Midsomer Murders – Set Seven
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C Telefilms: B-
It has
been over a calendar year since we last looked at the stunningly successful
series Midsomer Murders, the show is now in its tenth
season and Set Seven continues Acorns pretty consistent releasing of the
telefilm series, but this represents only four of the seven shows done this
2003 – 2004 season. In what looks like
the last of the continuing adventures of two detectives (John Nettles and
Daniel Casey) figuring out the murders in the title location, but Barnaby
(Nettles) and Troy (Casey) would eventually part ways as John Hopkins’ Dan
Scott joins the series this time around.
The telefilms this time are as follows:
1) The Green
Man
2) Bad
Tidings
3) The
Fisher King
4) Sins Of
Commission
Though the show is still good, it has become its own
formula and what was fresh to start with has become a little worn, so the
addition of Hopkins at least gives the show something and someone new to work
with. I want to see where this goes
before his stint wraps up, which I guess will call for a second volume to this
set. As before, I would recommend the
earlier shows first and for the record, it is Set Five that actually has the
first episodes, so start there than in numerical order. All previous sets are covered elsewhere on
this site.
The 1.78 X 1/16 X 9 anamorphically enhanced image is a still
bit softer than on the third and fourth sets for whatever reason, maybe HD
being part of it. There are still some
good shots throughout the five films here, but the darkness from the
early-filmed shows is still missed. The
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo was weaker this time, without the clear Pro Logic-type
surrounds previous shows had, a staple of the show from telefilm one. Jim Parker’s Theremin-oriented theme is maybe
all too familiar and cutting back on the Classical Mystery style was a mistake
in the long run. Extras repeated include
yet again production notes, cast
filmographies, a Midsomer map and biography of author Caroline Graham, but
sadly nothing new.
- Nicholas Sheffo
