Midsomer Murders series 26: ITV confirms detective drama will be back for more episodes
Viewers can expect 'more tales from the fascinating world of Midsomer Murders'
Midsomer Murders is coming back with a series 26, ITV has confirmed, and viewers can expect “four brilliant brand new cases”.
The much-loved detective drama will continue with DCI Barnaby and his trusted sidekick Nick Hendrix back to solve more tricky cases.
ITV revealed the good news in October 2025, ahead of the cast and crew returning to filming. Here’s everything we know so far about Midsomer Murders series 26, including cast, episodes, and start date.
Is there a series 26 of Midsomer Murders?
Yep, ITV has shared the good news that Midsomer Murders will be back for a series 26. That’s before series 24 and 25 have even aired. That means we have at least three more years of the detective drama to look forward to.
ITV’s Drama Commissioner Huw Kennair Jones said: “We’re thrilled to be returning to Midsomer with Barnaby and Winter. Series 26 promises to deliver four brilliant brand new cases for the legion of Midsomer Murders fans to enjoy.”
Executive producer Michele Buck added: “We are so pleased to be able to bring viewers more tales from the fascinating world of Midsomer Murders with this series 26 commission.”
Although nothing has been revealed about the plot as yet, we do know that Midsomer Murders is based on Caroline Graham’s Chief Inspector Barnaby books.
How many episodes is it?
The new episodes will be four brand-new feature-length mysteries set in the idyllic yet deadly villages of Midsomer.
The much-loved detective series remains a ratings hit around the world and this four-episode commission will bring the number of episodes available to 148. This makes DCI Barnaby one of the most hard-working TV detective on TV!
Who’s in the cast?
Neil Dudgeon returns as DCI Barnaby in Midsomer Murders series 26. He’s played the character ever since series 13 in 2010.
He replaced John Nettles, who played the same character from 1997. Before taking on the famous role, Neil was probably most famous for portraying Jim Riley in Life of Riley, Ken Andrews in Common as Muck, and DC Marty Brazil in Out of the Blue.
Nick Hendrix will also be back playing Barnaby’s trusted sidekick DS Winter. Nick joined the cast in 2016, filling the hole left by the departure of Jason Hughes as DS Ben Jones.
Annette Badland will reprise her role of pathologist Dr Fleur Perkins. She first joined the cast in 2018, but was previously famous for her roles in Ted Lasso, The Archers, and Cutting It. Soap fans may shudder at the memory of her character Babe Smith in EastEnders, a role she played between 2014 and 2017.
Lastly, former Heartbeat star Fiona Dolman will play Barnaby’s wife Sarah.
How can I watch Midsomer Murders?
In the UK, all episodes of Midsomer Murders are available for streaming on ITVX.
So far, 23 series of Midsomer murders have aired on ITV and ITVX.
When is the detective drama back on our screens?
Although series 26 has only just been announced, we’ve yet to see series 24 and 25 yet. Series 24 is due to air any day now on ITV and ITVX.
Midsomer Murders series 23 was first released in the UK in April 2024, so we are well due another series. Meanwhile, filming completed on series 25 this summer in and around the Home Counties.
Series 6 will probably land sometime in 2027.
Read more: Mismatched detectives from bestselling mystery books brought to life for first time in Cooper and Fry on Channel 5
