John Nettles, who played DCI Tom Barnaby on ITV's Midsomer Murders from its launch in 1997 until 2011, has revealed he does not watch the show. The 81-year-old actor told The Times that his years working in crime drama have left him with no interest in seeing detective storylines recreated on screen.
A Career Full of Crime
Nettles' career in the genre also includes the lead role in Bergerac, which he starred in between 1981 and 1991. Despite his long association with fictional crime-solving, he says he has seen enough.
He said: "No, I don’t watch. I’ve seen every trope, every curiosity, every plot manoeuvre that belongs to the genre, over and over and over again."
No More Fake Deaths
Nettles was particularly clear about one aspect of crime dramas he never wants to see again: actors playing murder victims. He added: "I never want to see another actor pretending to be a dead body. It’s just too much. I’ve done it for so many years, for days and months at a time, 24/7, more or less."
He likened making television to putting up a wall, explaining that the process is something he and his fellow actors work on meticulously, but once it is finished, he has no desire to watch other people going through the same process.
Why the Show Succeeded
Despite his reluctance to watch the show himself, Nettles believes he understands one of the reasons Midsomer Murders became such a success. The series became famous for its increasingly unusual and elaborate killings, and he suggested that the sheer absurdity of some of the crimes helped separate the show from reality.
He also expressed concern about the way violence against women is portrayed in some modern detective dramas. "I tell you what is awful is the obligatory appearance of the tortured woman, the raped woman, the murdered woman," he said. "Jesus, God. It’s very difficult to do that stuff and to use it as a bit of plot line. It gets worse and worse and worse."
Life After Barnaby
After Nettles' departure from Midsomer Murders, the central role was handed to Neil Dudgeon, who joined the programme as DCI John Barnaby, Tom's younger cousin.
Nettles' other famous detective role is also making a comeback, with Bergerac returning in a new version on U later this month. Damien Molony has taken over as the titular detective in the reboot, while Nettles chose not to take part despite being offered the chance to make a cameo appearance.
