MIDSOMER MURDERS
“Not In My Back Yard”
JOHN NETTLES AND JASON HUGHES
RETURN WITH A BRAND NEW INVESTIGATION
A BENTLEY PRODUCTION
TX: PRIMETIME NEW YEAR 2011 on ITV1
Introduction Page 1
Synopsis – Not In My Back Yard Page 2
Characters Page 3
Interviews with the Cast Page 4
Cast List and Production Credits Page 7
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MIDSOMER MURDERS
A planning dispute in a picturesque Midsomer village turns to murder as political wrangling, burglaries and sexual liaisons abound in the latest investigation facing DCI Tom Barnaby and DS Ben Jones.
John Nettles and Jason Hughes return as Barnaby and Jones in a brand new episode of MIDSOMER MURDERS, the top-rating drama for ITV1 from Bentley Productions.
“Not In My Back Yard” features Peter Egan, Jill Baker, Hugo Speer and Dominic Mafham among the guest stars, with Jane Wymark as Barnaby’s wife Joyce, Barry Jackson as pathologist Dr Bullard and Kirsty Dillon as DC Gail Stephens.
The episode is John Nettles’ penultimate performance as DCI Barnaby before he steps down from the role and hands in his police badge. John, recently awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, will appear on screen in just one further episode during 2011.
Responsibility for policing the dangerous streets of Midsomer then passes to Neil Dudgeon, star of The Mrs Bradley Mysteries, Life of Riley and Messiah, who joins the cast to play DCI John Barnaby, a cousin of the original Barnaby, who also works in the force.
The new Barnaby moves to Midsomer to take up his new post, where he is joined by his wife Sarah, played by Fiona Dolman. Four new episodes of series 14 have already been filmed, with another four to follow during 2011.
John Nettles says: “I wanted to die in noble fashion in the service of my country and then be buried with full military honours in Westminster Abbey. In the event, Tom and his long-suffering wife Joyce will simply retire. It’s always better to leave when people want more.
“It has been a joy to be involved in such a long running series, with so many good actors and great storylines. If Neil has half the good times that I have had on Midsomer then he will be in seventh heaven. I am only worried that he is much younger than I am and a much better actor!”
Producer Brian True-May adds: “Although we will miss the huge contribution that John has made to the series, the brand of Midsomer is so strong that I am confident of its continuing success. We look forward to our new Barnaby tackling more murder and mayhem in Midsomer.”
MIDSOMER MURDERS attracts top viewing figures on ITV1 and is one of the UK’s best programming exports with sales to 230 territories, from Afghanistan to Zambia.
“Not In My Back Yard” is written by J.C. Wilsher, directed by Peter Smith and produced by Brian True-May. The drama is made by Bentley Productions, part of the All3Media Group, for ITV1.
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Not In My Back Yard - synopsis
A planning dispute turns to murder after a leading light in the Midsomer Conservation Society suspects her neighbours are involved in a money-making development scam. Political wrangling, burglaries and sexual liaisons abound in picturesque Great Pelfe – but why is someone driven to start killing?
An open gardens event at Swanscombe House turns sour when Midsomer Conservation Society stalwart Maureen Stubbs accuses builder Geoff Rogers and Councillor James Otley of threatening the future of picturesque Great Pelfe. She hates Norman Swanscombe’s ultra-modern property and lashes out at his architect Clifford Bunting.
Later, Maureen returns to the house but is attacked with a broken bottle in the grounds and bleeds to death. Swanscombe, who’s standing in the forthcoming local elections, reveals Maureen knew he was illegitimate but claims he’s innocent of murder.
Planning officer Liz Gerrard beds Rogers, while police discover the victims of a spate of burglaries and vandalism all support a controversial development at Pelfe Chase.
Retired major David Walsh, who’s standing as an independent, believes Swanscombe wants votes in return for backing Pelfe Chase. Barnaby finds a catapult at Maureen’s house – was she the vandal? Swanscombe visits Fiona Conway, an aging raver who lives in fading glamour at Pelfe Hall, and Bunting’s house is burgled.
