The MIDSOMER MURDERS mystery series has appeared periodically on TV for the past ten years or so, most recently on the Biography Channel. There must have been in excess of 50 episodes.

I seem to recall an annoucement that a whole new series of these fine mysteries was being produced, but I have heard nothing further.

Anybody know when this series will return to TV, and , more importantly, if they will be in HD?

Midsomer Murders is made for a british TV channel called ITV (http://www.itv.com/Drama/copsandcrime/midsomermurdersweekend/default.html). I dont believe they broadcast in HDTV at all, so chances are it wont be available in HD in the US. It may however be upconverted from 576 line pal, which would look pretty decent. I've caught sporadic episodes of it as well it seems to be on random channels here in the US.

I think its actually in series 8 in the UK.

Midsomer Murders is made for a british TV channel called ITV (http://www.itv.com/Drama/copsandcrime/midsomermurdersweekend/default.html). I dont believe they broadcast in HDTV at all, so chances are it wont be available in HD in the US. It may however be upconverted from 576 line pal, which would look pretty decent. I've caught sporadic episodes of it as well it seems to be on random channels here in the US.

I think its actually in series 8 in the UK.

Midsomer Murders is produced for ITV in the UK - one of our main terrestrial broadcasters. It is currently airing in 576/50i 16:9 SD (not a hint of PAL though thank goodness... PAL is the composite format we used to use for production and broadcast on analogue - digital TV goes nowhere near it and is produced in 16:9 SD digital component almost always)

AFAIK the show is currently still posted in SD - though ITV have announced they will be moving to HD in prime time next year - launching an ITV HD outlet on Freesat (the non-pay TV equivalent of our Freeview digital OTA terrestrial system) when it launches. ITV have already trialled HD on cable and an OTA digital test service for 6 months in the latter part of 2006.

Midsomer Murders is produced for ITV in the UK - one of our main terrestrial broadcasters. It is currently airing in 576/50i 16:9 SD (not a hint of PAL though thank goodness... PAL is the composite format we used to use for production and broadcast on analogue - digital TV goes nowhere near it and is produced in 16:9 SD digital component almost always)

AFAIK the show is currently still posted in SD - though ITV have announced they will be moving to HD in prime time next year - launching an ITV HD outlet on Freesat (the non-pay TV equivalent of our Freeview digital OTA terrestrial system) when it launches. ITV have already trialled HD on cable and an OTA digital test service for 6 months in the latter part of 2006.

In my earlier post, I mentioned the new series of shows. Have these new shows been produced. If they have I imagine they are airing in the UK, and we can expect to see them soon; HD or not.

In my earlier post, I mentioned the new series of shows. Have these new shows been produced. If they have I imagine they are airing in the UK, and we can expect to see them soon; HD or not.

I'm afraid I'm not enough of a Midsomer Murders fan to track the individual series - they are repeated so often on ITV1-4 that new episodes and repeats merge into one.

ITV have announced they will be commissioning and broadcasting some shows in HD from Spring next year - and Midsomer Murders is a reasonably popular ITV show so it might be a candidate. However it is not an ITV in-house production, it is made by Bentley Productions, and if they have an existing contract this may not be renegotiated for HD until it is up for renewal?

Looking at wikipedia (which is always right...) series 11 has started shooting this summer.

I'm afraid I'm not enough of a Midsomer Murders fan to track the individual series...Do you remember John Nettles in Bergerac which IIRC was based in Jersey?

Do you remember John Nettles in Bergerac which IIRC was based in Jersey?

Oh yes... They are repeated on one of our UKTV networks - it is amazing how much TV drama has changed - and how much the mobile phone has altered police drama storylines! (So many stories in old police series would not be feasible if two people involved could just ring each other!)

Bergerac ran for years on the BBC - shot entirely 16mm ISTR - and moved from 16mm post to VT post at some point towards the end of its production. (The giveaway was the credits moved from optical to electronic)