WHEN he replaced John Nettles on screen as the lead detective in 2011, fans worried the writing could be on the wall for Midsomer Murders.
But more than a decade later Neil Dudgeon is still solving crime in what must be the most death-ridden collection of villages in the world.
Neil has played DCI John Barnaby for 12 years and will celebrate his 50th episode as lead detective tomorrow.
He reflects: "Nobody in their right mind as an actor would think: I'm taking a job here for the next few months and it'll last for 12 years or something'.
"They came along and said, 'ITV have commissioned four with you... I thought four gives you a bit of time to play your way in. And they upped it to eight before we started shooting.
I thought: 'Oh, well, this is great. We've got eight and that'll be a lot of fun. I've got a job for a bit'.
This story is from the May 27, 2023 edition of Daily Mirror UK.
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This story is from the May 27, 2023 edition of Daily Mirror UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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