Photo: ITV

While public television fans of the ‘little engine that could’ British mystery series, Midsomer Murders, are getting set for the series 16 premiere within the next couple of months (March 2020 to be exact), UK viewers are settling in for the ITV’s series 21 premiere at 8p on the 21st of January.

In the era of television series falling into the ‘one and done’ category more often than not, how has Midsomer Murders managed to remain fresh for 20 series and 119 episodes dating back to the 1997 premiere? With humor as one of its’ main features, Radio Times explained it perfectly in their review of a particular episode from series 15, “Death and the Divas”, by saying “Midsomer Murders never takes itself too seriously but here it’s got its tongue so far into its cheek, it hurts.”

Without giving too much of the farm away to American viewers since we are still 5 series behind the UK, there will be four former Strictly Come Dancing celebrity finalists set to star in the premiere episode of series 21, “The Point of Balance”, which is set against the backdrop of a ballroom dancing contest. The long-running detective drama juggernaut will welcome the former SCD stars to the sleeply little English county of Midsomer with each appearing as either victims and suspects in the latest murder spree to plague the picturesque yet fictional locale.

The former Strictly stars are series 6 winner Tom Chambers (Casualty, Holby City), series 11 runner-up Natalie Gumude (Coronation Street), Danny Mac (Hollyoaks), who was a finalist in series 14, and former Steps star Faye Tozer, who made the final three in series 16.

Based on Caroline Graham’s Chief Inspector Barnaby book series, Midsomer Murders stars Neil Dudgeon as DCI John Barnaby, Nick Hendrix as DS Jamie Winter and Fiona Dolman as Sarah Barnaby.

In: Mystery