Midsomer Murders replacement confirmed as Neil Dudgeon shares series update

Midsomer Murders fans were left delighted as two new episodes from series 24 aired on Monday and Tuesday night. Neil Dudgeon reprised his role of DCI Barnaby, while Nick Hendrix was back as his sidekick, DS Jamie Winter.

However, ITV has now announced which programmes are set to fill the void left by Midsomer Murders next Monday and Tuesday night.

Midsomer Murders, which aired at 8.30pm on Monday and Tuesday and ran until 10.30pm, will be replaced by Corriedale on Monday, January 5, which airs between 8pm and 9pm, and the new series of Red Eye, which airs between 9pm and 10pm. ITV News at Ten 10 will follow afterwards.

On Tuesday, January 6, Coronation Street will air at 8.30pm, while The Martin Lewis Money Show will be shown at 9pm and conclude at 10pm. ITV News at Ten 10 will follow afterwards.

While fans will have to wait a little longer for more new episodes, lead actor Neil has exclusively shared an update on when fans can expect the rest of series 24.

Speaking ahead of the latest episodes, Neil shared with Reach PLC, "The two episodes that are going out are the first two episodes I think of series 24, so there'll be another two episodes from that series to go out at some point."

"Very soon hopefully," the actor explained before adding, "And then the next series, series 25, is what we shot earlier this year."

He added, "I mean, the wonderful thing for me doing my job is when I first get to read the script and go, 'Oh, isn't this great', working with all the wonderful crew, many of whom have been there for years and years and years.

"And I've come to realise that we go around all the different places around our fictional Midsomer, and we go to different villages, and the different places. And I realised that when I arrive at seven o'clock in the morning in a field somewhere in Oxfordshire or Berkshire or something, and there are all our wagons and trailers all parked up, and all the people I work with, it's like our own Midsomer village."

Neil also discussed what it was like replacing John Nettles in 2011 and how he doesn't want to continue playing Barnaby when he is "too old".

He said, "I think so, I mean I wouldn't want to do it to the point where it's embarrassing, and he's just too old. I just take it a year at a time.

"When they first came to me, I was asked, 'How do you feel if John leaves Midsomer Murders?' and I said, 'It would be fantastic, and I'd love to'.

"By series one, I thought I'd shoot one episode, and they'd say, 'he's terrible, we are not doing anymore'. After having John Nettles for 13 years, and then I come along, and it's cancelled, that would be pretty embarrassing."

He added, "But then, at the end of the first series, they recommissioned it, and I thought it was great because that sort of vindicates that people had faith in me to give me the job in the first place."

Midsomer Murders is available to watch on ITVX.