ITV Midsomer Murders fans disappointed as show dropped from TV schedules after first episode

Midsomer Murders fans have been left disappointed after learning there will be no second episode airing the week after the hit show returns. Fans were thrilled to hear the show was back, with the first episode of the eagerly-awaited series 23 airing on Sunday night on ITV1.

But viewers will be disappointed to see a second episode of the much-loved show is not scheduled to air the following week on Sunday, April 21. Fans will only get one episode for now, with the remaining three instalments of season 23 yet to be scheduled by ITV.

The series was filmed in 2022, and viewers haven't had new content from the dangerous county of Midsomer since series 22 aired in April 2021. After the start date for series 23 was announced, fans rushed to X, formerly Twitter, to ask if they would get more than one episode.

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"Yay, hopefully the whole season and not just one episode," one fan wrote. A second asked: "Is this for just 1 episode again."

"Fabulous. How many?" another questioned. Others were excited to see the show back after a long wait.

One said: "ITV is finally putting on the new Midsomer Murders episodes on from series 23. Starting Sunday. only taken 2 years since finished filming to finally air it. Mystery."

"Brilliant news … feels like ages ….. they’ve made us wait far too long," a second commented, while a third added: "Great ! Will look forward to that. It’s been ages."

The series has already been aired in some countries, including the US and New Zealand.

What is the first episode about?

DCI Barnaby will be investigating the death of a doomsday prepper in the first episode, called The Blacktrees Prophecy. The village of Blacktrees-on-Marsh has been haunted by the prophecy after the village was rumoured to have been listed on secret Cold War documents as one of the targets for Russia in the event of nuclear war.

Hence the doomsday prepping group led by Warren Kaine, who has ploughed his life savings into building an underground bombproof bunker. There's enough rations to last four people for months.

When Warren receives a call telling him missiles have been launched, he gathers the other preppers at the bunker. But when nothing has happened by the next morning, his resentful wife Clodagh arrives to tell him it was a hoax, only to find him dead.