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Daniel Scott is a Detective Sergeant who joined CID after DS Gavin Troy's transfer. City boy Scott was reluctant at first to be working in Midsomer with Tom Barnaby, but soon warmed up to the job, despite itching to get back to London. He felt his transfer to Midsomer was a punishment, so he was eager to prove himself a good detective. He is portrayed by John Hopkins and is not an original character in Caroline Graham's books.

Biography[]

Detective Sergeant Daniel 'Dan' Scott first joined the Midsomer team in 2004, in the episode "Bad Tidings," where he was thrown straight into a murder investigation. One of the first things that his new boss said was, when looking down at the dead body of a woman, "By the way, welcome to Midsomer." In "Bad Tidings," he also flirts with Barnaby's daughter, Cully, who has also organised a school reunion with some old school friends. When they have a picnic by the lake, one of Cully's old school friends pushed her head beneath the water rather longer than would have been playful, and Scott comes to the rescue.

Not much is known about Scott's life before transferring to Midsomer but we do know that he worked for the Metropolitan Police Service in London. He refers to Midsomer as the sticks, and has a somewhat awkward relationship with DCI Barnaby, who thinks he is far too much distracted by a pretty face. In "The Maid in Splendour," he commented, "Drooling, Sargent, when taking statements from attractive female witnesses. It is not in the manual."

In the episode "Midsomer Rhapsody," it is revealed that his mum was a fan of the titular music, 'Midsomer Rhapsody' and that she played it whenever "she wanted us out of the house" implying that Scott must have had a sibling. He is also shown to be cocky and sarcastic, one of the lines being "Where I come from, Open Garden Day is where someone breaks into your shed."

In "The Straw Woman," Scott develops feelings for Elizabeth Francis, one of the witnesses in their investigation. They spent a night together, but the following day she was murdered with a chemical flame, burned to death in front of the helpless police. Barnaby had been unaware that Scott had slept with Elizabeth and complained since her death Scott had fallen to pieces.

Scott's departure from the show was abrupt. In "The House in the Woods," Barnaby describes Scott as being ill. Barnaby invites PC Ben Jones to assist him on that case. After this incident, no more is heard from Scott, and Jones becomes the new assistant.

Official Departure[]

John Hopkins left Midsomer Murders after series 8. His character disappeared without any explanation and the fans were left confused especially when there was no official announcement. The actor explains and sets the record straight during a recent BBC Podcast interview.

Personality and Appearance[]

Scott is sarcastic, cocky and sometimes outright rude, though he does have a softer side we rarely see. In appearance he is handsome,  tall (6’2”) and quite athletic. He has dark hair and brown eyes. Scott is also often seen in a brown suede jacket in a number of episodes.

Relationships[]

DCI Tom Barnaby[]

When they first met, Barnaby was not amused by his late arrival and his less than enthusiastic commitment to working out in Midsomer. Throughout the season, Barnaby does warm up to him a bit as seen when Scott goes to the Barnabys' house for dinner.

Joyce Barnaby[]

Both of them have a good relationship as they are polite and respectful with each other. He complimented her and she even offered him to stay overnight because he didn't have a flat yet. Joyce often called him "Daniel".

Cully Barnaby[]

In "Bad Tidings," he flirts with Cully, and in "The Maid in Splendour," she invited him to see a Bergman film with her. When Barnaby commented that was heavy fare, he said that he would be happy to see Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca again, making it clear he and Cully were on two different tracks.

Elizabeth Francis[]

In "The Straw Woman," Scott fell for a school teacher, Liz Francis. However, she was murdered—knocked out and burned alive as he watched helpless to quench the flames. Scott was clearly devastated. Barnaby, who was unaware of the relationship, could not understand why Scott was not using his head.

Galleries[]

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