Midsomer brings to life - and gently mocks - an idea of England and Englishness that probably hasn't existed in this country for decades, but which lives on in the popular imagination, especially overseas.
Can Dame Judi Dench or Sir Ian McKellen do that? Well, yes, probably, but surely this is exactly what actors go to Rada for, and Petrie's performance was a triumph. Never let it be said Midsomer is easy money.
Midsomer Murders without Nettles was always going to be a hard sell, but you suspect Barnaby MK II's snippiness would chafe less if his mere existence weren't so laughably serendipitous.
Here's a murder mystery for twitchers and balletomanes alike as it's loosely based on the story of Swan Lake and all the suspects belong to the Midsomer-in-the-Marsh Ornithological Society.
I've come to accept Tom's cousin John and I await more episodes of murder, jealousy, picturesque countrysides, quaint old customs, and even more murders. And I'm becoming quite a fan of that sly twinkle in John's eye.
