Monday 20 January 2020

MIDSOMER MURDERS - SERIES 21, EPISODE 1: THE POINT OF BALANCE

The 21st series of Midsomer Murders premiered last month in the United States on streaming services Britbox and Acorn TV

In the United Kingdom, ITV will show the first of four 90-minute episodes tomorrow. 

« Didn't think glitz and glamour were your thing, sir.
- They're not. »

DCI John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) and DS Jamie Winter (Nick Hendrix) investigate in the world of ballroom dancing when a dancer is found murdered at her home. She was last seen at the opening gala of the Paramount Dance Extravaganza contest, where she wasn't competing. The victim was also a freelance journalist working mainly on local news stories.

Dealing with the rivalries of dancers and the power struggles at the Wilder Biorobotics Institute, a high-tech research facility which sponsors the event, is less complicated for John than speaking to his own father. Nick Hicks-Beach, who wrote the excellent The Lions of Causton for the previous series, returns to Midsomer Murders with the even better The Point of Balance (directed by Audrey Cooke).

Barnaby gets a dance lesson and someone meets a bad robot. Annette Badland is back as Fleur Perkins, the pathologist. Fiona Dolman plays Sarah Barnaby. The episode has very good dialogues, humour, emotion and splendid performances by Nigel Havers (Andrew Wilder), Christopher Timothy (All Creatures Great and Small) as Barnaby's father Ned and Cassidy Little (Duncan Corrigan). Jaye Griffiths (Casualty, Bugs) plays Lily Wilder.

Like Cassidy Little, guest actors Natalie Gumede (Rachel Stevenson), Danny Mac (Anton Walsh) and Faye Tozer (Rosa Corrigan) are former participants of Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC dance programme. With Carolina Main (Heather Wilder), Tom Chambers (Father Brown) as Ray Wilder, Jack Hawkins (Jake Hannity), Kazia Pelka (Tanya Brzezinski), Luke Pierre (Warren Cunningham) and Isabel Shaw (Betty Barnaby).

Composer Evan Jolly (Agatha Raisin) succeeds to the great Jim Parker, who retired after Series 20. Produced by Bentley Productions (an All3Media company) for ITV. Distributed by All3Media International. Produced by Guy Hescott. Co-produced by Ian Strachan. Exec produced by Michele Buck. Editing by Adam Masters. Cinematography by Al Beech. Based upon the books by Caroline Graham.

http://midsomermurders.org/midsomer.htm 
http://evanjollymusic.com/ 
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/article-soldier-on-play-reveals-how-the-creative-process-helps-veterans-deal/ 

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