Acorn TV Sets Midsomer Murders Season 25 Premiere Date
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Last Updated on November 22, 2025 by Stefanie Hutson
Midsomer Murders returns with Season 25, delivering four new feature-length puzzles set amidst the seemingly peaceful villages of Midsomer County. Acorn TV has announced the upcoming premiere of the episodes, and it's coming sooner than we might have expected.
What is Midsomer Murders?
For newcomers, Midsomer Murders follows DCI Barnaby and his sergeant as they unravel elaborate rural crimes in England’s most deceptively peaceful county. The show is famous for both its volume and unusual variety of murders. A recent tally from The Times puts the average at roughly 2.8 murders per episode.
The series also leans into inventive methods: a victim crushed by a giant wheel of cheese in “Schooled in Murder,” bottles of wine catapulted at a target, and even a forklift chase ending in death by stacked tins of relish.
There have been two Barnabys to date. DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) led the show from its start through 2011, bowing out after Series 13. His cousin, DCI John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon), has fronted the investigations ever since. Dudgeon also had a guest role as a lusty gardener in the episode “Garden of Death” back in Series 4.
What's Happening in Season 25?
- “Treasures of Darkness” — Rival mudlarkers and a jar of human remains pull Barnaby and Winter into a dangerous treasure-hunting feud.
- “Lawn of the Dead” — A lawn-bowling club turns lethal, exposing bitter rivalries, forbidden romances, and tight-lipped teammates.
- “Death Strikes Three” — A booby-trapped cuckoo clock kills a guest at an engagement party, sending the detectives through a maze of family secrets.
- “Top of the Class” — After a strict headteacher is murdered during a PTA meeting, school scandals and nervous witnesses complicate the hunt for a killer.
Who’s in the cast?
Neil Dudgeon returns as DCI John Barnaby (Life of Riley, The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries), with Nick Hendrix as DS Jamie Winter (Marcella). Annette Badland (Ted Lasso) is pathologist Dr. Fleur Perkins. Fiona Dolman (Unforgotten) appears as Sarah Barnaby, with daughter Betty and dog Paddy also back.
Though they haven't specifically released the guest star names, we can, of course, make some guesses from the first-look images.
Season 25’s writers are Julia Gilbert (Ep 1), Maria Ward (Ep 2), Jeff Povey (Ep 3), and Helen Jenkins (Ep 4). The directors are Paul Gibson, Roberto Bangura, Darcia Martin, and Matt Carter. The season is produced by Peter Bullock, with Ian Strachan as co-producer and executive producers Michele Buck, Neil Dudgeon, and Louise Pedersen. Produced by Bentley Productions for ITV, and based on Caroline Graham’s Chief Inspector Barnaby novels.
When and where to watch
Season 25 premieres in the US and Canada on Acorn TV on Monday, December 8, 2025, with new episodes weekly through December 29. UK broadcast details were not included in the Acorn release. Sadly, we know the UK has been lagging quite a bit on the new seasons, and we feel for our British readers (though we don't have any power to do anything about it). While we all wait, you can check out the trailer below:
