Ring Out Your Dead is the fourth episode of the fifth series of Midsomer Murders. It was first shown on 15th September 2002.
Murder is in the air in the village of Midsomer Wellow as Barnaby and Troy investigate the death of Greg Tutt, who was shot through the heart. He was a member of the local bell ringers and the village Lothario, whose fed-up wife had recently thrown him out; he had also been eyeing Emma who is engaged to Liam; these two are both members of the bell-ringing team. Reggie Barton leads a group of villagers who are opposed to the bell ringers using the church as a hobby, especially after an impromptu concert celebrating their big win at the track with their pooled funds. When a second bell ringer is killed, Barnaby tries to connect the recent deaths with church lore about a vicar who was killed and dumped down the well more than a century ago.
Tropes:
- Blood-Splattered Wedding Dress: A bride taking pictures on her wedding day is shot from inside the church. Though not a lot of blood is shown in order to keep the age rating, there is a red stain around the entry wound.
- Defenestrate and Berate: Greg Tutt's wife, Sue, flings all of his belongings out of the window after getting fed up with his numerous affairs. This includes his pants, forcing him to run outside naked to retrieve them.
- Theme Serial Killer: The murderer kills the village bell ringers as per the nursery rhyme "Ding Dong Bell".
- Widowed at the Wedding: Emma is killed outside the church after she and Liam get married, whilst waiting to pose for the wedding photos.
