This week it’s all about contrast. It’s only January and we’re already being blessed with our third new episode of Midsomer Murders of the year. Good news. But anyone who tuned in on Wednesday 16 expecting to watch it would have seen nothing but football (FA Cup replay apparently – honestly). Bad news. However, that means that the new episode, titled ‘Schooled In Murder’ will be shown on January 30 instead. More good news.
That might be two weeks away but that’s two weeks to get excited about a new story and some new ghoulish and ghastly murders to solve. Keen eyed viewers might also have noticed an old episode being screened on one of the many ITV channels while the football was on. It just gets better.
More new episodes is definitely a good thing, we can all agree on that. But the new episode also sees the end of an era, as it marks the final episode to star Jason Hughes as DC Ben Jones.
Jason has been with the show for over fifty episodes, making him one of the longest serving cast members. Jason said: “ It was a tough decision for me to go, as I have had a great time working on the show, both with John Nettles and now Neil Dudgeon, and the crew are like a second family.” He went on to add: “ I feel it is the right time to leave, and after spending seven happy years on Midsomer I am now looking at other projects, and my first one will be the pilot season in the US.”
Sad news but we all wish Jason all the best. Even if there’s nothing that can compare to working in the beautiful rural countryside of Southern Oxfordshire.
Jason made his first appearance in ‘The House in the Woods’ in 2005. His first day of filming involved him finding a dead body in a car - just a taster of all the grizzly things he was to encounter in subsequent years. Producer of the show Jo Wright is currently looking for a replacement (get your CVs ready folks – you never know) saying: “ We are sad that Jason has decided to leave the series and, of course, will miss him tremendously.”
A bit of a mixture this week then. Things to be excited about and other events that are cause for sadness. It sounds like an episode of Midsomer actually. But with a little less blood and murder.
I think DS Jones and Tom Barnaby should come back for one show to help John Barnaby with an old murder case Tom worked on. Great actors all of them. How great that would be to see them all reunite maybe for Tom’s retirement inviting
Scott, Troy and Jones back for it.
Lovely idea.
I love that idea!!!!!
jason hughes is way more handsome than one might imagine. he is artistically beautiful.
That’s a great idea, Maybe Tom is framed and the old team comes back to help him using all the skills Tom taught them.
Not the same without Nettles and Hughes. Not a fan of the new Barnaby.
I love them all, it would be a great reunion to see them in some new series, but is that be possible?
I am totally devastated !!! First Tom left, and I was in tears. But the thought of Jason being there - I was so happy and blushing with teenage crush on him. He is just so sweet, smart, funny, brilliant in his comments and facial expressions. And then the terribble Neil Dugdeon came. He is smug, patronizing, mean, not nice or kind or anything. I cannot believe what the producer Jo Wright is thinking about ? Everything is wrong with him and his wife (I miss Joyce and Tom !) - they don`t even seem happy or in love and are completely wrong. No chemistry between them and not interesting at all. The only reason the series was good now, was because of Jason. And now he leaves ? I am out of here - goodbye - not watching the show after all these years… so sad .
Hi really loved Midsummer Murders with Tom & Joyce with Ben. To see them again great! Would be lovely a get together!
So where to now for Mr Hughes?
I think casting Neil to play the new Barnaby was fantastic. He couldn’t be a carbon copy of Tom but he has enough of the Barnaby family traits to be a Barnaby in my book. DS Jones was was also a big hole to fill but they did it extremely well. I would imagine they will continue to strike gold with casting. Who wouldn’t want to be on the show. I’m sure the talent field is deep and they have plenty to pick from. I love the show more and more with every episode. Keep up the great work!!!
I just got to the transition of Tom to John by getting Acorn TV. I like the cousin equally and maybe because they are different. What I wasn’t crazy about and I thought initially there may have been bad feelings was how they handled Ben’s leaving the show. The last episode had him dating Kate, then by the end of the Christmas episode, Ben is in Brighton with a promotion, and Kate is having his replacement renting a room from her as well as joining in on holiday festivities. There was no good bye, no mention of Ben and Kate’s break-up. He was my favorite of the DS’s and he was there for 50 episodes so it is hard for me to accept their handling of his leaving. I was very disappointed.
