Following John Nettle's departure from Midsomer Murders, Neil Dudgeon signed on as the newest DCI Barnaby. Cast as John, the younger cousin of his predecessor, Neil began working alongside Jason Hughes – aka Ben Jones – on season 14 of the hit drama.
For Jason, John Nettle's decision to leave had been bittersweet, prompting him to question his future in Midsomer, but after learning that Neil had signed on, he chose to reprise his role.
"One or two seasons before he left I could see he [John] was on his last legs. At first, I thought I should leave too, but when I found out Neil Dudgeon was replacing him and I knew he was a lovely guy, I thought I should stay and help with the transition to help give the show continuity," Jason recalled to Mail Online.
During their two years together, Neil and Jason developed a sweet friendship, although they'd actually known each other beforehand.
"Neil's a terrific actor and we've done workshops together at the Royal Court Theatre years ago as well as an episode of Midsomer Murders, so we already get on well," Jason revealed in a previous interview.
Singing his co-star's praises, Neil, 63, has spoken of his appreciation for Jason. "On some days of filming, Jason doesn't have many lines to say. But because he is so up and positive, keeping everybody jollying along and entertained, he is fantastic," the actor raved. "He also lets me go off and sit quietly if I need to and he talks to the other guests. I appreciate that so much."
For Jason, Neil's arrival marked an exciting turning point for his character, Ben. "Neil and I give feedback on the script and it's great to be involved in that process. Jones is a valued sidekick and he and Barnaby are much more equals than the father-son relationship of the past. I think from the moment that Neil's character arrived the part of Jones got fleshier," he said.
In 2013, Jason announced that he was leaving Midsomer Murders after suffering from exhaustion.
"I was completely burned out from getting up at 4.30am in Brighton to get the train to London and then on to wherever we were filming in Buckinghamshire, and then doing the journey back and getting home at 9pm. It was starting to affect my health and I was so tired I was no good to anybody, either at home or at work."
To the delight of fans, Jason did return briefly in 2017, appearing in an episode of series 19.
Speaking about his reunion with Neil, Jason said: "I love Neil; I have such a soft spot for him. He is a wonderful man; he is so intelligent, bright and funny and one of the easiest people I have had the pleasure of working with.
"He is very open and willing to try anything and always comes up with some great suggestions. He always thinks things through and has a great overall picture of what the whole is about and it is just such a great pleasure to work with actors like that because they are very giving. I always love working with Neil and I'm glad to see he hasn't changed or become too grand! He is very humble and it is so nice to be around someone with such humility."