Neil Dudgeon to replace Nettles on Midsomer

Neil Dudgeon to replace Nettles on Midsomer (Image credit: Mark Bourdillon)

Neil Dudgeon will be the one investigating murders in Midsomer when John Nettles steps down from the show. Tom Barnaby will be replaced by his cousin in the ITV1 drama when Nettles leaves the show after 13 years and more than 80 episodes of the light-hearted whodunnits as his character retires. Neil, whose past roles have included Life of Riley and Common As Muck, will play Tom Barnaby's cousin, DCI John Barnaby. The actor can be seen on the Wednesday night when the original DCI Barnaby heads off to the South Coast to enlist his cousin's help. Nettles finishes filming his last series in July, with Dudgeon taking over when the next series goes into production later that month. Nettles said: "It has been a joy to be involved in such a long-running series, with so many good actors and great storylines." He added: "If Neil has half the good times that I have had on Midsomer then he will be in seventh heaven. I am only worried that he is much younger than I am and a much better actor." Producer Brian True-May said: "Although we will miss the huge contribution that John has made to the series, the brand of Midsomer is so strong that I am confident of its continuing success. "We look forward to our new Barnaby tackling more murder and mayhem in Midsomer. "Having worked with Neil Dudgeon twice on Midsomer Murders already, I feel he is the perfect choice."

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.