If you’re a huge fan of Midsomer Murders you may be interested in some of these fascinating facts I have put together for this article.
First up, did you know the original title for the series was going to be called Barnaby. The scriptwriter Anthony Horowitz came up with the name Midsomer Murders which we all know the series by. Caroline Graham who wrote The Killings at Badger’s Drift was the inspiration on which the series is based on. Arguably Caroline Graham is the best detective writer since Agatha Christie.
Over the years the production team have hired over 900 actors and more than 22 thousand extras. Each episode takes five weeks to films and at any one time there could be over 100 people on the set. Often the filming is disrupted during the summer time as strimmers and chainsaw operators cut their hedges and lawns. Also aircraft noise has also disrupted filming.
The original detective Barnaby, John Nettles once knocked on a door during filming and announced himself as “Detective Sergeant Bergerac”. This was his previous role so it’s not surprising that he got confused once.
The very first murder victim in the first show was Emily Simpson. She was hit over the head with an iron bar, breaking her neck and killing her. Her murderer Katherine Lacey then dragged the body to the bottom of the stairs.
Some of the more unusual objects which were used as murder weapons over the series include, a saucepan, a doped horse, a drinks cabinet, bottles of relish, a poisonous frog and a faulty microphone to name just a few.
Recently, the boundaries of Midsomer have been extended to include Henley Regatta, the Devon coastline and Snowdonia. Locations are chosen if they have a village green so they can cut the traffic off, also there has to be full co-oporation from the villagers that live there.
The most dangerous village is Badger’s Drift as it has had the highest death toll. Some of the most famous faces to appear as characters are Orlando Bloom, Suzi Quatro and Jenny Agutter. Rumour has it that Sir Roger Moore, Holly Willoughby, Sharon Stone and Johny Depp would like a part as victim or a murderer in future episodes of the show.
The theme tune is played by Celia Sheen on a theremin. This unusual instrument which gives off a very errie sound was invented in Russia in 1920 by physicist Leon Theremin. The theme tune is re-recorded for every episode using this instrument.
Midsomer Murders is now one of most successful and ITV’s longest running detective drama series, and has now been sold to over 200 countries.
