. Just look for a corpse. And watch out for the lady in riding breeches carrying a whip.

Death in Chorus brings dueling church choirs to Midsomer Worthy during a crucial competition. Reputations are at stake, as well as artistic integrity and...well, let's just say one of the choirs will soon be in need of a new tenor.

Last Year's Model is something of a change for Barnaby. There's a murder, of course, and Barnaby caught the murderer. But during her trial Barnaby begins to have doubts and decides to take another look at the evidence. This turns into an engrossing mystery drama. Last Year's Model is a serious, taut look at a crime, with Barnaby racing against what could be an unjust verdict based on his own initial evidence.

The series features Jason Hughes as Detective Constable Ben Jones. He's the third of Barnaby's assistants and he's carving out his own place. Hughes makes Ben Jones intelligent and ambitious, and smart enough to know he has much to learn from Barnaby. He can be cautious around Barnaby and is always respectful, but he's also willing to speak his mind. Jane Wymark plays Joyce Barnaby, the Detective Chief Superintendent's wife and Laura Howard is Cully, their daughter.

Considering how long this show has been running, it has maintained a remarkably high level of twisty plots, solid writing and Midsomer ambience. Nettles, of course, makes the series. Midsomer Murders will most likely continue as long as he wants to play Barnaby.

I have purchased sets one thru twelve - so you must realize that my husband and I are crazy about this series -highly entertaining and really good mysteries - good television - so much fun...why can't we Americans produce shows like these - not all sex and "hollywood stereo-types" but real character actors - such good acting - such good plots - I'm waiting for #13 to come out - we share our collection with our family and they all love it - Bravo and well done, old chaps....

I HAVE ALL OF THE MIDSOMER'S SET 1-11 AND THINK THEY ARE THE BEST THINGS
I HAVE SEEN IN A LONG TIME, THE LOCATIONS OF THE ENGLISH CONTRYSIDE ARE
GREAT AND THE ACTING, ESPECIALLY JOHN NETTLE'S IS ALSO GREAT,MUCH BETTER
THE THE POLICE DRAMAS MADE IN THIS COUNTRY. BY THE WAY I AM PREORDERING
SET 12 WHICH I THINK WILL BE UP THE SAME HIGH STANDARDS.

I give all the Midsomer Murders Series five stars. I will even give one to Series 12 which I have on pre order. One of the best in a long line of British mysteries. If you like series I you will like all series though 12. Why cannot we in our country produce Mysteries like these. These are probably produced at half the budget of our American mysteries most of of which are blood and guts.

This is not only the best mystery series to come out of England.
It is the best to come out from anywhere in the world. If only the
U.S. could put out movies like this with excellent stories and
excellent actors. A friend in England tells me that the next
set 13 will be the last one Nettles will do. That is indeed sad to
know. My friend said that recently on British TV Nettles and his
TV wife toured the area where the series was made and it was
enchanting. I wish we could see it over here. I, for one will truly
miss these series.

We love Midsomer Murders and have them all so far. Hope they keep making them.

"Last Year's Model" is an episode of the Midsomer Murders series. The story here, is arranged differently than the episodes I've seen so far. This one begins when the suspect is sitting as the defendant in her trial as a murderer. The backstory is presented within the testimony of course, but also in some well-organized-flashbacks. It was refreshing, as far as I'm concerned it made it better. Our hero's daughter Cully is involved in this case, not just included as some onscreen business to fill in the length of the script/story. Note: while I agree with most of the customer comments currently found here, about this set/episode record... my enjoyment of this episode, might be colored by the fact that my viewing sequence for the series is still random, and this is one of the newest episodes that I've seen.

I FIRST FOUND THIS SERIES ON A&E AND I GOT HOOKED ON IT. I RECORDED THEM ON VHS AND NOW I HAVE ALL OF THE SERIES ON DVD. I WATCH THEM WHEN I HAVE A SLOW DAY OR WHEN I'M FEELING UNDER THE WEATHER. IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO FIGURE OUT WHO THE BAD GUY IS IN THESE SHOWS. I THINK IF YOUR A TRUE MYSTERY WATCHER YOU SHOULD GIVE THEM A TRY. i LOVE THEM.

I love murder mysteries and what better place than the English countryside. A thatched roof, climbing roses and an unsovled murder. What more can you ask for! Midsomer Murders are fun to watch with the beautiful scenery and great scripts.