Midsomer Connections
What if Midsomer exists? If Midsomer exists through the locations where the show is filmed? If the story in the episodes is interwoven with the story of the location? Are there perhaps connections to the historical topic of the episode through the filming location? Or do new connections to English history in other Midsomer Murders episodes arise through the history of the filming location? Let’s dive into the Midsomer Connections.
These were the questions that drove me to create this Passion Project and in particular to create this network graph. (More Midsomer History here)
I had already thought that there would be a lot of cross-connections. But so many?! Phew…
But see for yourself how so much is interwoven regarding Midsomer & History.
Advice 1: In order not to be hit by the confusion like by a wheel of cheese: Use your mouse to click on the connection dots for eras (light green) and topics (pink) and see where Midsomer connections lead.
Advice 2: Some points are connected to so many others that you cannot read the label because it overlaps. In this case it helps to simply click on the dot. Then you can move the mouse over the individual connected dots. The word or words you hover over will then come to the foreground and you can read them.
Have fun and enjoy!
Midsomer Connections between History and British History
For somewhat uncluttered Midsomer Connections, here are two additional ones that show parts of the large visualisation.
It is interesting if you confine it to episode, topic and places in Midsomer County:
In the upper graphs – these are network charts – several parameters are linked together. This can be like a hidden object picture like the first chart on the linked page. But it can also be more uncluttered, as in the chart below, where villages and manors in Midsomer County are linked to episodes and a historical topics. In contrast to the chart below, the two above only refer to the connection between Midsomer Murders and English history.
Let’s start with the chart in the middle: At the centre are the respective topics from English history, of which there are already some articles published (as of March 2024) and several more to follow. The other elements are the Midsomer villages and manors and, of course, the episode or episodes.
Some topics appear in several episodes. This is particularly obvious for the Civil War, which is almost self-sufficient because the Midsomer villages and manors only appear once (in reference to English history). And then there are episodes in which several topics of English history are thematised or several villages/manors in Midsomer County – and the interweaving begins…
This type of presentation makes it easy to recognise in which episodes or English history there are many links, many connections. Sometimes many to Midsomer – for example the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Or from one topic via an episode or place to another topic – for example the Anglo-Saxons, which we will deal with here in St Frideswide and later with Treasures & Raiders.
The two charts are deliberately chosen to invite you to play detective.
This applies in particular to the upper chart. For some topics there are only the minimum number of links, namely four: 1 episode, 2 film location, 3 Midsomer village, 4 Midsomer manor (or other building). For topics such as – I repeat myself – Dissolution of the Monasteries or Civil War, things look quite different.
Connections between Midsomer Murders Episodes and the epochs of British history
This, on the other hand, is very manageable, containing only the links to episodes to epochs. A certain accumulation is recognisable. There are so many that not all episodes will be visible. But they will appear if you move your mouse over the left-hand start of the link. (Or take a look at the photo on the left side.)
Do you like this or would you like to have more episodes from the underrepresented epochs?
For a more detailed look at this sankey chart please follow this link: Midsomer Connections: Episodes & Epochs
Read more about Midsomer Murders & History
The Chronology of Midsomer County by Year or by Episodes • Deep Dives into Midsomer & History.
Coming soon: Midsomer Murders historical locations and Behind the Scenes posts.
I would like to point out that this is an unofficial fan site and I am not connected to Bentley Productions, ITV or the actors.