A VAT inspector goes missing as he hunts for an illicit cider still responsible for brewing The Beast, a potent local drink. At the Midsomer Abbas spring fayre which celebrates its friendship with Midsomer Herne, Barnaby and Jones sample the local cider, while temperance preacher Norman Grigor calls on residents to repent of their drunken ways.
Suddenly, Barnaby is violently ill as the body of missing man Peter Slim is found floating in the cider vat. Pathologist Kate Wilding says the victim's injuries look like he was shaken to death by a giant, and as their inquiries continue, they discover the area is steeped in bizarre local traditions.
A steady and passable MSM episode which features an OTT Elmer Gantry-like Reverend who opposes the local illegal firewater, a typical bizarre death in a vat, a humorous scene where Barnaby and a few others get sick due to drinking the cider and it's because it was contaminated with the dead man, and some nice scenic views of the field. Personally I prefer Neil Dudgeon over John Nettles who squinted a lot and went out of breath even when climbing out of the car, but the main appeal of the show is the eccentric characters, the setting and grand yet bizarre death scenes.
Suddenly, Barnaby is violently ill as the body of missing man Peter Slim is found floating in the cider vat. Pathologist Kate Wilding says the victim's injuries look like he was shaken to death by a giant, and as their inquiries continue, they discover the area is steeped in bizarre local traditions.
A steady and passable MSM episode which features an OTT Elmer Gantry-like Reverend who opposes the local illegal firewater, a typical bizarre death in a vat, a humorous scene where Barnaby and a few others get sick due to drinking the cider and it's because it was contaminated with the dead man, and some nice scenic views of the field. Personally I prefer Neil Dudgeon over John Nettles who squinted a lot and went out of breath even when climbing out of the car, but the main appeal of the show is the eccentric characters, the setting and grand yet bizarre death scenes.