The Great and The Good

The peace of Badger’s Drift is disturbed when schoolteacher Connie Bishop screams in fright that she has an intruder. Most of the villagers dismiss her fears an an overactive imagination, although matriarch Mrs Stroud claimed a man was seen lurking in the area.

Trophy wife Zukie Richardson wants Connie removed as chair of the Frobisher Night Committee - a fundraising dinner-dance. Zukie wants to make the event grander and persuades her rich husband Howard to pay for a marquee. Connie is reduced to tears at the meeting and Councillor Jim Hanley is angry because he wants all the money to go to the local school.

Connie wakes in the night, hearing a creaking floorboard. She arms herself with a knife and calls the police. Stephens arrives to find the body of Jim Hanley in the garden while Connie has a shower.

Zukie claims Jim was obsessed with Connie. She wants to extend her cottage, and Jim was on the planning committee. Connie has other admirers - from shy sculptor Justin Hooper to slimy womaniser Lauence Mann. Laurence offers to change Connie’s locks and muck-rakes Justin’s reputation, accusing him of wanting to bed Connie to get his old cottage back. The next day, Connie freezes out Justin.

After fixing the lock, Laurence shares a bottle or two of wine with Connie. She wakes in the night to find him in the summerhouse, with his throat cut. She tells Barnaby and Jones that Laurence claimed to know the identity of Jim’s murderer.

Mrs Stroud and her daughter Imogen tell Connie that Justin loves her. She apologises and invites him to supper. Jones searches for Justin’s ex-girlfriend - she disappeared suddenly, forcing him to sell the cottage.

Connie asks Justin to stay in her spare room - but he awakes to find her sleepwalking and trying to kiss him. When the police arrive, Connie confesses she may have committed the murders in her sleep, saying she heard voices saying “kill him”. Is she bluffing?

Connie Bishop is played by Nancy Carroll, Justin Hooper by Bertie Carvel, Mrs Stroud by Paola Dionisotti, Imogen Stroud by Monica Dolan, Zukie Richardson by Suzanne Burden, Howard Richardson by Paul Chapman, Jane Menzies by Claire Oberman, Vince by John Ramm, Laurence Mann by Paul Kaye, and Jim Hanley by Tim Wylton.

The story is based on characters created by Caroline Graham.

The film was made by Bentley Productions for ITV1.

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Midsomer Murders: The Great and The Good stars John Nettles

Schoolteacher Connie Bishop says an intruder is trying to get into her home but she is not believed

Starring John Nettles, Jason Hughes, Jane Wymark, Barry Jackson, Nancy Carroll and Bertie Carvel