Midsomer Murders – The Early Cases + Set Ten (Acorn Media DVD)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: C/C-     Telefilms: B-     Cases Bonus Disc: C+

 

 

As Midsomer Murders continues its winning ways as an enduring hit series, Acorn Media is reissuing the telefilms in their proper order in a big DVD box set that combines the fifth, first, second and third sets for collector’s continuity.  It also takes up less space than the original releases and even has a behind-the-scenes bonus disc of a program really intended to promote the success of the series itself.  We reviewed the previous boxes included in the nice, book-like Digi-Pak case as follows:

 

Set Five

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1879/Midsomer+Murders+-+Set+Five

 

Sets One – Four

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1926/Midsomer+Murders+-+Sets+1+-+4

 

 

They have also issued Set Ten, including the following telefilm mysteries:

 

Second Sight

Hidden Depths

Sauce For The Goose

Midsomer Rhapsody

 

 

I felt the series was getting tired, but I have to admit a bit of bounce back on these shows.  Who knows where the new energy came from, but maybe the makers decided they needed to do something more darkly humorous or throw in the towel.  It should make fans especially happy.

 

In Early Cases, we get the older 1.66 aspect ratio before HD widescreen 1.78 X 1 was settled on as seen on Set Ten, not looking much better (even anamorphically enhanced) and Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo with no real surrounds.  The same text cast filmographies and Caroline Graham biography are here again with no new extras otherwise.

 

If you’ve never seen the show, start with Early Cases or Set Five.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo