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Last Updated on October 16, 2025 by Stefanie Hutson

Wonderful news for cozy-crime fans: Midsomer Murders will return with a newly commissioned Season 26, keeping DCI Barnaby on the case in some of England’s most deceptively tranquil villages. Considering the 25th season only just wrapped up production earlier this year, it's great to know there's so much murderous fun on the way.

What we know so far

Midsomer Murders will return for a 26th season

ITV has ordered four new feature-length mysteries for Season 26, though they've yet to reveal any specific dates. That means even more murders among the hedgerows and village fêtes, and a further expansion of one of British TV’s longest-running detective franchises. When the new run lands, the overall episode count will reach 148.

What's Midsomer Murders About?

Midsomer Murders is one of the longest-running mysteries currently on the air in the UK. Airing since 1997 (first with John Nettles as DCI Tom Barnaby, then with Neil Dudgeon as DCI John Barnaby), the series is based on Caroline Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby novels.

Set in the fictional Midsomer County, the series follows along as two different DCI Barnabys solve quirky murders occurring in lovely little villages. It's a light mystery, and the cases nearly always require some suspension of disbelief. Past methods of death have included:

Bludgeoned with cricket bat
Impaled with pitchfork
Turned into human scarecrow
Hit with shovel, covered in snails
Covered in truffle oil and mauled by a wild boar
Electrocuted by truck connected to power transformer
Pushed down stairs and left in crop circle
Crushed by desk in antique shop
Drowned in soup
Bashed over head by wheel of cheese
Boiled in beer vat

Like many cozy mysteries, the killings in Midsomer Murders are more often driven by relationships and personal issues – greed, jealousy, revenge, and so on. You won't find any street muggings or intricate terror plots here. The murders are most often solved by sifting through the local dramas and relationships rather than psychological profiling, in-depth surveillance, and data analysis work.

If you like a clean mystery with minimal on-screen sex and violence and you haven't tried Midsomer Murders…you should get started. Most fans agree the earliest episodes are the best, so don't rush them!

Cast and returning characters

Neil Dudgeon returns as DCI John Barnaby, with Nick Hendrix back as DS Jamie Winter. Annette Badland reprises her role as pathologist Dr Fleur Perkins, and Fiona Dolman returns as Sarah Barnaby. Expect the familiar blend of rural eccentrics, local rivalries, and ornate motives that have defined the show since the beginning.

What ITV and the producers are saying

ITV Drama Commissioner Huw Kennair Jones promised “four brilliant brand new cases,” adding, “We’re thrilled to be returning to Midsomer with Barnaby and Winter.” Executive producer Michele Buck echoed the sentiment: “We are so pleased to be able to bring viewers more tales from the fascinating world of Midsomer Murders with this series 26 commission.”

Air DAtes for Season 26

Producers have estimated that Season 26 will air in 2026, though they haven't specifically stated which territories can expect to see it in 2026. The UK has been behind on getting episodes for some time now, leaving homegrown fans justifiably irritated. Season 24 has aired in the US and a number of other countries, but we haven't seen a premiere date for Season 25 just yet. We wouldn't be surprised to see a Season 25 premiere in late 2025, followed by Season 26 in late 2026, but for now that's just a guess. We'll update when we know more.

In the meantime, you can catch up on past seasons HERE.

Where is Midsomer Murders Filmed?

Over the course of 23 seasons and 25 years, Midsomer Murders has used many, many filming locations. Remember too that Midsomer is a county, not a village. Unlike shows like Doc Martin or Beyond Paradise, different episodes of Midsomer Murders take place in different villages – meaning loads of towns and villages are featured.

All the same, some towns and villages feature in quite a few episodes. They are:

Wallingford – This one was the original location for Causton, though it hasn't popped up as much in recent seasons.
Henley-on-Thames – Several locations in this lovely town have served as Midsomer sets – including the town hall and local butcher's shop.
Thame – This one's often used to portray parts of Causton, particularly the town hall and art centre.
Amersham – This Buckinghamshire village appeared in many of the most famous episodes – including “The Killings at Badger's Drift” and “Death of a Hollow Man”.
Dorchester-on-Thames – This impossibly pretty village is one of those places that make you wonder how it could possibly be fair that some people get to live in such peaceful locations – but it's a great place for spotting Midsomer filming locations, too. All of the town's historic inns have appeared in past episodes.
Watlington – This is where you'll find the Causton library, along with a number of other Midsomer locations. Their high street has also been featured.
Beaconsfield – This Buckinghamshire village served as backdrop for quite a few episodes. In “Ghosts of Christmas Past”, they inspect a grave in the local churchyard, and Barnaby bought new trousers in a local shop here in “Blood Will Out”