Inspecteur Morse

Not since the great team of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce (in the early film Sherlock Holmes series) have there been such a happy combination as John Thaw and Kevin Whately as Morse and Lewis, in "Inspector Morse". Based on the rather academic crime novels of Colin Dexter this is surely one of the best TV whodunit series. Thaw is much at home playing the cantankerous, cultured, clever, and egocentric Police Inspector who enjoys a drink, while Whately does well as his obedient sidekick. Clever plots and intelligent scripting make this a thought provoking and interesting series. Which has lead to other quirky British Police Inspectors such as Barnaby in The Midsomers Murders, and Frost in A Touch of Frost. One might argue that Oxford, and for that matter in the other series small English country villages seem alive with serial killers, rather not conducive to tourism, but allowing for poetic license these stories capture the interest more than most.

Well, where can one begin. Inspector Morse is remarkable in every way. The characterisation of Morse and Lewis is wonderful. By the end of the series we know so much about Morse. It kind of brings a bonding between the character of Morse and the viewer. The show gives an English cultural feel to the programs which is also reflected by the character of Morse.

I also like the way in which Morse CAN get it wrong. It makes him human. This element is wonderfully executed as it deceives the viewer into following the track of Morse and then slaps you back in the face much to the viewers shock. This adds a fabulous twist and an element of surprise which is hard to find in many detective programs.

There are not many detective programs that carry symbols to represent themselves either. The Jaguar, the pub, the opera, classical music and crosswords. All these objects made the program. I mean, if I saw a red Jaguar parked in town, the first thing that would come to my head would be Morse.

I also believe that John Thaw and Kevin Whatley should be given so much credit for the way in which they have brought these characters to life. They came across so convincingly and played so well off of each other. A truly wonderful experience.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say that John Thaw was a fine and wonderful actor who will be missed greatly.

I have all 33 episodes and all the books, and I think this crime drama is without question the best show that ever came on our screens. Each episode has a reason for watching it. They did change the character of Morse completely, but I don't care. I prefer John Thaw's Morse, he is somewhat more likable. The late John Thaw was an outstanding actor, and Inspector Morse is his best role. He is just phenomenal, as is Kevin Whately as Lewis. Morse is a sensitive character here, when he is listening to his classical music with the camera looking into these mysterious blue eyes, it is just extraordinary. The music is just amazing with that clever haunting theme tune, and the recurring excerpts of Mozart and Wagner. Inspector Morse also benefits from consistently superb camera work and exceptionally written scripts. It has also boasted stars such as Clive Swift, Roger Lloyd Pack, Zoe Wannamaker and Paul Freeman. Favourite episode? Has to be Masonic Mysteries, the victim's scream actually made my heart go in my mouth. The final episode is heart-rending, and I couldn't bear to finish the book, because it was so sad. Great stuff! 10/10. Bethany Cox

It is not without reason that Morse is held up as one of the finest television series ever made. It is therefore no wonder that after the tragic death of John Thaw efforts were made to keep the spirit of the show alive through Lewis and then Endeavour. Every single part of this show was perfection itself, the writing, production, music, and of course the impeccable performances of John Thaw and Kevin Whateley.

That quality began in The Dead of Jericho and ended in The Remorseful Day. Reading through the reviews it's great to see how different people love different episodes. Highest point for me was Masonic Mysteries, and I long for the day where de Vries turns up in Endeavour, an incredible episode, other highlights include driven to distraction and Death of the self. The quality is that high generally that you could almost pick any.

There aren't enough superlatives I can throw at this show, how wonderful that the elements, including John Thaw and the iconic Jaguar paved the way for a continuation of Endeavour's story.

Will we ever have such glorious viewing again?

Virtually perfect. 10/10

This is one of the truly great British mystery series. Colin Dexter's novels for me are a bit like Shakespeare's plays - better to see them played out in a dramatic fashion than try to wade through all the details on the pages. Dexter obviously likes words, so naturally his famous detective will be a lover of crosswords and puzzles. A cultured, educated man who none the less loves fast cars (his trademark red Jaguar is as well-known an icon as Magnum's red Ferrari), whisky, women (although he doesn't seem very lucky with them), and of course, a good pint of REAL beer.

While a bit too old to do something along the lines of Regan in "The Sweeney", Thaw still brought enormous energy and presence to the Morse role.

His "sidekick", Sgt Lewis, is the perfect counterpart to Morse's sometimes-overly-intellectual approach to policing. In the books, Lewis comes off as rather thick, and at times a bit servile, and Morse seems to treat him accordingly; Kevin Whatley transformed Lewis into more of a sort of "everyman's genius", someone with whom Morse could actually collaborate. "Promised Land", in which the pair travel to Australia, is one of the better ones for seeing how the two relate to each other. The series sometimes amused the real-life police of the Thames Valley, for it raised Oxford's murder rate to ridiculously high levels. Some of the earlier shows moved at the pace of the books... a little sluggish, which when combined with odd camera angles - e.g. through distorting glass objects - sometimes made the viewer feel drowsy. Always a mistake to nod off, though. Morse is usually so overconfident in his suspicions that the real killer goes uncaught, and where Morse goes, murder almost certainly follows.

My favorite episode? "Masonic Mysteries", a real spine-tingler where a man Morse put away years ago comes back to haunt him, and lands the detective in jail for murder. Ian McDiarmid (Star Wars' Emperor) is simply... spooky.

A fantastic series. If you have doubts, watch that episode.