Midsomer Murders actor Neil Dudgeon has opened up on “cancelled” after John Nettles’ exit from the ITV drama. Neil plays DCI John Barnaby, the younger cousin of DCI Tom Barnaby (played by John Nettles).
The actor took over from John in the 14th series of Midsomer Murders and in a new interview, Neil discussed how he felt replacing the show’s original detective.
“It was hard at the beginning because John [Nettles] had done it for 14 years,” Neil admitted to Radio Times magazine.
“If they’d cancelled me after one series, that would have been embarrassing! It gets easier, but I try to keep it fresh. Even if I’ve gone through the script 50 times, I’ll look at it again and have another thought.”
He added: “It’s still extremely pleasant and I’m extremely grateful.”
Joining Neil in the upcoming series will be Nick Hendrix, who plays Barnaby’s right-hand man.
Earlier this year, fans were left baffled when Midsomer Murders vanished from screens after one episode.
After one instalment, the series was replaced by ITV’s new thriller Red Eye, starring Richard Armitage.
This sparked a wave of complaints from disgruntled fans who deemed ITV’s one-episode run “pointless”.
However, the show’s return date has since been revealed and will begin on Tuesday, July 16, at 8.15pm.
A preview for the episode reveals: “Gated estate Challis Court is a tight-knit community for retired police officers, but when a new arrival is found dead, the other residents regard the murder as both an affront and a challenge. Barnaby investigates and realises that the killer is likely to be an ex-police officer too.”
Happy fans took to social media to share their delight over the show’s return, with one writing on X: “Super about time we have been patient yippee. That’s my evenings sorted out.”
Another penned: “About time. We’ve been waiting so long.”
Midsomer Murders will return on Tuesday at 8.15pm on ITV.