16 Awesome British Mysteries You Can Stream Right Now
By Lacy Baugher
John Nettles, left, as Tom Barnaby and Jason Hughes as Ben Jones. (Photo: Acorn Media)
Midsomer Murders
Based on Caroline Graham’s Chief Inspector Barnaby book series, Midsomer Murders is a long-running mystery series that you’ve definitely seen on your local PBS station before. Currently clocking in at 110 episodes and 18 seasons as of February 2016, this show is prime binge-watching material.
The story revolves around DCI Barnaby’s efforts to solve the murders that occur in the idyllic, but apparently quite deadly villages in the fictional county of Midsomer. Truly, this area looks beautiful, but it must have the highest murder rate in England.
The style of Midsomer Murders is fairly straightforward, featuring DCI Barnaby and his sergeant investigating hard-to-solve crimes around the county. This is not to say the mysteries are simple ones – they’re generally quite engrossing and well-constructed stories. But it’s not a particularly flashy or tortured detective drama, like some others on this list. The victories of the Midsomer detectives are just based on solid sleuthing and examination of evidence.
Original star John Nettles played lead detective Tom Barnaby until 2013, when he decided to move on to other projects. Neil Dudgeon took over the show’s lead role, playing John Barnaby, Tom’s cousin. (So I guess it’s not that confusing for the locals?) The Barnabys have had a variety of partners over the years, but it’s still a mystery as to how they’re cycling through sergeants quite so quickly.
Number of Seasons: 18