Midsomer Producers developing new drama for John Nettles

 The producers of bonkers ITV detective drama Midsomer Murders are developing a new drama series for departing lead star John Nettles. The actor is bowing out of the murder series after 13 years and 81 episodes and is being replaced by actor Neil Dudgeon but producers on Midsomer are keen to continue working with Nettles as they are developing a new series for him.

The producers of bonkers ITV detective drama Midsomer Murders are developing a new drama series for departing lead star John Nettles. It was announced earlier this year that John Nettles was bowing out of Midsomer Murders after 13 years and 81 episodes to be replaced by actor Neil Dudgeon. Producer Brian True-May however is obviously keen to work with Nettles in the future as he’s revealed there’s a new drama in the pipe-line for the actor.

 

 

“I’ve got one of our top Midsomer writers, Michael Aitkens, working on it, in collaboration with ITV who are very keen. We’re hoping to start something next spring. John will probably be a justice of the peace and he won’t be Mr Ordinary living in an ordinary house. He’ll probably be much more middle class, living in a country mansion in a farm area.” – Brian True-May

 

The producer went on to reveal that ITV hadn’t yet commissioned the series and wouldn’t likely do so until they had seen a script and decide how much the new drama will cost them. While Nettles may now be more familiar to audiences as his Midsomer detective, DCI Barnaby, in the 1980s he was more famous for playing another detective – Jim Bergerac. The actor was the lead character in the BBC Jersey based drama Bergerac that ran for nine seasons between 1981 and 1991 and across its run also starred Louise Jameson, Annette Badland, Celia Imrie, Sean Arnold and Terence Alexander.