Midsomer Murders’ Neil Dudgeon ‘replacement’ tipped as Only Fools and Horses legend
MIDSOMER Murders star Neil Dudgeon has no plans for hanging up his detective cap anytime soon – but that hasn’t stopped bookies from taking bets on who could replace him.
The actor has been part of the long-running ITV crime series since 2010, taking over from the iconic John Nettles as lead detective, DCI John Barnaby.
In July, Neil admitted to RadioTimes Magazine that he feared taking over the role would result in him getting “cancelled” for replacing a fan favourite.
Since then, a new line of names have cropped up with betting site Betway over who would replace him – and Only Fools and Horses star Nicholas Lyndhurst is in the running.
Lyndhurst, famed for playing the hapless Rodney in the beloved 80s BBC sitcom, is currently making a comeback in the States as part of the reboot of 90s show Frasier.
But that hasn’t stopped the bookies from putting him 20/1 as a potential replacement for Neil should he ever decide to step down.
Other favourites currently include former Vera star Kenny Doughty (4/1), Death in Paradise’s Ralf Little at 5/1, and Doc Marten’s Martin Clunes at 20/1.
John Nettles, who led Midsomer Murders from 1997 to 2011, has also been pitched for an outside potential to return at 80/1.
Speaking to Radio Times, Neil said that John had particularly big shoes to fill, and led him to fearing that it wouldn’t work without him.
“It was hard at the beginning because John [Nettles] had done it for 14 years,” he told the magazine.
“If they’d cancelled me after one series, that would have been embarrassing! It gets easier, but I try to keep it fresh.
“Even if I’ve gone through the script 50 times, I’ll look at it again and have another thought. It’s still extremely pleasant and I’m extremely grateful.”
Lyndhurst has made no comment about potentially taking over the role, though with Frasier just dropping its second season – which will run through to November – there’s always potential for the show to continue.
He has become a main character on the revitalised version of the 90s sitcom, playing Professor Alan Cornwall, a close friend of Kelsey Grammer’s Frasier Crane from his time at Oxford University.
Now a psychology professor at Harvard University, he’s part of the core friendship network for Frasier who has returned to Boston after spending years living in Seattle.