Case file · Series 21, Episode 1 · Season 21, Episode 1
The Point of Balance
A ballroom competition brings John face to face with his estranged father while dancers begin falling out of step permanently.
Verified filming locations
Every filming site currently documented in this Casebook file is listed here. The published evidence does not establish a complete production itinerary.
- The Chequers · Fingest, Buckinghamshire
The inn appears under its own name in fictional Midsomer Mallen.
Site guide → Filming source ↗ - Remenham Place · Remenham, Berkshire
The country house becomes the Wilder family home.
Filming source ↗
Map lookup by place name. A private house’s exact address is not marked.
Selected episode credits
The Point of Balance cast
These selected cast entries link to their published profiles. They do not include every name shown in the end credits.
Nigel Havers
Havers plays Andrew Wilder in The Point of Balance, the Series 21 opening case set around a dance event. ITV's guest-star collection singles out his appearance in this episode.
Open actor profile →Natalie Gumede
Christopher Timothy
Carolina Main
Kazia Pelka
Cassidy Little
Jaye Griffiths
Jack Hawkins
Faye Tozer
Danny Mac
Tom Chambers
Luke Pierre
The 60-second case card
Should I watch this one?
The case gives John Barnaby unusual personal material without letting the dance-floor puzzle lose pace.
- Best for
- Ballroom dance · Family · Competition
- Mood
- Classic
- Team
- DCI John Barnaby with DS Jamie Winter
- Spoiler guidance
- Read the premise freely; open the marked sections only after watching. Check the linked provider advisory for further viewing information.
Why it matters
The case gives John Barnaby unusual personal material without letting the dance-floor puzzle lose pace.
The Paramount Dance Extravaganza begins with professional rivalries, ambitious partners and heavy sponsor involvement. Dancer Rosa Corrigan is murdered after the opening night, and the death of her brother Duncan makes it clear that the killer's concern extends beyond competition results.
John is also forced to deal with his estranged father Ned, whose connection to the event brings unresolved family tensions into the inquiry. Barnaby and Winter have to distinguish personal jealousy from the commercial interests surrounding the dancers.
Break the seal: reveal the finding
Who was the killer in The Point of Balance? (spoiler)
Rivalry at the competition masks a history involving the sponsors, the dancers and a family connection kept outside the official programme.
More episode detailsProduction, cast, deaths and filming information
Credits, context and checked facts
Production and cast
- TV series
- Series 21
- Episode number
- Episode 1
- Written by
- Nick Hicks-Beach
- Directed by
- Audrey Cooke
- Listed transmission date(s)
- 1 December 2019 21 January 2020
- Reported filming period
- March–April 2019
- Detective
- DCI John Barnaby
- Partner
- DS Jamie Winter
- Pathologist
- Dr Fleur Perkins · Annette Badland
- Principal setting
- Midsomer Mallen
- Casebook tone
- Classic
Sources accompany the production credits and filming links.
Fictional settings and real filming places are listed separately. Filming links include 1 mapped area; 2 exact sites.
Credits and archive connections
- Writer credits4 episodes credited to Nick Hicks-Beach
- Director credits3 episodes directed by Audrey Cooke
- Release positionCase 123 of 144
- Story characterClassic · Ballroom dance · Family
- Location evidence2 exact screen-use matches
Christopher Timothy guest stars as John's estranged father, giving the investigation an unusually direct Barnaby family thread.
The Chequers at Fingest appears under its own name, while Remenham Place supplies the Wilder family home.
Sources for the production file
Published episode chronology and credits ↗Official ITV programme page ↗Filming-location reference index ↗Credits follow the linked chronology. Dates can differ between territories. Consult original credits for story, teleplay and adaptation wording. External synopses may contain spoilers.
The performers behind this case
Core cast
Follow the cast links for full actor and character guides.
Neil Dudgeon
John Barnaby · Detective Chief Inspector- Messiah
- Life of Riley
- The Mrs Bradley Mysteries
Nick Hendrix
Jamie Winter · Detective Sergeant- Black Mirror
- Marcella
- The Crown
Annette Badland
Dr Fleur Perkins · Police pathologist- Ted Lasso
- Doctor Who
- EastEnders
Image credits identify the licence used. No programme publicity stills are reproduced.
Forensic team
Dr Fleur Perkins
- Credit
- Resident pathologist
- Played by
- Annette Badland
Spoiler-controlled deaths
Deaths recorded in this case
2 people die in this case, according to the linked death record.
Break the seal: reveal the list of deaths
- Rosa Corrigan
Murder · Poisoning
Performer check- Rosa Corrigan: Faye TozerFaye Tozer’s official announcement and the episode synopsis support Rosa Corrigan; the current published cast record transposes the first two letters as ‘Roas’.
- Duncan Corrigan
Murder · Other recorded death
Performer check- Duncan Corrigan: Cassidy Little
Break a second seal: reveal the verified killer
Who was the killer in The Point of Balance? (spoiler)
Jake Hannity · Ray WilderJake sent Ray to recover Rosa Corrigan's photograph and stop her exposing his false military record. Ray killed Rosa during the confrontation, then killed Duncan Corrigan after Jake ordered him to remove the second threat and used the first killing to coerce him. The staged robbery and Jake's direction are retained alongside Ray's physical responsibility.
Verified motive
Jake instigated the crimes to stop a photograph and Duncan's questions exposing his invented military service, earlier frauds and place in the Wilder family, which would cost the Chinese deal and marriage. Ray killed Rosa during the coerced retrieval, then Duncan after Jake threatened to expose the first killing; Ray also acted from a desperate wish to protect his father's name and finally make him proud.
Real place → fictional identity
Where was The Point of Balance filmed?
The Chequers
Used as: The inn appears under its own name in fictional Midsomer Mallen.
Representative photograph of the real filming location; the exact camera angle or building may differ.Remenham Place
Used as: The country house becomes the Wilder family home.
Sources accompany the identified filming places.
Wider filming areas