Very British, Very Entertaining - A Brief Review of Midsomer Murders

Dear readers,

I have been watching twenty-seven episodes of legendary British crime drama television series Midsomer Murders thus far. The series are based upon the novel series Chief Inspector Barnaby by Caroline Graham whose seven novels have been published between 1987 and 2004. As for the television series, a whopping one hundred forty-two episodes have been released in twenty-four seasons since 1998. Every episode is between eighty-nine and one hundred two minutes long.

There are numerous elements that make this television series stand out: the sympathetic chief inspector, his quirky associates, the extravagant characters, the mysterious plots and the high number of victims in almost each episode.

The greatest thing about this television series is however how British it is. This series doesn't take place in the bustling cities of London, Manchester or Liverpool. Instead, we discover a fictional location called Midsomer that is however as traditionally British as it possibly gets. We discover old churches, vast farmlands, traditional pubs, archaeological sites and old-fashioned villages. We get in touch with cricket clubs, history clubs, rabbit breeders associations, travel circuses and wine testers.

Midsomer Murders is highly recommended to anyone interested in British culture, crime television series and people desiring to improve their English skills. In order to keep this introduction short and simple, I would like to introduce you to my favourite twenty-seven episodes of Midsomer Murders as of July 2024. Enjoy!

1. The Killing's at Badger's Drift (season 1, episode 1, 1998) - 10/10

2. The Straw Woman (season 7, episode 6, 2004) - 8/10

3. The Oblong Murders (season 14, episode 4, 2011) - 8/10

4. Scarecrow Murders (season 22, episode 4, 2022) - 8/10

5. A Rare Bird (season 14, episode 8, 2012) - 8/10

6. Sins of Commission (season 7, episode 4, 2004) - 8/10

7. Harvest of Souls (season 18, episode 6, 2016) - 8/10

8. Crime and Punishment (season 19, episode 2, 2017) - 8/10

9. The Wolf Hunter of Little Worthy (season 22, episode 1, 2021) - 8/10

10. The Maid in Splendour (season 7, episode 5, 2004) - 7/10

11. A Dying Art (season 18, episode 4, 2016) - 7/10

12. Written in the Stars (season 15, episode 3, 2012) - 7/10

13. Red in Tooth and Claw (season 19, episode 4, 2017) - 7/10

14. A Sacred Trust (season 14, episode 7, 2011) - 7/10

15. Echoes of the Dead (season 14, episode 3, 2011) - 7/10

16. The Sleeper under the Hill (season 14, episode 5, 2011) - 7/10

17. Saints and Sinners (season 18, episode 5, 2016) - 7/10

18. The Christmas Haunting (season 16, episode 1, 2013) - 7/10

19. Happy Families (season 22, episode 3, 2021) - 7/10

20. The Fisher King (season 7, episode 3, 2004) - 7/10

21. Death of a Hollow Man (season 1, episode 3, 1998) - 6,5/10

22. The Village That Rose from the Dead (season 19, episode 1, 2016) - 6/10

23. Breaking the Chain (season 18, episode 3, 2016) - 6/10

24. The Night of the Stag (season 14, episode 6, 2011) - 6/10

25. Last Man Out (season 19, episode 3, 2017) - 6/10

26. Days of Misrule (season 11, episode 6, 2008) - 6/10

27. Ghost of Christmas Past (season 7, episode 7, 2004) - 6/10

28. The Dark Rider (season 15, episode 1, 2012) - 6/10

29. The Stitcher Society (season 22, episode 2, 2021) - 6/10