At a hustings, Conservation Society secretary Angela Lawrence pledges more direct action in a hysterical outburst, while Walsh claims the development is a conspiracy – a cover for plans to build an out-of-town supermarket - and that Maureen was killed because she was about to expose those behind it. But the evidence has gone with her.
At Swanscombe House, Bunting is trying to fix some high-tech security blinds when his neck is crushed in the sliding door. Is it an accident or is he the next victim? A worried Rogers tells Liz he’s out of his depth – but Otley warns him not to pull out of their deal.
Images on Bunting’s camera reveal he was spying on his neighbours, while Liz finds Walsh snooping in her house. The next day, Rogers’ body is found in his car buried neck high in concrete. Liz tells police he was being blackmailed about their affair and Walsh admits he was behind the burglaries – but not the deaths.
Barnaby stops Angela as she leaves the village with a suitcase full of cash. She admits to being an agent provocateur – Rogers was paying her to discredit the Society by associating it with extremist tactics. Then she gives the police documents proving the Pelfe Chase development was a money-making scam, but who stands to gain?
As Election Day approaches, Jones suspects Fiona has given Swascombe free land as a bung, but the truth surprises him. And a night of passion for Liz and Otley turns deadly as Bullard discovers Rogers was killed using Otley’s veterinary drugs. Barnaby realises the murderer will not stop until everyone who knows the truth is silenced.
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Characters
Norman Swanscombe - Peter Egan
Norman prospered as a City accountant and has now retired early and returned to his roots in the village of Great Pelfe, where he has built an ultra-modern new house.
Eleanor Swanscombe - Jill Baker
Norman’s wife Eleanor is a bit marooned in Great Pelfe and misses her children, who are grown up and living in London – a world she knows and likes better than the country.
James Otley - Dominic Mafham
Otley is a local vet and a Midsomer County Councillor. He’s a frustrated man, in a stale marriage and would like more excitement, glamour and adventure in his life.
Liz Gerrard - Amanda Drew
Midsomer County Council’s planning officer, Liz is attractive, intelligent and ambitious - which means she’s quite willing to share a bed with an attractive colleague or contact if they can do her some good.
Maureen Stubbs - Joan Blackham
Maureen is a widow and the leading light in the Midsomer Conservation Society. She is passionate about preserving the villages as they are, to the point of rudeness and even law-breaking.
Angela Lawrence - Dorothy Atkinson
Divorcee Angela is secretary of the Midsomer Conservation Society, an apparently dowdy dogsbody who hides a capacity for manipulation and criminality.
Major David Walsh - David Annen
Major Walsh is a retired army officer standing as an independent candidate in the Midsomer council elections. He’s a bit of an action man, but rather naive about personal relationships.
Clifford Bunting - Alistair Petrie
Twice-divorced Clifford is a gifted architect who is quite willing to take on hack word to make ends meet. He’s rather egotistical and abrasive.
Fiona Conway - Linda Marlowe
The sole surviving heir of the local squire, Fiona was a raver in the 60s and 70s who now lives alone in the decaying manor house amid the family’s fading glories. Fiona is determined to grow old disgracefully.
Geoff Rogers - Hugo Speer
Rogers is a self-made local builder who dreams of the big time. He’s chronically unfaithful to his wife and not averse to corruption.
Gemma Rogers - Polly Kemp
Gemma never expected to be the wife of a successful businessman. She doesn’t understand Geoff’s ducking and diving and he makes no effort to enlighten her.
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Interviews with the Cast
Hugo Speer plays Geoff Rogers
Hugo Speer enjoyed being buried neck high in ‘porridge’ when he joined the cast of MIDSOMER MURDERS.
“I read the script and discovered my character comes to a sticky end in a car full of concrete. I wasn’t too worried that I would be put in a cement mixer with real setting concrete – in fact I thought it would be great.
“I imagined it would be like porridge and it turned out to be a gruel of cereal like mixture which they poured in around me, with a fake concrete covering. I thought at least my cholesterol will come down with all those lovely oats!”
His death scene in MIDSOMER MURDERS was less gruesome than some Hugo has experienced.
