Midsomer is killing it

Actor Neil celebrates 50 episodes and 12 years as death-solving detective

- MARK JEFFERIES

WHEN he replaced John Nettles on screen as the lead detective in 2011, fans worried the writing could be on the wall for Midsomer Murders.

But more than a decade later Neil Dudgeon is still solving crime in what must be the most death-ridden collection of villages in the world.

Neil has played DCI John Barnaby for 12 years and will celebrate his 50th episode as lead detective tomorrow.

He reflects: "Nobody in their right mind as an actor would think: I'm taking a job here for the next few months and it'll last for 12 years or something'.

"They came along and said, 'ITV have commissioned four with you... I thought four gives you a bit of time to play your way in. And they upped it to eight before we started shooting.

I thought: 'Oh, well, this is great. We've got eight and that'll be a lot of fun. I've got a job for a bit'.