Midsomer Murders: Series 17 (DVD), Acorn, Drama

The English village mystery gets a contemporary spin in this hit British television series that has earned a worldwide following. Bucolic settings harbor macabre crimes and eccentric characters that are no match for DCI John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon, Life of Riley) and his assistant, DS Charlie Nelson (Gwilym Lee, Land Girls). Delightful in a murderously charming way (Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy). Guest stars include Amanda Burton, Claire Bloom, Joe Absolom, Andrew Lee Potts, Claudie Blakley, and Clarke Peters. THE MYSTERIES The Dagger Club-When a hot new manuscript is stolen and it's cover illustrator murdered, Barnaby and Nelson wonder who would kill to get their hands on the book. Murder by Magic-A magic trick gone wrong exposes simmering tensions between members of St. Cyprian's Church and a local pagan group. The Ballad of Midsomer County-When the head of the Lower Crosby Folk Festival is killed, the detectives must determine if the motive was financial or far more personal. A Vintage Murder-Sabotage of a party at Midsomer Vinae Winery appears to be the latest attempt to discredit the vineyard-until a dead body turns up on the premises.