As producers of TV’s Midsomer Murders announce a one-off special collaboration with DR, the Danish producers of The Killing and Borgen,  to celebrate the 100th episode of the long running drama, South Oxfordshire District Council reveals another Danish collaboration designed to boost tourism. 

The Council’s Visit Midsomer tourism initiative, recognising the programme’s huge popularity in Denmark, invited Danish journalist Flemming Haslund, to explore some of the towns and villages which prove such a hit with TV viewers. The resulting feature will appear in Denmark’s national daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten with the aim of encouraging readers to take a holiday in South Oxfordshire.

Touring in a classic MGC Roadster, Mr Haslund’s itinerary took him to Thame, Wallingford, Ewelme, Warborough, Dorchester and Henley. He took part in a guided Midsomer tour in Thame, drank at DCI Barnaby’s favourite pub, the Six Bells in Warbourgh, and stayed in Dorchester’s White Hart hotel. 

Flemming Haslund said “Barnaby is massive in Denmark so the opportunity to tour Barnaby country in a classic MG was really exciting for me. South Oxfordshire is gorgeous; I had lovely weather, met very friendly people and I can see why the producers keep coming back to film here – it’s perfect.”  

Revealed as the best performing “acquired programme” in Denmark earlier this year, experts attribute the drama’s success to the leisurely pace and picturesque village settings complete with cricket pitches, churches and pubs. Over the summer a spokesman for Wallingford Museum reported that a weekly Midsomer Murders focussed coach group from Denmark had been spotted in the town, (Wallingford, Henley and Thame have all appeared as Causton in different episodes during the 15 series to date). 

Councillor Judith Nimmo-Smith, Cabinet Member for Economic Development said “Location tours are big business. For over a decade Midsomer Murders has used South Oxfordshire settings so we set up www.visitmidsomer.com to promote the area to fans keen to visit and we’ve recorded a 60 per cent increase in unique visitors this year alone. We see regular coach visits coming from Germany and Denmark and evidence of more bookings for local tour guides, hotels and B&Bs using a Midsomer Murders connection”. 

Jo Wright, Executive Producer of the programme said:  “Midsomer Murders is incredibly popular on prime time Danish television. It is known as ‘Barnaby’ and has been running for 12 years winning 40 per cent of the audience share”.

“The idea to shoot in Denmark came about because we wanted to do something special to mark the 100th episode, and it’s great to be working with DR, producer of the award winning series ‘The Killing’.”

ENDS

Note for Editors:
South Oxfordshire District Council launched the VisitMidsomer tourism marketing initiative in 2010 to promote the district as a holiday destination. 

Midsomer Murders uses the backdrop of the Chiltern Hills, traditional market towns and rural villages to set the scene for murder after murder. Screen writer, Anthony Horowitz, has said that it’s as much about the places as the people, and it’s the places that visitors aspire to see. 

Around half the filming for Midsomer Murders takes place in South Oxfordshire, which makes the theme ideal to attract visitors who then spend time and money in local hotels, B&Bs, shops and restaurants. 

In the 100th episode, due to be filmed in October this year, DCI Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) and DS Nelson (Gwilym Lee) jet off to Copenhagen  when a body is discovered there that links to a case connected to a Midsomer family. The episode will be broadcast as part of the forthcoming 16th series of the show, filmed partly in Copenhagen and partly in Midsomer's first ever murder location at Badger's Drift.

For further information please contact:
Jackie Ellis
Tel: 01273 622656
Email: jackie@tourism-angles.co.uk