Inspector Barnaby and Sgt Troy are sent to the isolated village of Goodman's Land where the local postman Dave Cutler (Rupert Walz) has been brutally murdered. As usual, the duo discover that practically everybody in the village had reason for wanting Cutler dead because he was a womaniser and had affairs with several local women. For instance, the local dairy manager Mike Yeatman (Dez Henney) once attacked him in the local pub because he was carrying on with his wife Mary (Prue Clarke). Then there's the wealthy but dull and stuffy publisher Owen August (Alan Howard) whose wife Louise (Celia Imrie) also had an affair with Dave Cutler as well as the struggling antiquarian furniture salesman Simon Reason (Nicky Henson). And when Reason is subsequently murdered in his showroom, it makes August the chief suspect. However, August himself is later found battered to death while he was out hill walking so Barnaby and Troy's theory is shot down. All of the women who had affairs with Cutler seem to be distraught because of his death, but could this merely be a facade to put the detectives off the scent? Meanwhile, Troy is developing a strong friendship with the village police officer WPC Jay Nash (Gillian Kearney) whom is helping him and Barnaby with their investigation. But when Troy buys her a present, she refuses it telling him that it means the start of a relationship, which she doesn't want as she was willing to give up her career for a man once who hurt her badly. Therefore, she wants to remain only a friend and colleague with Troy. There is a fourth murder and Jay very nearly becomes the fifth victim of the psychopathic killer who is stalking Goodman's Land before Barnaby and Troy are able to apprehend the guilty party. But who is the madman with an obsession for the 1950's period that leaves timepieces beside his victims' bodies such as pens, old fashioned lipstick, records and articles of clothing? In addition, he stalks his victims beforehand playing 1950's dance hall music on a tape recorder. What significance could all this have to his/her motives?
Dark Autumn was first transmitted on 16 September 2001 on ITV and it turned out to be quite a good installment to the successful Midsomer Murders series, which by now was in its fourth year. Jeremy Silberston who was the series' founding director once again does his usual professional and polished job. However, the script wasn't written by Anthony Horowitz (the establishing writer who also worked on the majority of the MM episodes that Silberston directed) therefore some of the magic has gone. The script here by Peter J Hammond is by no means bad but it lacks the quirky characterisations of the deceptively shady yet seemingly harmless eccentrics who you wouldn't think had skeletons in the closet but usually did. This was something that always made the Horowitz-Silberston collaborations so memorable. The characters in Dark Autumn seem more cold and serious, but there is still some fun to be had in the nostalgic look that it places on the 1950's period. For example, Barnaby and Troy set up their incident room in the village's derelict dance hall, which retains many of its original features. This prompts Barnaby to dig out his old David Whitfield 78's out of the loft making his wife Joyce wonder what on earth he's doing. "You haven't decided to go romantic in your old age have you?" she asks. In addition, the film still has a feeling for the seemingly soothing and tranquil way of village life with all its sinister double meanings popping through from time to time such as numerous affairs and even brutal murder. It's not long before Barnaby and Troy discover that almost everybody has something to hide. "Why does everyone in this village have to be at it?" the former remarks.
The location photography of Graham Frake is first class and the casting is up to the series usual standards. Alan Howard (the nephew of Trevor Howard) is exceptional as the stuffy, self-centered and boring Owen August who shows little interest in his wife. Gillian Kearney is quite good as WPC Nash and works well in her scenes with Daniel Casey who gets more to do than usual with the script placing an emphasis on his growing friendship with Jay. John Nettles offers his usual down to earth performance as Barnaby and his pairing with Casey is as good as always.
Overall, Dark Autumn emerges as a generally good entry into the series, though some of the chemistry that we have come to love of the show has gone. But the plotting is quite strong and the murderer's identity is well concealed up to the climatic moment whereas some subsequent episodes were to become somewhat strained for new ideas.
Dark Autumn was first transmitted on 16 September 2001 on ITV and it turned out to be quite a good installment to the successful Midsomer Murders series, which by now was in its fourth year. Jeremy Silberston who was the series' founding director once again does his usual professional and polished job. However, the script wasn't written by Anthony Horowitz (the establishing writer who also worked on the majority of the MM episodes that Silberston directed) therefore some of the magic has gone. The script here by Peter J Hammond is by no means bad but it lacks the quirky characterisations of the deceptively shady yet seemingly harmless eccentrics who you wouldn't think had skeletons in the closet but usually did. This was something that always made the Horowitz-Silberston collaborations so memorable. The characters in Dark Autumn seem more cold and serious, but there is still some fun to be had in the nostalgic look that it places on the 1950's period. For example, Barnaby and Troy set up their incident room in the village's derelict dance hall, which retains many of its original features. This prompts Barnaby to dig out his old David Whitfield 78's out of the loft making his wife Joyce wonder what on earth he's doing. "You haven't decided to go romantic in your old age have you?" she asks. In addition, the film still has a feeling for the seemingly soothing and tranquil way of village life with all its sinister double meanings popping through from time to time such as numerous affairs and even brutal murder. It's not long before Barnaby and Troy discover that almost everybody has something to hide. "Why does everyone in this village have to be at it?" the former remarks.
The location photography of Graham Frake is first class and the casting is up to the series usual standards. Alan Howard (the nephew of Trevor Howard) is exceptional as the stuffy, self-centered and boring Owen August who shows little interest in his wife. Gillian Kearney is quite good as WPC Nash and works well in her scenes with Daniel Casey who gets more to do than usual with the script placing an emphasis on his growing friendship with Jay. John Nettles offers his usual down to earth performance as Barnaby and his pairing with Casey is as good as always.
Overall, Dark Autumn emerges as a generally good entry into the series, though some of the chemistry that we have come to love of the show has gone. But the plotting is quite strong and the murderer's identity is well concealed up to the climatic moment whereas some subsequent episodes were to become somewhat strained for new ideas.