Inspecteur Morse

One of the things that has sustained my wife and I through half a century is our mutual love of mysteries. Our appetite for that fare has never been sated, but perhaps it came closest during a trip to England when fortunate circumstance led to our spending an afternoon at lunching and then strolling through Oxford in the company of Colin Dexter. The gracious nature and prickly wit of Morse seems a reflection of the author, whose tastes in the arts are expressed irreverently and inevitably through Morse. The intellect of the author is spelled out in the character, and though the books aren't autobiographical in plot,they seem to be in terms of the characterization of the central figure. Mr. Dexter uses his scholarship and his intellect in life in much the way Morse does--his wry comments on Oxford and its denizens during our visit seemed akin to Morse's views of them. John Thaw, Colin Dexter and Inspector Morse are to me the holy trinity of the mystery genre. Audiences have rarely been so fortunate in the bringing together of an author, a central character and a portrayer each of whom so brilliantly fulfilled his destiny in the same series of performances.

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

An all time classic; well acted, finely plotted and utterly addictive. In short outstanding. Not to put too fine a point on it, no series, in any genre, before or since, has managed to sustain such a high level of quality. It lays down the pillars adhered to by almost all t.v. detectives of today; a subservient side-kick, a lead character with a drinking problem but rather than establishing cliches, it creates archetypes. Without peers.