Midsomer Murders star Neil Dudgeon has revealed that even he was surprised by one of the show's more bizarre episodes.
The actor, 64, who has played DCI John Barnaby since 2010, admitted that one storyline in particular made him question how far the show was willing to go.
Neil's candid moment on James Martin's show
© ITVSpeaking during an appearance on James Martin's Saturday Morning, Neil was asked whether any of the ITV crime drama’s plots had ever struck him as too much.
Host James asked: "Do you ever look at some of the storylines and think, ‘It’s a bit far-fetched’?"
Neil responded: "The only time I did think that a bit was when I was first reading the script and a UFO crashed. Then me and the sergeant turn up and examine this site and I thought, 'Even we’ve gone too far'."
When aliens came to Midsomer
© ITVNeil continued: "You can say, 'Here’s a place where all the people believe that there’s UFOs and lights in the sky – what does that mean?' But you can’t actually go, ‘Oh look, I think there’s an alien.’ It’s just that bit too far."
The actor didn’t confirm which specific episode he was referring to, but Midsomer Murders is known for its imaginative and sometimes unusual plots.
The long-running detective drama is famous for its blend of cosy countryside charm and dramatic, and occasionally eccentric, murders.
The show's unexpected longevity
© ITVDuring the light-hearted interview, James praised Midsomer Murders for its longevity, pointing out how rare it is for a series to last so long.
"What do you put it down to?" he asked. "We were talking about successful shows – and ‘successful’ nowadays is about three or four years. I can’t put my finger on this one."
Neil joked in response: "If I may say so, the success of your show is even more of a mystery than the success of our show!"
James replied: "Precisely," prompting laughter from both.
Why viewers keep coming back
© ITVNeil went on to explain why he thinks Midsomer Murders has remained a firm favourite with viewers for over two decades.
He said: "The great thing about Midsomer Murders is the people who originally created the show."
"I mean the formula of Midsomer is something – not necessarily a murder – happens in a rural location and two policemen turn up to see what’s going on."
The actor credited the series’ enduring popularity to the flexibility it gives its writers and the comforting, familiar format that fans have come to love.
Endless storytelling potential
© ITVDiscussing the show’s structure, Neil added: "You’ve got this wide formula for what the story of the show could be."
"You can have endless variety within it. There’s something people find comforting about seeing the same thing over again – but the same thing is so different!"
Since joining the show in 2010, Neil has become a much-loved face of the series, taking over the lead role from John Nettles, who played DCI Tom Barnaby from 1997 to 2011.
A national treasure
© ITVMidsomer Murders continues to pull in audiences both in the UK and internationally, with many fans enjoying reruns on ITV and streaming platforms.
While Neil may have raised an eyebrow at the idea of aliens visiting Midsomer, his affection for the show and its loyal audience was clear.
Midsomer Murders and James Martin’s Saturday Morning are available to stream on ITVX.
