Customer Reviews

Midsomer Murders: Set 13

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For those new to this British masterpiece, Midsomer Murders is a long running "who done it", based on the novels of Caroline Graham, starring John Nettles (of the Bergerac fame) as the unflappable Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby. The series is set in the fictional Misomer County, which comprises of many cosy, rural villages, where wealthy and poor alike seem to do each other in at an average rate of three to four bodies per episode. The series has a worldwide following, not in the least due to the creative and macabre ways in which the MM victims are typically dispatched. I give the series as a whole a five star rating, though set 12 was a bit dissapointing (four stars) in that it lacked some of its trademark British humour which in the past acted as a buffer between the viewer and the grim reality of the bloody murders... Let's hope Set 13 sees MM back to its best form!

Set 13 contains the following episodes:

ep 52: Dance With the Dead; orig air date: Nov 2006
ep 53: The Animal Within; orig air date: Jan 2007
ep 54: King's Crystal; orig air date: Jan 2007
ep 55: The Axeman Cometh; orig air date: Feb 2007

SPOILER ALERT!!!: In The Axeman Cometh we meet Simon, Cully's intended. Her wedding is in ep 60 (which I guess will be in set 15). END OF SPOILER ALERT!!!

If you own any MM sets from Region 2, you may already own at least some of the above episodes, as the Region 1 and 2 sets are NOT synchronised. Better check... I read somewhere there were fewer MM episodes released in the US in order to keep the price of each set more affordable. If that was indeed the case, then it is a great shame... I would like to see those missing episodes released at some point in the US as well.

PS: As a side note, John Nettles is retiring soon, though we should see Barnaby episodes well into 2011. The makers are still shopping for a suitable lead who will pick up the baton. All they will confirm is that Barnaby will NOT be killed off, and that his current sidekick (played by Jason Hugh) is NOT in the running. The actress playing Cully has already retired from MM (her last episode was shown on British TV this summer; it was her character's wedding episode).

UPDATE (Feb 10, 2010): Nettles' replacement has been revealed. I have included the details in Set 16 review.

This is more a message to the fans of Midsomer Murders in The USA who get tired of having to wait almost two years after the show is broadcast to see it on DVD.

First the big review.....These episodes are as wonderful as all the previous shows. The ability of the writers to keep up the quality is nothing short of amazing. What a track record. Whoa!

Now the boring message...these episodes were released on dvd in the UK in September 2008. The entire TEN EPISODES of that season were released as "The Sixth Collection" You can buy it from Amazon UK for about $70 including shipping. This USA release has only four of those episodes issued one year later at about $36.

The one catch here is the UK releases are on the region 2 PAL format which will not play on a lot of the USA region 1 dvd players. BUT you can buy a dvd player that will play the region 2 PAL format right here on Amazon. I did.

Series Note....John Nettles will be retiring at the end of 2010 with one final series of eight episodes.With the way Acorn chops up these programs into little three and four episode packages for the USA it will be 2012 before we get to see any of them.

I thoroughly enjoy the Midsomer Murders series -- I have bought every one and will continue to add to my video library. I am able to share my love of this series with several of my family and friends and not one has been disappointed!

Does anyone else have this problem? I think I have seen most of the Midsomer episdoes on TV and from episodes I get in our local library. While I would be most eager to buy any episodes I haven't seen, I can't tell from the Amazon listings which episodes are contained in each set. I am therefore reluctant to buy sets without knowing if those sets contain episodes I haven't seen, as it would be a waste of my money to buy sets containing episodes I've already seen. Does anyone else have this problem, and if so how do you deal with it in deciding what sets to order. Is there a reason a summary of the episodes can't be lsited in the amazon entries for each set? (sometime I can get an idea of what episodes are contained in the set from the reviews, but not always or even usually). Thanks for any help.

