John Nettles, the actor known for playing detectives in two of the UK's most popular crime dramas, has explained why he avoids watching the genre. Now 81, Nettles portrayed DCI Tom Barnaby in Midsomer Murders from its debut in 1997 until 2011, and earlier starred as the title character in Bergerac from 1981 to 1991. Despite his long association with crime fiction, he says his years in the genre have left him with no desire to watch similar shows.
No interest in watching crime shows
In a previous interview with The Times, Nettles said he has seen enough detective storylines and has no wish to see them on screen again. He explained: "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."
He was particularly emphatic about one element he hopes to avoid: actors portraying 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."
Comparing TV production to building a wall
Nettles compared making television to building a wall, noting that actors craft it with care and precision, but once it is complete, he has no interest in watching others go through the same process.
Despite his reluctance to watch Midsomer Murders, Nettles believes he understands a key reason for its success. He suggested that the show's increasingly outlandish and elaborate murder methods helped distance it from reality.
Concerns about violence against women
Nettles also voiced concerns about the portrayal of violence against women in some contemporary detective dramas. He said: "I tell you what is awful is the obligatory appearance of the tortured woman, the raped woman, the murdered woman. 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."
Following Nettles' exit, Neil Dudgeon took over as DCI John Barnaby in Midsomer Murders. Bergerac is also set for a revival, with Damien Molony playing the titular detective in a new version on U later this month. Nettles declined the opportunity to make a cameo appearance in the reboot.
