Those with an interest in the English wine industry may be amused by tomorrow night’s episode of Midsomer Murders, the popular ITV drama series about an English village with a literally incredibly high crime rate. It is so popular that it has been trouncing the BBC’s much-vaunted Wolf Hall, adapted from Hilary Mantel’s much-garlanded book about Thomas Cromwell, in terms of viewing figures.
It will be interesting to see how well tonight’s drama about a female wine writer who comes to a sticky end will be received. It is all set around a family-owned English wine business and their murky goings on.
The producer is a friend of mine and I was asked to read the script and fillet it of howlers. Stephen Skelton MW was very helpful in instructing me in how best to kill someone in a way connected with English winemaking. The picture shows actors Neil Dudgeon and Gwilym Lee assessing the latest release from Midsomer Vinae winery.
What I hadn’t realised when I read the script at an early stage was that, in her laudable attempt to distance the female wine writer character from me, my friend cast the celebrated Asian actor Naoko Mori of Absolutely Fabulous, Dr Who and Torchwood in this role. (‘A revered wine critic, she has an acid tongue and an arched eyebrow at all times.’) Fortunately the character is not called Jeannie but Nadia Simons.
Another name I recognised from the cast list is Claire Bloom, whose career spans 60 years and who is making her Midsomer debut in this episode. She was propelled to stardom in 1952 when Charlie Chaplin picked her to star alongside him in Limelight. But I’m sure there will be other familiar faces.
‘A Vintage Murder’ is on ITV at 9 pm tonight.