| CHARACTER
JOHN BARNABY | |
|---|---|
 Neil Dudgeon as DCI John Barnaby | |
|
Episodes |
No information |
|
First episode |
The Sword of Guillaume |
|
Last episode |
No information |
|
Family |
Tom Barnaby (cousin) Joyce Barnaby (cousin-in-law) Cully Dixon (cousin) Simon Dixon (cousin-in-law) |
|
Relationships |
Sarah Barnaby (wife) |
John Barnaby is a cousin of Tom Barnaby, he is a Detective Chief Inspector, first appearing in The Sword of Guillaume. Portrayed by Neil Dudgeon, the character of John Barnaby replaced his cousin Tom as the chief protagonist in the series. This change became necessary when John Nettles announced his retirement.
Biography
Detective Chief Inspector John Barnaby was transferred from Brighton CID to Causton CID after his older cousin, Tom, retired. The character appears in the first full-length episode, Death in the Slow Lane where he is being shown round Midsomer by DS Ben Jones, former sidekick to the other Barnaby. When it is revealed that he has a degree in psychology, he ended up getting some rubbing from Jones. It was only after a rocky start that the two made a formidable team. John is married to Sarah and they don't have any children. Instead they have a dog called Sykes and live in a large country cottage. While invesigating his first murder in Midsomer, that of a local DJ being crushed to death at girls' traditional boarding school, he also ended up having a dangerous encounter with the killer at the end. He was saved at the last minute by DS Ben Jones. In the following episode, Dark Secrets, John was joined by his wife Sarah while he investigated the murder of social worker Gerry Dawkins. In the episode Echoes of the Dead, John investigated the death of Dianne Price - which was a copycat of the Brides in the Bath murder centuries earlier. The Oblong Murders saw Barnaby look into the disappearance of Lucy Oliver, daughter of some friends of Dr George Bullard. This was also the last time Barnaby and Jones worked with Bullard. In The Sleeper Under the Hill, Barnaby solved the murder of Alex Preston but also disagreed with Jones over the involvment of local cop Trevor Gibson. Barnaby found himself in danger again in The Night of the Stag when he and Jones investigated the murder of Peter Slim - a revenue inspector who was found dead in a cider vat. Over at Midsomer Priory in A Sacred Trust, he and Jones investigated when Mother Thomas Acquinas
Personality and appearance
Relationships
Sarah Barnaby
Sarah is John's wife and they appear to have been married some years before their arrival in Midsomer. In Schooled for Murder, they invite Ben and Kate to join them for dinner to celebrate their 12 wedding anniversary. Like Tom and Joyce's, John and Sarah's marriage is a very happy one.