Saturday, December 16, 2017

Midsomer Murders: John Barnaby's First Cases






Inventive crimes, charming scenery, and notable guest stars have set Midsomer Murders apart from the crowd and won it legions of fans. Returning with another collection of mysteries from the fan favorite series, MIDSOMER MURDERS: John Barnaby’s First Cases makes its DVD debut on December 5, 2017 from Acorn, an RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) brand. Series 14 marks the first complete series starring Neil Dudgeon as DCI John Barnaby, and Series 15 marks the last season with Jason Hughes as DS Ben Jones. The DVD 7-Disc set features 14 feature-length mysteries and bonus behind-the-scenes and commentary ($79.99, Amazon.com).

The cozy villages of Midsomer County reveal their most sinister secrets in this hit British mystery series that has earned a worldwide following. In this collection of Series 14 and 15, John Barnaby (Neil DudgeonLife of Riley) takes over as Midsomer County’s new Detective Chief Inspector, solving macabre crimes with the help of DS Ben Jones (Jason HughesThis Life) in his last cases as Barnaby’s assistant.

Guest stars include Samantha Bond (Downton Abbey)Edward Fox (Gandhi)Pam Ferris (Call the Midwife, Rosemary & Thyme)Warren Clarke (Poldark)James Callis (Battlestar Galactica)Julie Graham (The Bletchley Circle)Sinéad Cusack(Marcella)Hattie Morahan (Beauty and the Beast)Martine McCutcheon (Love Actually, EastEnders)Kate Ashfield (Shaun of the Dead)Charity Wakefield (Close to the Enemy, Wolf Hall)Kevin Doyle (Downton Abbey), and Harriet Walter (The Crown).

The Mysteries:
×           Death in the Slow Lane
×           Dark Secrets
×           Echoes of the Dead
×           The Oblong Murders
×           The Sleeper Under the Hill
×           The Night of the Stag
×           A Sacred Trust
×           A Rare Bird
×           The Dark Rider
×           Murder of Innocence
×           Death and the Divas
×           Written in the Stars
×           The Sicilian Defence
×           Schooled in Murder

BONUS: Midsomer Murders in Conversation (34 min.), The Dark Rider audio commentary with star Neil Dudgeon and director Alex Pillai, behind the scenes of Death and the Divas (15 min.), and a biography of Sykes the dog.

Street Date: December 5, 2017                       SRP: $79.99
DVD 7-Disc Set: 14 feature-length episodes – Approx. 21.5 hours – SDH Subtitles – UPC 054961262694

Contains nudity, sexual situations, and disturbing images.


My Thoughts 

If you are a fan of Law & Order, you're going to love its British rural counterpart, "Midsomer Murders". In the county of Midsomer, things aren't always what they seem, and there is murder lurking behind many of the well trimmed hedges. The series, which was inspired by the novels by Caroline Graham, offers a selection of murder mysteries filled with intrigue and drama. Each episode stands on its own and offers its own unique and suspenseful story-line. The set is a special releae that focuses specifically on the first cases of John Barnaby.  Here's a little about each one:

Death in the Slow Lane - A classic car show becomes a crime scene after a murder takes place.

Dark Secrets - Barnaby and Jones investigate the strange death of a social services employee.

Echoes of the Dead- Barnaby and Jones investigate a copycat killer. 

The Oblong Murders - Jones goes undercover to investigate a local new-age cult.

The Sleeper Under the Hill -  The body of a farmer is found in the middle of a stone circle. 

The Night of the Stag-  A missing tax inspector turns up dead in a vat of cider.

A Sacred Trust -  A cloistered nun is strangled to death. 

A Rare Bird - The president of the birdwatchers club is killed.

The Dark Rider- In the mist of civil war reenactments, a phantom rider appears, harkening death to all who see him

Murder of Innocence- Years ago a man named Grady killed a little boy and was convicted for the crime. Now he is being released and it brings back a lot of old memories for Jones because this was his very first murder case

Death and the Divas- A journalist was working on a biography of a pair of cult horror movie actresses. While watching one of their films, he's brutally murdered. 

Written in the Stars - An astronomer is killed by one of the very meteors he loves while he studies an eclipse. 

The Sicilian Defense -A woman is killed---crushed by a giant wheel of cheese. 


This is a great set with some of the best episodes in the series. If you want to get the advantage of a full set of amazing  stories that will leave you on the edge of your seat, than this is the box set for you. You can order Midsomer Murders: John Barnaby's First Cases for only $79.99 at Acorn Media or online at Amazon.



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