July 8th 2024.
Midsomer Murders, the beloved British crime drama series, has been making headlines recently for a surprising reason - the inclusion of trigger warnings on some episodes. Fans of the show, which has been on screens since 1997 and is based on the Chief Inspector Barnaby book series written by Caroline Graham, have been left perplexed by this move by ITV.
The show revolves around the various murder cases that take place within small country villages in the fictional English county of Midsomer, and the efforts of the police to solve them. It has featured two lead stars over the years - John Nettles as Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby from 1997 to 2011, and Neil Dudgeon as DCI John Barnaby, Tom's younger cousin, since 2011. With all 23 seasons of the series available to watch on ITVX, viewers have been surprised to see warnings about 'violence' and 'crime scene images' on some episodes.
It's no secret that Midsomer Murders has a high body count, with 388 murders, 423 deaths in total, and 250 attempted murders throughout its 140 episodes. Some of the more unusual demises have included being crushed by a massive round of cheese, being shoved into a tumble dryer, and being smeared with truffle oil, tied to a tree, and left to the mercy of wild boars. So, when fans noticed the warnings, they were understandably confused.
Celebrities also weighed in on the debate, with actor Anton Lesser, who appeared in two episodes of the show, expressing his surprise at the warnings. "I do remember my character in Birds Of Prey hurling a plate of sausages to the floor - perhaps there should be a disclaimer, 'No sausages were hurt in this film'," he joked.
But not everyone was against the trigger warnings, with some viewers questioning why they were even an issue. Actress Fiona Dolman, who plays John's wife Sarah, poked fun at the outrage by posting on social media, "May contain violence. You have been warned."
ITV has released a statement clarifying that the warnings have always been in place, even for episodes that air on ITV1. Some actors who have appeared on the show, such as Dame Siân Phillips, also shared their thoughts, questioning whether the word 'murder' in the title wasn't enough to warn viewers of possible violence.
The topic was also discussed on Lorraine, with the host pointing out that the show's title makes the content obvious. "It's called Midsomer Murders. We know there will be a murder - even more than one!" she said. She added that warning about violence in Midsomer Murders "is like saying today watching Wimbledon there may well be bouncing balls."
Despite the controversy, Midsomer Murders remains a fan favorite and is still streaming on ITVX.
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