Barnaby in Copenhagen

[BENNU]

I do not know who Barnaby is, but before I went to Sommerset, my relatives started talking about Midsomer Murders. British Expats give me the impression that Borgen and The Killing are as popular in UK as Barnaby is here in CPH. I have never seen any of the three series, but I just heard on the news that Midsomer Murders episode 100 will be filmed here in our little town.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvan ... ecial.html


Midsomer Murders to team up with Borgen and The Killing for Copenhagen special

The cast of Midsomer Murders will be transported to Copenhagen for the show’s 100th episode, where they will join forces with Nordic Noir favourites from The Killing and Borgen.

Neil Dudgeon, who plays DCI Barnaby, will be joined by Ann Eleanora Jorgensen from The Killing, and Birgitte Hjort Sorensen from Borgen for a one-off drama entitled The Killings at Copenhagen.

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The move is intended to celebrate the unexpected popularity of Midsomer Murders in Denmark, after it was revealed as the country's best-performing overseas acquisistion.

The episode, due to be shot in October this year, will be broadcast as part of the forthcoming 16th series of the show, filmed partly in Copenhagen and partly in Midsomer's first ever murder location at Badger's Drift.

The plot will see DCI Barnaby and DS Nelson, played by newcomer Gwilym Lee, travel to Denmark when a body is discovered with mysterious links to a Midsomer family.

It is the first time the show will have leave British shores, as the production company teams up with Danish broadcaster DR.

Jo Wright, executive producer of the show, said: “Midsomer Murders is incredibly popular on prime time Danish television. It is known as “Barnaby” and has been running for 12 years winning 40 per cent of the audience share.

“The idea to shoot in Denmark came about because we wanted to do something special to mark the 100th episode, and it’s great to be working with DR, producer of the award winning series ‘The Killing’.”

Producer Louise Sutton added: ‘This is very exciting for us as it is the first time that Bentley Productions have taken Midsomer Murders out of the UK to film.”

Kaare Schmidt, DR’s series acquisitions executive, said: ‘ Midsomer Murders is a benchmark in television entertainment and Danish viewers favourite programme for more than a decade.

“It’s an honour and a thrill for us to be able to contribute to the series distinguished line of murder victims and police detectives.”

Earlier this year, the ITV drama was revealed as the best performing “acquired programme” in Denmark, as experts attributed its success to the leisurely pace of death among the picturesque villages and sedate cricket pitches.

Mr Schmidt said the notion of “murder for fun” had proved popular with audiences, who are left with a “good feeling”.

“And if you fall asleep it’s fine, because that’s what it’s for and you’ll never remember who did it anyway,” he added.

He told the Radio Times the channel always “won” the Saturday night ratings battle in Denmark, after Midsomer “beat everything the competition can come up with” for more than a decade.

It is now said to have between 30 and 40 per cent of audience share, being the “number one big hit” on the corporation’s main channel DR1.

Explaining the overseas appeal, Mr Schmidt said there were two kinds of successful detective stories; the more serious psychological thrillers such as Luther and Waking the Dead, and the “who-done-it” like Midsomer Murders.

“One is the who-done-it where it’s murder for fun, it’s just putting the puzzle together and that’s what it’s all about,” he said.

"Crime stories, detective stories – the British are especially good at making them and we have an especially big audience for them.

"That is the key to our success – we can’t fail if we get a good British detective story."

[BBLUX]

This British ex pat has to confess that he has no idea what you are talking about other than it appears to be about a television programme.

[BENNU]

This British ex pat has to confess that he has no idea what you are talking about

Oh, I thought I was the only one who had no idea what I am talking about.

[Dusak]

Midsomer murders is a very easy watch to while away 1.5 hours on a quiet night or afternoon. But the new Barnaby fails to hold my attention. The killing and Brogen are class act programs, far superior.