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The new Midsomer Murders with Neil Dudgeon Thread


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Old 22-09-2011, 07:25
Zippy289
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Another disappointing episode, for sure, but you can't blame Neil Dudgeon for the ludicrous plot nor the dumbing down of Jones.
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Old 22-09-2011, 08:39
Lizzie60
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Well, that's 2 hours of my life I'll never get back. Only way to save this is to make the dog the central character. Sykes for DI
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Old 22-09-2011, 09:18
sherisgirl
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I was tired last night so curled up in bed to watch this as OH was watching footie, and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it, easy watching not brain taxing loud bangs fast action, just right for me.
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Old 22-09-2011, 10:10
scorpiogran
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I was never a fan of the early MM, but I have begun to watch the repeats sometimes.
I have to say I personally prefer the new ones. Fairly easy watching when you just want to unwind after a busy day. There is far worse to watch sometimes.
Can anyone tell me if the new forensic lady Kate is going to be in all the future episodes.
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Old 22-09-2011, 10:21
Doghouse Riley
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I tuned in tonight completely forgetting that Cornish blue-eyes John wasn't in it any more. I have nothing against Neil Dudgeon, but it was John's show and I realise now that it was watching him that I tuned in for.

I was also surprised to see Jones still in it, I just assumed that he'd be replaced when Tom left.

I'll probably still watch now and then, but it'll be sort of 'if I remember', rather than making a date to watch it.
There's a parallel here, of sorts.

"Lewis," replaced "Morse" and with the addition of Hathaway (Lawrence Fox) I found it became the better programme for it.

With Midsomer, the addition of the new Barney Bee should have made this interesting, but Dudgeon is more one dimensional than was Nettles and the character of Jones has been downgraded to little more than a buffoon, so from where do the makers think the appeal will come?
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Old 22-09-2011, 10:33
Justabloke
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There's a parallel here, of sorts.

"Lewis," replaced "Morse" and with the addition of Hathaway (Lawrence Fox) I found it became the better programme for it.

With Midsomer, the addition of the new Barney Bee should have made this interesting, but Dudgeon is more one dimensional than was Nettles and the character of Jones has been downgraded to little more than a buffoon, so from where do the makers think the appeal will come?
Its interesting what you say about Morse/Lewis because I really couldn't get on with Morse, I just didn't enjoy the programme at all but I really like Lewis I think its because the central characters are quite likeable. I found that Morse was such an unpleasant character that I didn't want to watch him.
Old Barnarby is Lewis to new Barnarby's Morse for me.
I lost interest in this episode shortly after the arrival of the gurning policeman.
I watched in hope but stopped in sadness
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Old 22-09-2011, 10:45
McBrien76
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I was never a fan of the early MM, but I have begun to watch the repeats sometimes.
I have to say I personally prefer the new ones. Fairly easy watching when you just want to unwind after a busy day. There is far worse to watch sometimes.
Can anyone tell me if the new forensic lady Kate is going to be in all the future episodes.
She's in the next three episodes of series 14 at the very least.
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Old 22-09-2011, 11:39
DeanDS
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Probably the worst MM I've seen. Just awful, Jones is still a fool. The ancient stones with lose soil around the bottom of them made me chuckle though.

Can't blame Neil Dudgeon for the the poor episode, but I'm still not warming to him.

Like a couple of people above, I am now enjoying Lewis (Where I didn't like Morse much)
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Old 22-09-2011, 11:45
Killary45
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Some people take against a particular actor and then come on DS to moan about them. OK, we get your point: you loathe Neil Dudgeon and enjoy telling us all how much.

ND is a very good TV actor, as he has often demonstrated over his long career: far better than John Nettles, IMHO, and for what it is worth,in the opinion of the critics. I would agree that he is making a bit too much of the "comedy" as the new Barnaby, but suspect that this is the fault of the director rather than the actor, because Dudgeon is perfectly able to play a role dead straight.

As for the different style in the new MM - it seems very much the same to me. After all it has the same producer Brian True-May, writers and usually the same director as in the John Nettles days.
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Old 22-09-2011, 11:48
Doghouse Riley
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Probably the worst MM I've seen. Just awful, Jones is still a fool. The ancient stones with lose soil around the bottom of them made me chuckle though.

Can't blame Neil Dudgeon for the the poor episode, but I'm still not warming to him.

Like a couple of people above, I am now enjoying Lewis (Where I didn't like Morse much)
I put that down to Laurence Fox's character, far more interesting than Morse.
As those series went on, I got more irritated with Morse's supercilious attitude, I never watch any of the repeats.
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Old 22-09-2011, 12:36
Killary45
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I put that down to Laurence Fox's character, far more interesting than Morse.
As those series went on, I got more irritated with Morse's supercilious attitude, I never watch any of the repeats.
I agree that Lewis and Hathaway are a much more interesting combination than Morse and Lewis. In fact I think that the success of Morse had a lot more to do with the storytelling and Oxford settings than a great affection for the character of Morse.

