Midsomer Murders: The Tom Barnaby Years (1997-2011)

I cannot tell you how long I’ve wanted to discuss Midsomer Murders in some format. As a child I can vividly remember watching snippets of episodes here and there and it’s definitely one of those shows with scenes that are firmly imprinted on my memory. I don’t think there’s another detective show like it, it is entirely its own thing. I recently endeavored to watch every single episode of the Tom Barnaby era of Midsomer Murders, partly because ITV2’s sporadic airings simply aren’t enough and because I wanted to write about a show that had such a lasting impression on me growing up. Now, I should state right off the bat here that I’m only discussing the Tom Barnaby episodes, not the John Barnaby ones. I know that may be somewhat controversial but the John Nettles era was the one I grew up with, John Barnaby means nothing to me and it seems everyone agrees that the show takes a gradual decline after Nettles departure. With that in mind, lets talk about one of the best British detective shows of all time, Midsomer Murders.