MIDSOMER Murder fans have remarked on the astonishing change they noticed in one character after tuning in to season 23.
The transformation left viewers curious about how much time is passing in between each season.
As DCI John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) and his partner DS Jamie Winter (Nick Hendrix) prepared to take on a new investigation, people pointed out something strange about one of the characters back in the village.
Detective Barnaby’s daughter Betty was only a toddler in season 22.
However, she has now sprouted up and can be seen in a school uniform having her hair braided before class in one scene.
One viewer joked: “Betty must be the fastest-growing child in human history.”
Another pondered: “If ever I needed proof that there’s always such a gap between episodes of Midsomer Murders, it’s seeing how Barnaby’s daughter has gone from literal toddler to schoolgirl in a matter of no episodes at all.”
A third agreed: “I get the feeling a lot of time has passed (narratively) since the last Midsomer Murders. 5-10 years, in fact. Everyone looks much older including Betty!”
Fans of Midsomer Murders were delighted to see the second installment of the series back on screens after its release was delayed because of the Euros.
In the episode, ex-cop Damian Bennet (Gary Beadle) was found dead after being suspected of stealing cash from a robbery bust.
Bizarrely, Barnaby and Winter end up solving the complex case – thanks to a sample of chicken poo.
One of the leading stars of the murder mystery recently called for ITV bosses to make a change to the show.
Neil Dudgeon said that the broadcaster is letting fans down by taking so long to screen each episode.
He added: “I think this is a shame. For an audience with any programme, they like to know when their show is going to be on, say, for the next four weeks. But they stopped doing this some time ago.”
Crime drama buffs have a wide selection of choices on ITVX - here is a selection of some of the programmes available to binge.