Poirot, Lewis, Midsomer Murders etc.

[CAEF]

3 similar shows I think, and since John Nettles left, MM has really come into the modern world now. Nettles was great in Bergerac but I always found him wooden and dull in MM, and Tom Barnaby is duller than Ken Barlow. Barnaby just muttered his lines, had a soft voice, and had no personality to him (although in the first few series, Barnaby was louder and more jolly, and a bit feisty, but he soon lost that edge, and Nettles just seemed bored stiff playing Barnaby after 3 series or so). Several characters start off feisty and/or jolly but turn into miserable boring farts such as Joy Masterton from Bad Girls and even Phil Mitchell.

I have tried to get into Midsomer murders but somehow it has never been my cup of tea. Too many old characters, old fashioned crappy incidental music. I guess I am too young to be into such stuff.

[roverman]

I just watch it for the cars.

[CAEF]

Nettles is a huge fan of the Rover 75 hence why Boring Barnaby drove one. Also Nettles was not much more charismatic in Bergerac either.

[roverman]

Correct. Nettles was a massive fan of Rover, even voiced an advert for them. Barnaby had a very sporty 800 Vitesse when the show first started, a car that could do 0-60 in under 7 seconds and then a succession of Rover 75s until they went bust. A friend of mine actually owned one or two of these cars when they came up for sale a few years later.

[CAEF]

I am the same age as what John Nettles was when Bergerac began in 1981. Jim Bergerac was a bit dull like Barnaby in the personality stakes but was more of an action man, and liked his cars. Bergerac and Barnaby are about the same age as well.

[Nathan]

Still hoping Barnaby comes back in the final episode in which he is revealed as the mastermind behind all the murders. It seems a bit much all this death occurs in that county. He was obviously behind it to gain recognition for his crime solving abilities. Can see him as a Professor Moriarty type figure.