Midsomer Murders returns to our screens with the long-awaited fifth episode of the ITV crime drama's 22nd season.
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In For Death Prepare, DCI John Barnaby and DS Jamie Winters are looking into another grisly murder in the village. The body of an unknown man interrupts the Midsomer Mummers' rehearsals for their upcoming opera, with the lead detective duo racing against the clock to uncover the killer.
Read on for everything you need to know about the characters you'll meet in the episode – and the stars who play them.
Neil Dudgeon plays DCI John Barnaby
Who is DCI John Barnaby? The younger cousin of DCI Tom Barnaby, Midsomer's original star. Once Tom retired, John was transferred from Brighton Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to Causton CID to step into the role. Despite the local murder rate, John Barnaby lives a comfortable life in Midsomer with his wife Sarah, their young daughter Betty and their dog, Paddy.
What else has Neil Dudgeon been in? Before he replaced Midsomer Murders star John Nettles in the lead role in 2011, Neil Dudgeon played Jim Riley in the TV series Life of Riley, and also appeared in The Nativity, Silent Witness, Most Evil, Roman's Empire, Son of Rambow, and Messiah: The Harrowing. One little known fact: Dudgeon was the taxi driver in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason who took Bridget (Renée Zellweger) to meet Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) near the end of the film.
Nick Hendrix plays DS Jamie Winter
Who is DS Jamie Winter? Detective Sergeant Jamie Winter is John’s right-hand man. He’s young, keen and smart and has a strong relationship with his boss. Jamie has had a string of predecessors as DS, but since joining the show in 2016 he has been determined to make his mark.
What else has Nick Hendrix been in? The actor starred as Billy Wallace in the first season of Netflix's The Crown, and played Adrian Cooper in ITV's Marcella. He has also appeared in films Suffragette and Legend, and in sci-fi series Black Mirror.
Fiona Dolman plays Sarah Barnaby
Who is Sarah Barnaby? Sarah Barnaby is John’s wife. They have one daughter together, Betty, and a dog called Paddy. Mrs Barnaby is the headteacher of Causton Comprehensive School.
What else has Fiona Dolman been in? Fiona Dolman played Jackie in the TV series Heartbeat. Since then, her TV credits have included The Royal Today, Da Vinci's Demons, and Waterloo Road.
Annette Badland plays Fleur Perkins
Who is Fleur Perkins? Now in her third season, the formidable pathologist "doesn't suffer fools gladly" and has a sense of humour, deliberately ruffling feathers. She has a colourful past that includes many husbands and lovers and drives a swanky black Jaguar convertible.
What else has Annette Badland been in? With more than 150 acting credits to her name, Annette Badland is perhaps best known for starring as Babe Smith in EastEnders. You may also recognise her for playing Mrs Fitzgibbons in Outlander, Holodora in The Sparticle Mystery, Mrs Wigmore in Man Down, Margaret Blaine in Doctor Who, Brawdie Henshall in Cutting It, the pub landlady in Ted Lasso, and Nanny Bingo in Big Boys.
Season 22, episode 5 guest stars: For Death Prepare
- Jane Bertish (This England) as Lady Katisha Empson - she's from a wealthy landowning family. Her father, Sir Huntley Empson, founded the local amateur operatic society, the Midsomer Mummers, of which Katisha is a patron.
- Samantha Spiro (Sex Education) as Phyllis Fernsby - she's directing The Pirates of Penzance for the Mummers. She's also Lady Empson's niece.
- Shobna Gulati (Coronation Street) as Shalia Handsworth - the stage manager.
- David Rubin (Walking with Cavemen) as Graham Handsworth - estate manager and Shalia's husband.
- Clive Rowe (The Story of Tracy Beaker) as Derek Sharrow - the general stagehand.
- Kevin Whately (Inspector Morse, Lewis) as Jeremy Whittingdale - a retired head teacher and a member of the Mummers.
- Tessa Wong (The Capture) as Phoebe Whittingdale - Jeremy's daughter. They have a strained relationship. She also works at the local pub, but is leaving imminently to go travelling.
- Alexander Hanson as Marcus Dunlow - he runs the local pub and plays the Pirate King in the Mummers' latest production.
- Rajat M Bose (Doctors) as Dr Simon Charteris - a private GP who is at Katisha's beck and call.
- Jenna Russell (EastEnders) as Faith Dunlow - the receptionist at Dr Charteris's practice. She is also married to Marcus.
- Dylan Wood as Luke Dunlow - Marcus and Faith's son. He's received an offer to study at a top college, but is conflicted about his future.
Midsomer Murders: For Death Prepare will air on Sunday 28th May at 8pm on ITV. If you're looking for something else to watch, visit our TV Guide or take a look at the rest of our Drama coverage.
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