“It’s not the first time I’ve been killed – in the First World War horror movie Deathwatch I had barbed wire and a nailed club to my head, so concrete wasn’t too bad!”
Hugo plays Geoff Rogers, a builder who angers locals by constructing an ultra-modern manor house in the picturesque village of Great Pelfe.
Explains Hugo: “Geoff is a bit of a dodgy geezer, but his bark is worse than his bite. He is prepared to do unscrupulous deals for popular gain but he is playing slightly out of his depth. When people start getting popped off, he gets a bit freaked out and wants to pull out of it all.
“I played him as an East End boy who had gone to live in the country and wanted to better himself.”
Hugo was pleased to be invited to join MIDSOMER MURDER’s acclaimed list of guest stars.
“It has been around for so long and you can’t have a CV these days without having a Midsomer credit on it. I like the genre and it was great to work with John Nettles.”
Hugo, who appeared with MIDSOMER MURDERS’ star Jason Hughes as part of the Peter Hall Company at the Theatre Royal in Bath, is well known for his roles in The Full Monty, Skins, Hearts and Bones, The Rotter’s Club and Five Days.
He stars in forthcoming drama Vera with Brenda Blethyn for ITV1 and his other new roles include Bedlam for Living TV and Moving On for BBC One.
“Skins was way left field for me, playing a loving and sensitive man who suddenly beats a teenager to death. I got a bit of stick for killing Freddie, who was the most popular good-looking actor in the series! It’s great to be given those types of roles though.”
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Peter Egan plays Norman Swanscombe
Peter Egan signed up for a guest-starring role in MIDSOMER MURDERS after meeting John Nettles at an art exhibition.
“I knew John as a colleague but we had never worked together before. Peter Smith, who directs many of the MIDSOMER MURDERS episodes, is also a painter, so I met John at one of Peter’s exhibitions. He is an absolutely charming man and an incredibly welcoming host to the show. It was a very happy experience.”
Peter plays Norman Swanscombe, an accountant who has returned to live in his childhood village after a career in the City.
“Norman is a very ambitious, controlling man. He is carrying a grudge because his mother was pregnant in the 1950s and was treated as an outcast from the village. Although Norman has a degree of resentment towards Great Pelfe, he wanted to go back and build a wonderful house and make a safe community in the one he was rejected from before.”
Peter plays opposite actress Jill Baker as his wife Eleanor.
“I had worked with Jill’s husband Bob Peck doing an audio book of Shakespeare’s Sonnets so it was good to see Jill again. Norman has a very good marriage but in the course of the couple’s return to Midsomer it is hinted that there is an affair going on.”
Adds Peter: “I have seen lots of MIDSOMER MURDERS, they are marvellous English series that are produced to a high standard and employ so many wonderful English character actors. It’s a good calling card for the more mature actor, myself included!”
Peter is well-known for his many film and TV appearances including Ever Decreasing Circles, The Perfect Spy, Lillie, Prince Regent, Reilly: Ace of Spies, Paradise Postponed, Joint Account, Bean and Death at a Funeral.
“I am recognised daily from Ever Decreasing Circles, even though it was 20 years ago. I have actually been on telly since 1967, playing Seth in Cold Comfort Farm with Alastair Sim, then I was in Big Breadwinner Hog, directed by Michael Newell which was a groundbreaking series talked about in parliament.
“Throughout the 70s I did lots of period dramas, playing artists and royals and even Oscar Wilde, then lots of sitcoms in the 80s. My favourite role is from The Perfect Spy, playing Magnus Pym and directed again by Peter Smith. It has been a wonderful way to earn a living.”
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Jill Baker plays Eleanor Swanscombe
Jill Baker enjoyed being reunited with John Nettles when she appeared in MIDSOMER MURDERS.
“I worked with John at the Bristol Old Vic in the early 1970s. We were both in Troilius and Cressida. It was my first job out of drama school and it was all a bit intense at the time. We had a laugh about it when we worked on Midsomer. John had also worked with my late husband Bob Peck at the RSC so it was lovely to catch up.”