DVD Review: Midsomer Murders – Set 18

Once again, the folks at Acorn Media have brought us another collection of mysteries from the fictional land of Midsomer, England — the smallest rural English countryside with the largest mortality rates in all of the world. Of course, it stands to reason that living in tiny communities — each filled with their own, peculiar, tiny-minded individuals — would be enough to drive just about anyone to murder. And, as it stands, there are a lot of killings in this county, which keeps DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) DS Ben Jones (Jason Hughes) busy. This 18th set of Midsomer Murders episodes from Acorn Media brings us three tales of mayhem which originally aired in 2009, and comprised of the latter half of the show’s twelfth series.

The first starts out with “Small Mercies,” wherein the ghastly discovery of a corpse within a village’s major tourist attraction: a scale model of the entire community. The body is even tied up à la Gulliver’s Travels, which is particularly interesting, given that all the kids in the local schoolhouse drew similar pictures just a few days before. In “The Creeper,” Barnaby has to find out the identity of a local cat burglar, who just might also be responsible for murder. Finally, in “The Great and the Good,” a sleepwalking schoolteacher comes to the horrid realization that she may have killed somebody whilst in her sauntering slumber.

Guest stars in Midsomer Murders: Set 18 include David Ryall, Caroline Blakiston, Margaret Tyzack, Jenny Agutter (Logan’s Run), Rik Mayall (The Young Ones), Amanda Ryan, and Paul Chapman. Series regulars Jane Wymark (as Barnaby’s very patient wife), Barry Jackson (as Dr. Bullard), and Kristy Dillon (as DC Gail Stephens) also star. Acorn Media brings us one feature-length episode per disc in this three-disc set, presented in anamorphic widescreen and with English Stereo sound. The video and audio aspects of this release are top-notch as usual, and optional English (SDH) subtitles are included. A surprise bonus can also be found on Disc 3: an interview with actor Jason Hughes.

In short: another awesome set of Midsomer Murders from Acorn Media.