This is the beginning, the genesis of the long running Midsomer Murders – the first episode which introduced the world to the institution that is Chief Inspector Barnaby (John Nettles). Here we are some 12 years later and The Killings at Badger's Drift are available on DVD and I’m delighted to say that this original series pilot holds up really well.

The fictional Midsomer (where I’m told it’s virtually impossible to get life insurance these days due to it having the highest number of murderers per capita anywhere in the world) is on the surface a tranquil, picturesque, English county. One nice touch on the DVD is a map of the area, which would have been even better if it had an option to have all the murders from the series pop up as red dots…

In this tale of murder most foul there are a pleasing number of oddball characters and sufficient bumping offs to keep you guessing for the hour and a half running time. Barnaby and his trusty sidekick Sergeant Troy burst onto the crime busting landscape as easy to relate to heroes. I watched this with my son who is 12 and we both agreed that The Killings at Badger's Drift delivered the goods.

Caroline Graham’s novel is written for the screen by Anthony ‘Stormbreaker’ Horowitz, the plot is packed with juicy red herrings, dark secrets, misdirection and heavy duty suspects. There’s sufficient creeping dread to keep you on your toes, just enough on screen violence to justify the 12 rating and slick production values all round. Basically this is the perfect way to kick off a long running series, they really nailed it right off the bat with this first episode being one of the best to date.

So step this way for an all you can eat buffet of freaky voyeurs, upper class twits, shady funeral directors and bitter spinsters… There’s real fun to be had in guessing who will survive and trying to work out who the killer is before the police close in by the end credits.

VERDICT:

As well as the cool Midsomer map, there are other additional features in the shape of production notes and filmographies – standard fare really but a worthy purchase all the same.

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