what happened to john hopkins on midsomer murders
MIDSOMER MURDERS
FIT FOR MURDER
Cheerio TO JOHN NETTLES
INTERVIEWS WITH JOHN NETTLES & JANE WYMARK
Copyright Bentley Productions
JOHN NETTLES INTERVIEW
John Nettles' deviation from Midsomer Murders was marked by a serial of parties and presentations stretching over several months.
John explains: "We had well-nigh a year of parties! The kickoff one was a press launch held at a typical Midsomer state pub with wisteria fading effectually the door where Jane Wymark and I posed for photographers for i terminal fourth dimension as Mr and Mrs Barnaby."
E'er generous with his time despite the hot summer day, John answered every question, smiled for the cameras and autographed printing packs for the assembled journalists, earlier starting time a nighttime shoot which took him through to midnight.
Producer Brian Truthful-May then held the first of many private parties to mark John's divergence.
John says: "Information technology was a big fustigate at Brian's firm in the heart of Midsomer land, again the sun shone from the outset and I came with my married woman Cathy to gloat with the production team and ITV executives.
"Lots of the cast were there from over the years, a band played, the charcoal-broil sizzled and the champagne flowed. Brian presented me with an engraved claret jug to hold my favourite tipple and we each gave speeches, merely nosotros kept it short and sugariness equally information technology was quite an emotional day."
In the final week of filming, John and Jane took the centre seats for the terminal always cast and crew photograph which included everyone involved in series 13.
Adds John: "On the very last mean solar day of the shoot, at the final wrap, Brian bought champagne to the ready and gave Jane a boutonniere of flowers and presented us with a specially-made clapperboard showing Midsomer Murders' last slate. There were quite a few tears!"
John's part continued fifty-fifty later filming had finished with promotional trips to Italy, Stockholm and Sweden. "Even if I have left the production, I oasis't totally left the series as it has such a high international profile and we get invited to festivals all round the earth. They can't get rid of me that easily!" he jokes.
John began playing DCI Tom Barnaby 14 years ago in the pilot episode entitled The Killing at Badger's Drift following many years with the Imperial Shakespeare Company.
"I never idea at the beginning that Midsomer would last this long. When nosotros started, I was a 50-twelvemonth-sometime crazy dreamer and it seemed a skilful idea to go out of the tights for a alter and practice some boob tube. I thought that once we had adapted and filmed all of Caroline Graham'southward books, I would return to the decent obscurity of the theatre.
"I think the series has succeeded considering information technology is the quintessentially English whodunit with a pedigree stretching back through Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers as far as Conan Doyle. It celebrates the earth's preconceptions about English society and particularly English village lodge which suggests that every vicar has a dubious sexual provenance, every spinster is a homicidal maniac and every kid a potential killer, especially if he has been nigh a public schoolhouse.
"I firmly believe that the international audience enjoys watching not but for the beautiful scenery, but because they believe that the eccentricities conveyed through the characters are absolutely realistic. The odd murder but adds to the amusement."
Adds John: I think in a higher place all it is a reliable and comforting escapist drama. The deliberately retrospective style harks back to an earlier time of deference, good manners and a general orderliness. This time is much preferable to our ain - good always prevailed and evil was always defeated. As a matter of fact, that "gilt age" never existed really but, we are talking of escapist drama here and in that location is none more escapist than in Midsomer.
"Information technology also has good storylines which almost without fail stump the viewer. It contains mystery and intrigue and some claret and gore but Barnaby has a 100 per cent runway record for solving the crimes. So it is reassuring too."
Making the decision to leave was not something John found like shooting fish in a barrel.
"It's been a nifty chore. Although Barnaby and I are quite different, I am very fond of him and take enjoyed playing the role very much. I've relished the esprit and company of all the unlike actors who have graced our episodes downwardly the years. I have enjoyed working with them all, without exception.
"Simply by the cease of series xiii, I'd filmed over lxxx episodes so I felt it was the right fourth dimension to go. I didn't want to exist the oldest policeman on the telly. I want to do more phase work and I see myself spending my twilight years treading the boards. I'm as well planning to do a bunch of documentaries."
John has wasted no time in fulfilling his aims for life beyond the series.
His beginning job was to write and narrate an acclaimed documentary about the High german wartime occupation of Jersey - his second habitation during the making of hit crime drama Bergerac - entitled The Channel Islands at War.
Since then he has appeared on phase as Claudius in Hamlet at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, alongside John Simm, Michelle Dockery and Barbara Flynn.
John'south other credits include The Liver Birds, A Family At State of war, The Merchant of Venice, Romeo and Juliet and The Hound of the Baskervilles. He was recently awarded an OBE in the Queen'southward Altogether Honours for services to drama.
JANE WYMARK INTERVIEW
Every bit Joyce in Midsomer Murders, Jane Wymark has spent nigh of her time burning toast in the kitchen or helping out at village fetes. Only her role as Barnaby'south wife forms the ballast of the series.
And then when John Nettles decided to leave the serial subsequently xiv years, Jane was one of the commencement people he told.
She explains: "John and I have been talking about him leaving for a long time - it hasn't come up out of nowhere. When he said he felt it was the correct time, I agreed. Enough is enough."
Jane's pivotal role in the series is to testify the sharp contrast between the strange characters and events in Midsomer and Barnaby'south stable home life.
"Domestic life is harder than it looks to exercise while saying your lines," she says. "Humming is an underrated skill and I e'er discover when it's done desperately. Information technology drives me mad when I'm watching Tv and I spot something similar there's no java in the cup.
"Joyce and Tom's spousal relationship has evolved and they've go a bit sparkier. Joyce is not afraid to put her human foot down or speak her mind, and in the final episode even gets Tom to spend a weekend in a spa. Of course, there's a murder, so he escapes!
Adds Jane: "Joyce is a supporting character simply I've also had a few chances to go out of the kitchen and into the activeness. There was one episode where Joyce was a judge in the all-time kept village contest and all the other judges got murdered, and another when Joyce is singing in a choir and she receives a death threat."
Filming the concluding episode was emotional as Jane said a bawling adieu to the bandage and crew.
"I'll miss the wonderful atmosphere on gear up and all the team, especially John and Laura Howard, who played my girl Cully. She'southward become like a existent daughter to me and takes me shopping.
"But I'1000 relieved that I don't have to exist the nicest person in the world any more. Joyce is very kind and caring, at that place'due south no malice in her at all and she doesn't indulge in gossip. That'due south a heavy burden to carry sometimes. Now I want to be an evil character with no redeeming features or play someone who's a nifty cook, equally Joyce is so atrocious."
The girl of 1960s actor Patrick Wymark, Jane'south TV credits include Poldark, Rob Roy, Betwixt the Lines, Lovejoy, A Touch of Frost, Chalkface, Pie in the Sky and Doctors. Jane volition be seen from this February in Racing Demon, one of three plays in the David Hare Season at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.
She lives in London with her husband Paul, who works for the British Council, and has two grown-up sons. In her spare fourth dimension she teaches drama workshops and enjoys singing and yoga.
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