A Tale of Two Hamlets

This is a very good episode of Midsomer, from one of the classic years.

Who on Earth would want to bump off a budding young actor?

The beginning is quite literally explosive, and probably one of the most memorable scenes from Midsomer. It's a battle of the classes, two villages set against each other, Upper and Lower Warden, each with a charismatic figurehead at the helm.

Great story, great characters, it moves along at a great pace, and ends very well.

Upper Warden is spectacular, lower is pretty grim, I am surprised that Anne Reid's character isn't living in a mud hut in and old crone's outfit, they perhaps make Lower Warden a little overly ... decayed.

The true crime is the interior of the Barnaby household here, the sofa, curtains and walls are pretty grotesque, it's amusing.

Barnaby and Troy, Reid and Pickup, never in any doubts, it's very good, 8/10.

A stately home is turned into a theme park celebrating the work of local horror writer Ellis Bell, but the opening ceremony is marred by the death of a film star. Barnaby and Troy's investigation uncovers the secrets within an eccentric family, and a centuries-old village feud comes under the spotlight.

Passable MM episode with some good characterisations and an eye catching opening, but it's nothing too standout.

One of the best openings the series has produced. The depiction of Lower Warden as being rundown is just ludicrously over the top. I've seen many working class estates in England and none have been that bad. As another reviewer said "they perhaps make Lower Warden a little overly ... decayed." Some great characters here, with Anne Reid and Ronald Pickup being particularly impressive. Some good locations with the manor house and windmill being impressive.

Despite not being anywhere near as good now, 'Midsomer Murders' is still a show visited and re-visited with great pleasure. There are episodes better than others, with a fair share of disappointments especially in the later seasons, like with any show in existence, but when 'Midsomer Murders' was good it was good to outstanding.

"A Talent for Life" was a good, if not quite great, start to Season 6, followed by a decent "Death and Dreams" that sadly also got bogged down in instances of ridiculousness. The previous episode "Painted in Blood" was a departure, less grim and low-in-body-count, but nonetheless a good one.

The best of the sixth season to me is "A Tale of Two Hamlets". Not quite a 'Midsomer Murders' "elite" episode, being not by all means "action-packed" (which may test some people's patience) and with a slight lack of "iconic" scenes. But it sure does come close, and it is a great episode.

As always, the production values are top notch, with to die for scenery, the idyllic look of it contrasting very well with the story's occasional grimness, and quaint and atmospheric photography. The music fits perfectly, and the theme tune one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable of the genre.

Meanwhile, the script is smart and thought-provoking with some nice quirky humour, a suitable grimness and colourful characters. Nothing felt inconsequential, everything had a point, everything intrigued and any loose ends were tied together nicely.

The story is hugely compelling, and never simplistic and never losing any of the maturity of most of the previous episodes. There is a lot going on mostly without being cluttered or rushed (remarkable for an episode that as ever is heavy in exposition), and that nothing is what it seems (didn't see the ending coming this time or the murderer's identity or motive), or very few people are who they seem adds to the complexity, while there are no out of kilter scenes. The twists, red herrings and turns, in classic 'Midsomer Murders' tradition, keep coming, and rarely in an obvious or press-the-rewind button. The characters are colourful, eccentric and not what they seem.

John Nettles as always is a joy as Barnaby, with Daniel Casey contrasting with him with ease, their chemistry as always a huge part of the episode's charm. Everybody else does a fine job too with no obvious weak links.

In conclusion, a great episode and the best of the season. 9/10 Bethany Cox

We have recently been checking out some old episodes we hadn't seen. I was surprised to see the name Alan Plater as the screenwriter. Could it be the same playwright identified in my mind with 1960s gritty, working class dramas set 'up north'? After all, this was Midsomer territory! It didn't take long before my question was answered. Immediately, we were Introduced to a farcical group of characters straight out of a socialist's idea of a typical aristocratic family living in a large Gothic mansion. Alan Plater must have relished the idea of writing a murder mystery where he could bump-off a few upper class twits! Before long, we had the inevitable contrasting hamlet where the people lived in dire poverty. What a laugh! Mattresses in the road, old washing machines dumped outside the houses, rubbish everywhere. And a museum, believe it or not, devoted to the memory of some forgotten socialist. That sets the scene for the plot to unfold. Very boring!