Midsomer Murders Bad Tidings: DS Daniel Scott debut resurfaces

Beloved detective drama Midsomer Murders is making a comeback on ITV3 with repeat broadcasts dating back to 2004, as the instalment entitled Bad Tidings is set to air from 8pm tonight. The seventh series episode centres on a woman discovered murdered after a dispute with her spouse. John Nettles reprises his role as DCI Tom Barnaby, with the episode introducing John Hopkins as his new sergeant, DS Daniel Scott.

Scott's Reluctant Start in Midsomer

City boy Scott was reluctant at first to be working in Midsomer, as he was keen to get back to London, but soon warmed up to the job. Feeling slightly out of touch with the Midsomer way of life, he had a somewhat awkward relationship with DCI Barnaby.

Whilst filming his second season of the show, actor Hopkins opened up about settling into the role, telling midsomermurders.org: "In the beginning nobody knew who the characters were, but, by the time I joined, Midsomer Murders was an enormous hit, so there was perhaps a bit more pressure on me than the other guys."

Hopkins on Finding His Feet

"We wanted to find a way to make Scott different from Daniel Casey's character. But within two or three episodes I found my feet and hit the ground running. Scott's still biased against the countryside. He's an urban character at heart, always looking for a way out but never quite finding it."

"His relationship with Barnaby was written as a bit spiky to begin with. Now it's mellowing into a slightly fractious marriage of convenience, with Barnaby still disapproving of Scott's methods and me grudgingly starting to respect him."

Fan Reactions to the Debut

Fans took to IMDb reviews to share their thoughts on Scott's debut, with one saying: "Bad Tidings sees the debut of Barnaby's new sergeant, Sergeant Scott. And a good debut it is too. Quite often new characters don't fit instantly and take a while to settle and to warm to, but Scott fits very well at first sight and doesn't make one miss Troy too much at all John Hopkins brings charm and intensity to the part, and works like a glove with John Nettles who is as always a joy as Barnaby."

Another added: "The show marks the debut of Detective Sergeant Scott. Count me as one glad to see the last of Sergeant Troy, with the running gag of his cloth-headedness and poor driving skills. The new Sergeant, even with the undercurrent of resentment at being banished to the hinterlands from London, takes hold immediately. He's a lot easier to watch as well. Time will tell if he grows into a good working relationship with DCI Barnaby."

Guest Cast and Familiar Faces

Several familiar characters feature in the episode including Jane Wymark as Joyce Barnaby, Laura Howard as Cully Barnaby and Barry Jackson as Dr Bullard. Actress Esther Hall portrays Cassie Woods, a school friend of Cully Barnaby, with Ladies of Letters star Daniel Crowder as Noel Woods. Former actress Helen Grace, recognised for portraying Georgia Simpson in Brookside, assumed the role of Lynn Spearman.

The full guest cast is as follows: