Midsomer Murders, Set 21 DVD Review

Marking the North American debut of Neil Dudgeon (Life of Riley) as the new DCI, Midsomer Murders, Set 21 debuts on Blu-ray and DVD from Acorn Media on January 8, 2013. Newly transplanted to Midsomer, John Barnaby takes over as the new DCI after his cousin, Tom Barnaby (John Nettles), retired. Barnaby contends with the county’s murderous denizens with his new partner (Jason Hughes, This Life) in these four new, contemporary stand-alone mysteries (Blu-ray 2-Disc/DVD 4-vol. boxed set, $59.99/$49.99, AcornOnline.com). Set in England’s picture-perfect but perilous Midsomer County, Set 21’s episodes made their streaming debut on Acorn TV earlier this year, but the episodes have not aired on U.S. television. Continually reaching new heights of popularity, Midsomer Murders counts Johnny Depp and even the Queen of England among its ardent fans. New episodes are continually in production.

The cozy villages of Midsomer County reveal their most sinister secrets in these contemporary British television mysteries. Inspired by the novels of Caroline Graham, modern master of the English village mystery, the series stars Neil Dudgeon (Life of Riley) as the capable Detective Chief Inspector John Barnaby, with Jason Hughes (This Life) as his young partner, Detective Sergeant Ben Jones. Guest stars include Samantha Bond (Downton Abbey), David Warner (Titanic), Edward Fox (Ghandi), Phyllida Law (Love at First Sight), and Pam Ferris (Rosemary & Thyme).

The Mysteries:

Death in the Slow Lane—A classic car show becomes a crime scene after a grisly death.

Dark Secrets—Barnaby and Jones investigate the suspicious death of a social services employee.

Echoes of the Dead—The detectives look into a series of copycat murders.

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

Midsomer Murders premiered in the U.K. in March 1997. Since then, more than ninety feature-length episodes have aired with new episodes still in production. In the U.S., the series has been seen on A&E and The Biography Channel, however the episodes in Set 21 are the first part of Series 14 (2011-12), which never broadcast in the U.S.

Street: January 8, 2013 - Four mysteries, approx. 372 min. - SDH subtitles

Blu-ray 2-Disc Set (SRP: $59.99) / DVD 4-Vol. Boxed Set: (SRP: $49.99)

Echoes of the Dead and The Oblong Murders contain nudity and disturbing images

Acorn Media previously released Sets 1-20 with three to five mysteries per set ($39.99 to $59.99) as well as four collector’s sets (The Early Cases Collection, Barnaby’s Casebook, Village Case Files and Mayhem & Mystery Files). Each set ranked in Acorn’s top 10 best-sellers for its year and sales of each new set consistently gain momentum.

Our Thoughts

 If you are a fan of "Law & Order", you are 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. I received the Midsomer Murder Set 21 to review, and although I have only seen the series in bits and pieces,  I was able to follow along with no trouble. Each episode stands on its own and offers its own unique and suspenseful storyline.


The series brings together an all star cast including Neil Dudgron as the Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby and Jason Hughes as his protege, Detective Sergeant Ben Jones. There are also many wonderful guest stars including Samantha Bond, David Warner, Pam Ferris and more.

In addition to the full season of episodes, the DVD set also includes cast interviews as well as fascinating facts and productions notes. 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 Set 21 for only $49.99 at Acorn Media.


***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a sample of the product to try in order to write a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way. ***