Thinking about it, do we watch any of the detective series (Marple, Poirot, Frost, Wexford, Sherlock Holmes etc) because of the lead character, or is it just that we like the sort of stories they are in?
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Old 22-09-2011, 20:02
lilsaz
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Sorry I hit the return button before I finished the post!!! See post below.
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Old 22-09-2011, 20:04
Camino
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cant we get better writers on this programme bloody awful recently
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Old 22-09-2011, 20:05
stupidwheelie
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Its interesting what you say about Morse/Lewis because I really couldn't get on with Morse, I just didn't enjoy the programme at all but I really like Lewis I think its because the central characters are quite likeable. I found that Morse was such an unpleasant character that I didn't want to watch him.
Old Barnarby is Lewis to new Barnarby's Morse for me.
I lost interest in this episode shortly after the arrival of the gurning policeman.
I watched in hope but stopped in sadness
He gurns in everything I've ever seen him in


It seems to have lost its sinister feel.
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Old 22-09-2011, 20:07
stupidwheelie
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Those loathers should atch N
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Old 22-09-2011, 20:23
lilsaz
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You may not like his acting or the character he plays but to there is nothing to loathe or dislike about Neil and as I now know him personally I can say that, he is one of the nicest and most generous guys and actors I have ever met. I know alot of actors because I used to run my webdesign company for actors and he is by far the most down to earth and genuine.

There are plenty of actors I think are rubbish but I certainly don't loathe/dislike them to slag them off the way Neil is on this forum. Neil's career spans over 2 decades and he has played many a straight character over the years such as DI Duncan Warren in Messiah with Ken Stott. That was quality acting! If you haven't seen it - SEE IT!

Some people clearly aren't taking to the new MM. Fair enough but I know plenty of people that do like John Barnaby and the new MM and prefer it to the old one. I've followed Neil's career for 17 years and have watched him in so many different roles, the only shows he's ever done that have come under some criticism are Life of Riley and Midsomer and if are the only 2 roles that have been critized then I think that's pretty damn good in a career of over 25 years.

To me Neil is and will always be a class act!
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Old 22-09-2011, 20:49
stupidwheelie
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And to others he's not, it's called personal preference. I don't think anyone has actually slated Neil Dudgeon by the way. I've liked him in everything else.
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Old 22-09-2011, 20:56
lilsaz
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And to others he's not, it's called personal preference. I don't think anyone has actually slated Neil Dudgeon by the way. I've liked him in everything else.
Absolutley.
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Old 22-09-2011, 21:03
kittykat30
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I seriously doubt there are many who prefer new MM to old tbh. Of course Neil may have his fans, but you can't realistically say the show is better now than it used to be. It's not, and that's not even all down to Neil. The longer a show runs the more the quality goes down.
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Old 22-09-2011, 21:07
Ex Pat
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I had hoped this would be an improvement on the last series but not so
Still, I'll stay with it.
Looking at the repeats of the originals recently in the afternoons just shows up how poor it is now.
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Old 22-09-2011, 21:20
Doghouse Riley
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You may not like his acting or the character he plays but to there is nothing to loathe or dislike about Neil and as I now know him personally I can say that, he is one of the nicest and most generous guys and actors I have ever met. I know alot of actors because I used to run my webdesign company for actors and he is by far the most down to earth and genuine.

There are plenty of actors I think are rubbish but I certainly don't loathe/dislike them to slag them off the way Neil is on this forum. Neil's career spans over 2 decades and he has played many a straight character over the years such as DI Duncan Warren in Messiah with Ken Stott. That was quality acting! If you haven't seen it - SEE IT!

Some people clearly aren't taking to the new MM. Fair enough but I know plenty of people that do like John Barnaby and the new MM and prefer it to the old one. I've followed Neil's career for 17 years and have watched him in so many different roles, the only shows he's ever done that have come under some criticism are Life of Riley and Midsomer and if are the only 2 roles that have been critized then I think that's pretty damn good in a career of over 25 years.

To me Neil is and will always be a class act!
I doubt if many people will have a problem with that. If you like his current performances, why should they worry? Enjoy.!
Unfortunately your personal opinion of him cuts no ice with those who don't think his performance in this is very good and that this series is inferior to those with John Nettles.
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Old 22-09-2011, 23:16
Justabloke
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I doubt if many people will have a problem with that. If you like his current performances, why should they worry? Enjoy.!
Unfortunately your personal opinion of him cuts no ice with those who don't think his performance in this is very good and that this series is inferior to those with John Nettles.
I don't think its fair to say that its inferior because the reality is its not the same programme. All but one of the main characters have changed and it doesn't have the same feel as the previous version.
It wouldn't be the first time a main character has left show and then the show has gone on and carved its own path but in my opinion it was a mistake to make the new guy a "barneby" I think they should have drawn a line under TB and called the new guy something completely differnt.
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Old 22-09-2011, 23:33
Doghouse Riley
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I don't think its fair to say that its inferior because the reality is its not the same programme. All but one of the main characters have changed and it doesn't have the same feel as the previous version.
It wouldn't be the first time a main character has left show and then the show has gone on and carved its own path but in my opinion it was a mistake to make the new guy a "barneby" I think they should have drawn a line under TB and called the new guy something completely differnt.
Don't understand what you mean by that as the format is exactly the same,
Different Barnaby, but same assistant, same locations, similar murders, so I can't see where it is supposed to be different.
I think it's another situation of "a series too far."
In the end, some series drag on due to the loyalty of some viewers to particular characters keeping the ratings at an acceptable level.
The reality kicks in that it was past its time, when someone else takes over the lead role. They're on a hiding to nothing regardless of what sort of performance they give.
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Old 22-09-2011, 23:44
kittykat30
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I think that is true. The show has been onscreen since 1997, and as much as I love it and still watch every episode, there is a point where you have to end a show. The quality is not what it used to be, and Neil or no Neil that isn't going to change. They used all the best material up years ago.
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Old 23-09-2011, 02:22
SULLA
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Like most MM episodes, it was rather daft but I still enjoyed it.
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