Midsomer Murders - Set Four

Rating:
Summary: A well done mystery series of exceptional complexity
Review: Many of you might have watched "Midsomer Murders" over the commercial-ridden A&E channel and have joined millions on both sides of the Atlantic in becoming devoted fans. For you, good news. Acorn Media has issued the fourth set that includes five more episodes in a boxed set of 5 DVDs.


Briefly, the first story "Tainted Fruit" is about the death of an old man through the alleged negligence of the young and sexy landlady. "Ring Out Your Dead" is a Dorothy Sayers-type tale of bell ringers, but this time about their being killed off. "Murder on St. Malley's Day" tells about a sinister elite Club in a strange school. "Market for Murder" finds some ladies secretly doing very well on the stock market, too well perhaps. Finally, "A Worm in the Bud" centers around a suicide note sent by e-mail after the body has been found.


I found the first two series just a little less striking, a little more low-key, than those I have raved about in the Wimsey, Poirot and Miss Marple series. I added that "Midsomer Murders" seems a recycling of the Inspector Morse series but without that character's idiosyncrasies. But by the third series, I found myself pretty hooked on the show, and although I find the plots extremely complex, that will make you want to view them at least a second time. But that is the point in owning recordings.


I should interject here that some television series are rich and enjoyable enough to deserve repeated viewings: Poirot for its humor and period settings, Marple for its characters, Wimsey for all three of those elements, and now "Midsomer Murders" for the reasons stated.


John Nettles plays Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby with a droll sense of humor that is most appealing and most of his ongoing problems in the early episodes stem from his job's keeping him away from his lovely wife (Jane Wymark) and daughter (Laura Howard). His sidekick, Sergeant Troy (Daniel Casey) is simply Barnaby's sidekick but there is a humorous interplay between them.

And it is very good to see that gorgeous English scenery with its old inns and the like. Oh yes, and very minimal foul language, but some unnecessary nudity of the "we may do it so we must do it" variety in the third series adds nothing to the quality of the show. Still I can highly recommend all four series.


Rating:
Summary: The best yet.....
Review: Every now and then I do something I regret, and one thing I did recently was to give away all my earlier purchases of the Midsomer Murder sets #1 and #2 on DVD. True, I had a good cause to support and they sold well, but I ended up repurchasing the earlier sets as well as sets 3 and 4 which we have just finished viewing for the first time. That's how much I enjoy this series it is worth repurchasing and we will watch it more than once.

I've noticed the stories in Set #4 as more violent than I remember Sets #1 or Set #2. However, that could be the type of murder - lots of blood. All these murders are "hands on" so to speak, and one episode "Ring out your Dead" of Set #4 is a particularly violent tale involving a set of bell ringers (shades of the `Nine Tailors') preparing to compete in a local bell-ringing contest. Have they been done in by the competition? Or, does someone in their own village have a grudge against them? Gemma Jones serves as a local historian who soon sheds light on the mystery.

If you recall the A&E version of `Pride and Prejudice' you will soon recognize one of the book club members in `Market for Murder' as the overbearing Aunt of Mr Darcy (and the justice of the peace who married the lead characters in 'As Time Goes By').

Dectective Barnaby (John Nettles) and Sgt. Troy (Daniel Casey) are likeable policemen who always have something going on in their personal lives that makes its way into the tale, whether it be Barnaby's wife's latest recipe or Troy's latest love interest.

One of the things I like best in addition to the mysteries that often baffle me until the end is the appearance of favorite British character actors. The other is that all the stories are shot on location in England making the series is eye candy for Anglophiles.