Picture of Innocence is the sixth episode of the tenth series of Midsomer Murders and first aired on 3rd June 2007.
The battle between traditional film and modern digital photographers becomes far too personal for Tom Barnaby when he becomes the prime suspect in a murder. Lionel Bell is a member of the former group that has recently banned digital photographs from the local photography competition. He has had recent run-ins with Steve Bright, a digital photographer who seems to go out of his way to make the traditionalists miserable. When Bell is found strangled, however — with a digital memory card in his mouth — Barnaby becomes a suspect when it is revealed that he and Bell's estranged wife once dated. Barnaby's name is also found in the dead man's diary as someone who was to visit him the previous evening. With the case now assigned to DI Martin Spellman, whom Barnaby dislikes, Tom finds himself on the sidelines but not without an interest in clearing his own name. A second murder once again points to Barnaby and it is clear that someone is going to extraordinary steps to frame him. An infatuation is at the root of it all.
Tropes:
- Actor Allusion: Liza Goddard guest stars as Marion Bell, who partly drives the plot, but only actually appears in the last couple of minutes of the episode. She's someone who Tom Barnaby says he used to date, briefly, about 30 years ago. In The '80s, Liza Goddard had a recurring role opposite John Nettles in Bergerac as someone who had a flirtatious relationship with Jim Bergerac.
- New Media Are Evil: The plot revolves around Digital vs Traditional Photography. Subverted in which both sets of photographers are as bad as each other.
- No Badge? No Problem!: Barnaby is removed because he himself is connected to the case by an attempted Frame-Up. Once again his replacement is intolerable (and seemingly preoccupied with planning his wedding) so Barnaby proceeds to get to all the witnesses two steps ahead of the other inspector.
- One-Track-Minded Artist: One of the photographers' entire body of work consists of photographs of every meal he has eaten. When Joyce comments on how similar all of his photos are, he says that he has eaten the same meal every day for more than a decade.
- Serious Business: The local photography club is divided into love and hate of digital photography. Both sides take every single opportunity they can find to disparage the other, making even the
Hatedom Serious Business. - Tyrant Takes the Helm: Inspector Martin Spellman, Barnaby's replacement.
