Midsomer Murders

“DCI Tom Barnaby : Every time I go into any Midsomer village it's always the same thing: blackmail, sexual deviances, suicide, and murder. …”

This quote makes it seem like Midsomer Murders is quite dark , but to me it is one of the most relaxing shows, I was always a bit macabre as a teen growing up and not much has changed. I am still a goth. I find crime shows like Broadchurch and The Fall a good distraction from current events. But Midsommers although somewhat simple perhaps kitschy, is like a good bowl of homemade soup. From the hummable intro music , to the English country teas, to the gay undertaker in the bad brocade vest , it transports me to a more peaceful existence. It is well written and lines from the show are twisted and wicked. And like any good English t.v show somewhat camp.

It’s a warming nostalgic show, a few saucy jokes, over the top character acting and of course about three murders per episode. It often made me wonder if they would run out or corpses in these small under populated villages. I guess by the magic of television and a good casting person there was an endless supply. It also looks like they will never run out of villages called Midsomer, these are the make believe villages...

Midsomer

Midsomer

Midsomer Barrow

Midsomer Barton

Midsomer Cicely

Midsomer Deverell

Midsomer Holm

Midsomer Langley

Midsomer Magna

Midsomer Malham

Midsomer Mallow

Midsomer Market

Midsomer Mere

Midsomer Newton

Midsomer Parva

Midsomer Pastures

Midsomer Sonning

Midsomer Vertue

Midsomer Wellow

Midsomer Worthy

Trust me there are not this many Midsomers in England’s countryside.

It makes me surprisingly homesick for village life, a more peaceful life. Although as a teen growing up in a village I longed to escape and I did .Now the current trend is to “escape to the country” during these scary times. Hence the mass exodus from cities to more rural areas, that’s what I ran from and now I am being drawn back. I was a city mouse not a country mouse, although both can get eaten by a cat, I often think in my twisted brain.

Why Midsomer Murders? there is safety in the familiar,

I too think that this show has a deeper meaning for me , behind the sweet old lady , the quaint English village lies evil and weird things .. as the only goth in the village growing up I think this is something that appeals to me. The “Who did it” of my youth was reading Agratha Christie, the intricacies of the plots I always found a welcome distraction from the reality of country life, which is quite ironic now, as I sit in a City apartment during a lockdown, and am now watching a show set in the country to distract me from the surrounding doom. In these times when every social media post seems to be a RIP , where eve day death rates are rising and vaccines are so far away, why watch more death? Maybe it’s the facing of the inevitable, or the maybe this show is not so dark, it is in fact quite sweet. Or are we all drawn to shows that remind us of our upbringing?

In a time of uncertainty familiarity is calming

The certainty that in every episode I will see food from my youth, a Sunday roast, a Victoria sponge, fish and chips or a English cream tea. The certainty that there will be three murders and the crime will be solved is very soothing .

Although I do not feel guilty of distracting my mind from watching this show , I may be guilty of lusting after crumpets, English chocolate , a pint of cider or a ploughman's lunch.

I would not say it is a guilty pleasure as I do not feel guilty about watching it, especially in the current pandemic endless landscape.

I am however guilty of watching the whole run for a second time… it’s 20 seasons. And worryingly I do not remember the crimes or who did it!

I often wonder why my elderly father before he died would rewatch shows endlessly. He too liked Miss Marple , Hercule Pierot. I think it comforted him to see the same shows daily. He also watched the news endlessly, and now as my anxiety levels rise from yet another news bulletin, I find myself reaching for the remote.

“Season 4, Episode 3” , I text my brother who I have also got hooked on this show, still over a 100 episodes to rewatch, I wonder if this will get me through this pandemic? After all Murder is quite calming.