I have spent this summer watching Midsommer Murders from day one to the beginning of season 16 and I am devastated by the departure of Ben Jones (Jason Hughes). Still reeling from John Nettles departure and was warming to Neil Dudgeon. I had never heard of this series until searching thru Netflex. It really matured and changed over the years. Loved the country hamlets of England . Good luck to Jason and John .
Jason Hugh’s was very good at tacking the part as Ben jones he was just as good as to when daniel casey played the part of Gavin troy but jason played the part better the guy who took over from jason is good but not as good as thelast too could they come back it’s not thesaurus,e without those tow.when isthe set series of midsomer murdersgoing to be and wiilthe same people be in it.
I agree I love troy and Jones w Tom I also miss george
I agree~
I enjoy watched it and I remember DS Ben jones said ah ah ladies please!
I agree with you… I loved it one Daniel Casey came back when Tom’s daughter Gully, got married… It was wonderfu!!l
Love the show, but please, please, please spare me much more of the Midsomer (or should I say Stepford) wives, the most boring, uninteresting women on the show. First, there was long-suffering Joyce (never any serious interactions, no depth of emotions, jumping from here to there with no real life of her own), and now the other, with the dog and now a baby, (classic writing “go to” or “no-no,” depending on how good a writer one is or is not) for more cutesy, insipid dialog along the lines of Leave it to Beaver or Father Knows Best. It is so obvious that the writers are forcing their presence on the shows to give them larger parts, but they are really, obviously unnecessary, and their dialogue is a distraction/annoyance, at best. I would also add the pathologist with the irritating voice, who repeats the same thing over and over, week after week in one variation or the other. Really, it’s insulting to the viewers. I know you have to meet a certain gender equality on the show, but this latest cast is too much. Thank goodness for Netflix! Every time one of these women begins to speak, I fast forward until she is gone, which provides me the necessary relief. Nothing she says is crucial to the plot and always gets repeated by a stronger cast member shortly after she exits the scene, anyway, but why should I have to do that? Why impose these women on the viewers at all?. Oh, how I long for the writing of the early days . . . Please consider developing the far more interesting women and their relationships — the Midsomer village women (who are complex, scheming, a lot of times funny, sometimes off their rockers, insightful, etc) — and the plot itself.
That would be awesome to see.
I liked Tom much better too.you are right about the wife too, she seems to want to wear the pants in the family, which he lets her do. Maybe that’s why he’s so rude to his contact workers. I also miss George, the M.E., before he left he told John he had big shoes to fill, he was right!
Since discovering the show on NETFLIX, I have loved the characters, actors and plots. Find no fault whatsoever. Except JOHN BARNABY and wife seem a little mature to be New parents. Will watch until …. LOVE IT!!!
Jason Hughes fans - you’re in for a special treat. Jason is back for a guest appearance in series 19, episode 3 - playing cricket at the Wormsley Estate.
Great to see Jason Hughes making a guest appearance in Midsomer Murders tonight.
Why can’t Jason Hughes return to the show and then move back into being John Barnaby’s sidekick again or even take over from John Barnaby. It’s time for Jones to take the reins. The show just isn’t the same without him. I’ve just watched the episode where he returns as a guest and he has so much screen presence, he blew the other two away. Jones is Midsummer, when will the producer realise this. We want more of the character Ben Jones please.
It’s actor choice. Jason gave an interview explaining that after many years of communuting to and from set from his home, he wanted more time with his family as well as to explore other acting options.
I think Jason was cheated , why oh why did they not offer him the lead and promote him to DI. I bet with extra perks and a promotion to head the series he would have stayed. It is not the same without Jones. I can not get on with the new people. I too watched last weeks episode and he did indeed blow them away he plays the part so well, we want more of Ben Jones please.
I agree ….more of Ben Jones(Jason)……and in a recent episode ,why did John Barnaby utter in the closing scene ,after Ben Jones ends the cricket match….. ” The future has arrived”……Retirement?…Ben Jones to return?