Sunday, September 14, 2014

Midsomer Murders

Somewhere in the past few years I have really become hooked on British TV. I love most of the programs on Masterpiece, especially Sherlock, and of course Downton Abby. I watch these and many others, but my primary watching is focused on Midsomer Murders. It has become my "go to" TV show. One reason is that I can never run out of episodes! If I can find nothing else of interest to watch I can always go to Netflix and settle in for a nice Midsomer Murder. Maybe it's my age, but I am really sick of the pulse racing shows and the vulgarity. The networks have allowed too much vulgarity into their programs. I think that when people, especially children, see it on TV they think it is acceptable. Yup, I've become a prude and proud of it! Where I come from they call it standards of morality. It's not that I never watch programs containing some of that stuff, but why immerse myself in something that I find distasteful. Consequently I find myself tagging along with DCI Tom Barnaby investigating the latest murders in the fictitious county of Midsomer in England. 

I heard that Netflix has recently added seasons 15 and 16 to this ever popular program. I am only in season 5! This program is also available on Amazon Prime. The program began showing in Great Britain in 1997. And the series is apparently still filming! It is amazing that they can create so many diverse murders in this beautiful rural county. 

I think part of what I enjoy in the program is the beautiful small villages  and the lovely old homes and the ever blooming gardens. Come to think of it I have never seen an episode filmed in winter! Or in the rain! It's like Camelot!

The main characters are, I guess you could say rather vanilla. Not in a bad way, just nice, normal folk who have a job to do and do it in a nice way. The stories are very creative. Last night I watched an episode about orchid fanatics and three deaths that occurred over a rare orchid worth one hundred-fifty thousand pounds (being American I have no idea how the Brits write that). I also learned that the word orchid actually means testicles because of the way the bulbs hang when removed from the soil. Hmmm. 

Another episode I remember an older couple raised marijuana in their greenhouse and made brownies, which they shared with DCI Barnaby, whose disposition improved considerably for the rest of the day! 

Yes, it must be my age, at least in part. I can sit and stitch while I enjoy this program as I relax at the end of the day. Once upon a time I was young and danced wildly in the rain for as long as the music played. Now I watch with pleasure as my grandchildren enjoy that stage of their life. Meanwhile, I am quite content to be a rather vanilla grandmother doing what I enjoy now. Just give me a Diet Coke and, um, pass me one of those brownies with the little green flecks will you?  (Ha ha. yes, just kidding!)