i have every one of the sets of mm. i was pleased with all until set 13, especially the episode with the motorcycle clown. this one was so boring. i suppose you have to like noise and motorcycles to enjoy this one. not sure i will order the rest as with some series they can go down hill as they come to a close.john nettles made the series good, but i think it's time for him to retire as he seems tired of this.shame.i might add the beginning sets seemed more mysterous and interesting. these latter ones just want to talk one to death which never works for me in a mystery, they need to be more visual. anyone agree? my 2 cents! jm USA

Is Midsomer Murders starting to show its kinky side? With set 13 we have the love that dare not speak its name, the love that encourages us to think about the love that dare not speak its name, photo pornography (so artistic it's called erotica) that appears to explore the missionary position with a real missionary, and, perhaps most disturbing, the sight of DCS Tom Barnaby playing air guitar. Kinky or not, its all good. As we know from past seasons, murders occur 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. 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.

It's up to Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Barnaby, unflappable, courteous, curious and relentless, to solve these murders. He does, and 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, well written, very British, understated and amusing series of lethal riddles and satisfying solutions.

The four 100-minute mysteries in Set 13 are:

Dance With the Dead, a trip into WWII nostalgia, complete with townspeople at a dance in the dress and uniforms of the time and a vocalist giving us "I'll Be Seeing You" and "Goodnight, Sweetheart." Death appears in an abandoned WWII airfield with a steel pipe in its hand.

The Animal Within brings us secrets from the past, a biographer who loves his mum, and an old reprobate who, in hindsight, didn't mind a bit of genial corruption.

King's Crystal teaches us the economics of a small glass-blowing company, where Shakespeare gives us hints, some misleading, and where the economies of murder can be profitable.

The Axeman Cometh is a paean to rock and roll, loud rock and roll, and where old-time drug use can have modern-time consequences.

The series features Jason Hughes as Detective Constable Ben Jones. Hughes is a fine, intelligent actor, but I'm afraid the series writers may be dumbing down his intelligence a bit. At times he seems just a dull foil for Barnaby. Jane Wymark plays Joyce Barnaby, the Detective Chief Superintendent's wife and Laura Howard is Cully, their daughter. We don't see much of either in this set.

Considering how long this show has been running, it has maintained a remarkably high level of twisty plots, solid writing, fine acting in even the smallest parts and quality Midsomer ambience. Nettles, of course, makes the series. He has been quoted as saying he will retire after two more seasons. The producers have been quoted as saying there will be a new DCS to carry on in Midsomer County. Whoever the actor turns out to be, he (she? Why not?) will have big shoes to fill.

For those with long memories, it's a pleasure to spot some fine actors in supporting roles, such as David Troughton, John Cater, Richard Johnson, John Castle and David Horovitch.

I have been watching this series for years and have every eposode.The acting is far superior to any series on US TV. I like that the actors look like real peop;e and NOT Hollywood clones. The scenery is charming. I can't waitfor the next series to come out in Feb. If you like this you'll like All Creatures Great and Small also.I highly recommend this series.

How is it the British make such wonderfully engaging shows? We watch very few series produced here on television. In fact, only two. I saw the Midsomer series listed on Amazon and based on the synopsis, took a chance. We love them! The actors are marvelous, the casting brilliant. The scripts/stories are all different and well written and the scenery is beautiful. The mythical town with its wonderful shops and houses, the uniquely individual inhabitants are something we just don't see in productions here. The acting in even the smallest role is outstanding.
John Nettles, the lead, settled into character with the very first show and is absolutely brilliant as the stern detective with a strong sense of justice, a good sense of humor. His love and affection for his family lights up his eyes during even the most difficult case. It is nice to see.
We have now bought many of the Midsomer series and will by them all. Can't recommend this series highly enough.

My husband and I watched Midsomer Murders when they were on A&E. A&E quit showing the series and we really miss them . We discovered them at Amazon.com and purchased Set 13. It is a real to treat sit down and watch them in the evening like we used to. My husband received Set 14 for Father's Day, can't wait.

I have all of the Midsomers and this is by far the worst. The KING'S CRYSTAL episode is particularly bad. The ending made no sense with no plausible evidence to convict anyone. Not up to previous standards at all.