"Midsomer Murders" The Killings at Badger's Drift (1997)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Jeremy Silberston

Writers:

Anthony Horowitz (screenplay)
Caroline Graham (novel)

TV Series:

"Midsomer Murders" (1997)

Original Air Date:

23 March 1997 (Season 1, Episode 1)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

An elderly woman is found dead in her cottage and DCI Barnaby is convinced the death is not down to natural causes.

Plot Keywords:

Theater | Undertaker | Shot To Death | Second Marriage | Painter

Cast

John Nettles	...	D.C.I. Barnaby
Daniel Casey	...	Sergeant Troy
Jane Wymark	...	Joyce Barnaby
Laura Howard	...	Cully Barnaby
Barry Jackson	...	Dr Bullard
Renée Asherson	...	Emily Simpson (as Renee Asherson)
Rosalie Crutchley	...	Lucy Bellringer
Jonathan Firth	...	Michael Lacey
Emily Mortimer	...	Katherine Lacey
Julian Glover	...	Henry Trace
Selina Cadell	...	Phyllis Cadell
Christopher Villiers	...	David Whitely
Richard Cant	...	Dennis Rainbird
Elizabeth Spriggs	...	Iris Rainbird
Bill Wallis	...	Dr Trevor Lessiter

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:12 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Bledlow, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Bentley Productions

Trivia:

First entry in the popular series.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In several scenes after the murder of Iris and Dennis Rainbird, Barnaby and/or Troy refer to only Mrs. Rainbird having been murdered, not her son as well. These may be surviving scenes from a version faithful to Caroline Graham's novel, in which only Mrs. Rainbird is killed, while Dennis suffers from post-traumatic catatonia.

Quotes:

Sergeant Troy: [showing his homophobia] Well, I'm afraid you can't have the body yet... sir
Dennis Rainbird: [to Barnaby] You've got a right "constable" there, haven't you?

"A cut above your usual British crime drama."

The action in this murder mystery thriller takes place in the fictional English village of Badger's Drift. An elderly spinster (Renee Asherson) goes into the local woods in search of a rare orchid and stumbles upon a couple making love in a clearing. However, her discovery proves fatal because if this love affair ever came out it could result in devastating circumstances. Shocked, she flees back to her cottage but within hours she is found murdered with her neck broken. DCI Barnaby (John Nettles) and Sgt Troy (Daniel Casey) are called in to investigate the crime. However, it proves more difficult than the pair anticipated because everyone they question clearly has something to hide. There's the wealthy landowner and laird of the community (Julian Glover) whose wife died in suspicious circumstances at a pigeon shoot in the woods two years previously. The local GP Dr Lessiter (Bill Wallis) claims that at the time of the killing he was at home watching a cricket test match, but it was canceled due to heavy rainfall. Then there's the nauseating Iris Rainbird (Elizabeth Spriggs) and her camp undertaker son (Richard Cant) who are clearly living a better life than there means would suggest. Before Barnaby can see through the web of deceit,blackmail and illicit love affairs two more brutal murders occur making it even more vital to bring the killer to book.

The Killing's At Badger's Drift (first transmitted in March 1997) was the pilot episode of the subsequent Midsomer Murders series, which has proved phenomenally successful airing in numerous countries. After the outstanding success of this film, the producers Betty Willingale and Brian True May subsequently filmed Caroline Graham's other Inspector Barnaby novels, "Written In Blood", "Death Of A Hollow Man", "Faithful Unto Death" and "Death In Disguise". So far there have been six other successful series and other distinguished TV writers were drafted in to create new stories such as Anthony Horowitz ("Poirot", "Foyle's War") and Douglas Watkinson who has contributed to "Boon", "The Professionals" and "Emmerdale".

The Killing's At Badger's Drift is first class entertainment. Its success can be attributed to the idea of evil-goings on merging out of seemingly tranquil settings such as the English countryside. It presents audiences with such ingredients as afternoon teas, dastardly deeds at the vicarage and dotty eccentrics, such things that they haven't seen since the 1960's in films like the Margaret Rutherford Miss Marple's and they are clearly loving it. The success of this and the subsequent series is also thanks to the skilled actors, writers and technicians who bring Caroline Graham's creation to life. John Nettles portrays Barnaby as a happy family man with a wife and daughter and he is also a thoughtful and methodical man who is dedicated to his work. Daniel Casey offers solid support as his young sergeant who is always quick at jumping to conclusions and is rather intolerant of things that he doesn't understand. The chemistry between the two leads is always a joy to watch as they are clearly close friends but often collide over each others different approach to police work. Both establish their roles for future episodes. Director Jeremy Silberston directs the excellent script by Anthony Horowitz with considerable skill effortlessly conveying the sense of evil in a deceptively harmless and picturesque setting. He also proves adept at blending the more horrific moments with traditional comedy relief such as Barnaby who clearly loves his wife but can't stand her experimental cooking.

In summary, The Killing's At Badger's Drift is a cut above your usual British crime drama as it is extremely rare nowadays to find one such as this that uses every traditional ingredient for mysteries and superbly brings them out in a contemporary setting.