MIDSOMER MURDERS-THE EARLY CASES DVD REVIEW

At first I didn’t get the Midsomer Murder series but the more I watched, I was hooked and to have the first 18 feature length episodes of the series that fleshes out the main characters and the extraordinary villains of each show makes you want to keep watching! This collection is also in original UK broadcast order. The series is still in production with more than 60 episodes! This set also includes a text essay by actor John Nettles, A midsomer map, production notes, a behind the scenes featurette with a Caroline Graham text biography and Cast Filmographies. There is also a 19th disc with a 47-minute documentary called Super Sleuths.

VIDEO

The video quality is very good! All episodes are shot on film. Each episode runs approx 101 mins


Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. It is also Mono on this set.

Disc 1- 1- “The Killing at Badger’s Drift”-with Julian Glover

Disc 2- 2- “Written In Blood”-with Una Stubbs and David Troughton

Disc 3- 3- “Death of a Hollow Man”-with Angela Pleasance

Disc 4- 4- “Faithful Unto Death”

Disc 5- 5- “Death In Disguise”-with Geoffrey Beevers

Disc 6- 6- “Death’s Shadow”-with Richard Briers

Disc 7- 7- “Strangler’s Wood”-with Frank Windsor and Phyllis Logan

Disc 8- 8-“Dead Man’s Eleven”-with Robert Hardy

Disc 9- 9- “Blood Will Out”-with Phyllida Law

Disc 10- 10-“ Death of a Stranger”-with Richard Johnson

Disc 11- 11- “Blue Herrings”-with Geoffrey Bayldon, Cyril Shaps and Caroline John


Disc 12- 12- “Judgment Day”-with Hannah Gordon, Orlando Bloom and Timothy West

Disc 13- 13- “Beyond the Grave”-with Prunella Scales

Disc 14- 14- “Garden of Death”

Disc 15 15- “Destroying Angel”-with Samantha Bond and Robert Lang

Disc 16 16- “The Electric Vendetta”-with John Woodvine

Disc 17-17- “Who Killed Cock Robin?-with Ian McNeice and George Innes

Disc 18-18- “Dark Autumn”

Disc 19-Bonus Disc-Super Sleuths-Documentary-(47 Mins)


Extras

Disc 1- Production Notes-Text Only
Map of Midsomer Country
Caroline Graham Biography and Book List
Cast Filmographies

Disc 2- Map of Midsomer Country
Cast Filmographies

Disc 3- Map of Midsomer Country
Cast Filmographies

Disc 4- Map of Midsomer Country
Cast Filmographies

Disc 5- Map of Midsomer Country
Cast Filmographies

Disc 6- Map of Midsomer Country
Caroline Graham Biography and Book List
Cast Filmographies

Disc 7- Map of Midsomer Country
Caroline Graham Biography and Book List
Cast Filmographies

Disc 8- Map of Midsomer Country
Caroline Graham Biography and Book List
Cast Filmographies
Production Notes-Text Only

Disc 9- Map of Midsomer Country
Caroline Graham Biography and Book List
Cast Filmographies

Disc 10- Map of Midsomer Country
Caroline Graham Biography and Book List
Cast Filmographies
Production Notes-Text Only

Disc 11- Map of Midsomer Country
Caroline Graham Biography and Book List
Cast Filmographies

Disc 12- Map of Midsomer Country
Caroline Graham Biography and Book List
Cast Filmographies

Disc 13- Map of Midsomer Country
Caroline Graham Biography
Cast Biographies

Disc 14- “The Inside Story-Midsomer Murders”-(8:23)
Map of Midsomer Country
Caroline Graham Biography
Cast Filmographies
Production Notes-Text Only

Disc 15- Map of Midsomer Country
Cast Filmographies

Disc 16- Map of Midsomer Country
Cast Filmographies

Disc 17- Map of Midsomer Country
Cast Filmographies

Disc 18- Map of Midsomer Country
Cast Filmographies

Verdict

I greatly enjoyed this set! My only disappointment with the set is the packaging. With most big sets, the DVD holders make it almost impossible to remove the discs easily.