Since it first debuted in 1997, Midsomer Murders has aired almost a new season every single year. However, Tom Barnaby’s actor, John Nettles, made the difficult decision to leave the series in 2009, and his last episode aired two years after his announcement.
The lead actor was later replaced with the relative of his character. Viewers were shocked when he abruptly left the show because he had been a part of it since the first episode back in 1997.
Ten years have passed since John Nettles’ tragic exit from Midsomer Murders, and now he has shared the real reason for his decision. He played the role of DCI Tom Barnaby on the show for 14 years, from 1997 to 2011. Since leaving his most memorable role, he has gone on to play Ray Penvenen in Poldark. But now let’s talk about why John Nettles Left Midsomer Murders and what he had to say about that.
Why Did John Nettles Leave Midsomer Murders?
John Nettles had been a part of the show from the beginning and had been in it for 14 years. With the show currently airing in over 200 countries, the renowned actor rose to fame around the world for his role of Tom Barnaby. He unexpectedly announced that he planned to leave the show in February 2009.
In 2009, he announced to everyone that he would shortly no longer be DI Barnaby. However, he also said that before permanently leaving the show, he would do two more seasons. Thus, the final episode of Nettles was shown in 2011 at the end of season 13.
John’s final episode was titled Fit for Murder, and his character, Tom Barnaby, decided to retire in that episode. John Barnaby, who had previously appeared in The Sword of Guillaume from the previous season, took on the role of the lead character in the 14th season.
After leaving the show, Nettles spoke in an interview about his reasons for leaving. Nettles said that it was his pleasure to be a part of such a long-running show with so many great actors and intriguing plots. And for him, it marks the end of an era.
Nettles then went on to say that after David Jason gave up the mantle, he immediately realized that he would soon be the oldest detective in the field. And the decision to leave Midsomer Murders was a really difficult choice to make.
In an interview, Nettles’ replacement, Dudgeon, also discussed the show’s future and how he believes it could continue for many more seasons. Dudgeon said that “the Midsomer Murders could be so diverse. It can shift tonally. You’ve got an entirely distinct setting every single week.
You’ve got a mostly different cast every single week. You are able to include a darker episode or an even more serious episode. You have the opportunity to alter everything about it. You are able to sort of put any details in there because of the depth and the style.
John Nettles Career After Midsomer Murders
The actor has experimented with a lot of new things since leaving the television series, including creating a book back in 2012. His historical non-fiction book Jewels and Jackboots, which explored the German colonization of the Channel Islands, quickly sold out after it was released. Additionally, he enjoys the outdoors, and he also narrates the Channel 4 show Devon and Cornwall.
In terms of acting, John is likely most recognized for his role as Ray Penvenen in Poldark, which debuted after the murder mystery thriller. John’s character, Ray, is Caroline’s nice uncle and one of the nation’s most influential men.
John also talked about his part in an interview. He said, “Roy is mainly a lonely man who lives solo as a bachelor. He favors cows over people, which is his best line and, in his opinion, the one that best captures his personality”.
John then went on to say, “Since he was born and raised in Cornwall and currently resides near the Devon/Cornwall border, I’ve always envisioned myself as a character in a Cornish drama. The accent easily returns. I enjoy hearing a Cornishman speak because of his gorgeous, warm accent and his incredibly expressive speech.”
