Midsomer Murders AKA L’ispettore Barnaby: How did it find its way into the Italian market and why was it successful?

Abstract

This article looks at the process of national mediation of the British TV series Midsomer Murders (1997‐present), which has been broadcast on Italian television since 2003 under the title L’ispettore Barnaby. The programme has enjoyed considerable popularity in Italy since its early days and it is still broadcast regularly. The programme was deemed to be an interesting case study in investigating national mediation as it is strongly characterized by what one might call ‘Englishness’. The article first delineates the ways in which Italian broadcasters placed the product within the Italian market, and subsequently explains why it might have been successful.