Midsomer Murders' Neil Dudgeon takes swipe at Line of Duty ahead of drama return
Midsomer Murders star Neil Dudgeon addressed the new instalments being compared to Line of Duty ahead of its return next week.
Neil Dudgeon has jokingly claimed that Line of Duty "haven't got the balls" to create such storylines like Midsomer Murders. The 63-year-old, who plays DCI John Barnaby, will be back on screens next week for new instalments in which he will be investigating a murder at a police retirement community.
With the new plot set to unfold, many have already suggested that it has become just like Jed Mercurio's BBC hit show Line Of Duty. While Neil himself has agreed with this statement, he stressed that the storyline is with a "Midsomer twist" and added in an interview with Radio Times Magazine: "Something happens in a retirement home for ex-coppers, and it’s difficult because we realise early on we may be feeling the collar of one of our own."
Speaking to the Daily Mail's Weekend Magazine, he said, laughing: "Line Of Duty wouldn't touch any of these things. They haven’t got the balls for it. You don’t need a maverick detective in the midst of all that. You need a calm centre of thoughtful integrity. A man who knows where he stands."
In the same chat, Neil's co-star Nick Hendrix, 39, shared just how tricky it was to film a particular scene in water.
He shared: "It was one of those stunts where I thought, 'This will be no big deal, I’m a pretty competent swimmer'.
"But, it was really, really hard work. By the end of it we were both shattered, but I think we pulled it off.
"I hope it's going to look good."
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Line of Duty came to a controversial end back in 2021 when Ian Buckells (Nigel Boyle) was exposed as the mole pulling strings for the organised crime groups from within the police force.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, he said: "Everybody thinks so.
"It'll be down to the BBC and Doctor Jed Mercurio I think, when and whether we do it."
Adrian went on to say: "Hopefully somebody will make a decision at some point and everybody will go 'Oh they're off again!'"
Vicky on the other hand recently said that there was "no news" about the drama coming back.
Speaking on This Morning, she spilled: "We've all said we love the show, we would want to go again but there's nothing to talk about. So it's really disappointing in terms of 'no news'."
After host Cat Deeley highlighted that her words didn't suggest a definite no, Vicky added: "We're so lucky and we love the show, we can't tell you how grateful we are... it is amazing but I would hate to start a rumour."
Midsomer Murders returns on July 16 at 8.15pm on ITV and ITVX.