When Inspector Morse first appeared on television in 1987, nobody could have predicted that it would run into the next century, maintaining throughout a quality of scripts and storylines that raised the genre of the detective series to a new level. Much of its success can be attributed to John Thaw's total immersion in the role. Morse is a prickly character and not obviously easy to like. As a detective in Oxford with unfulfilled academic propensities, he is permanently excluded from a world of which he would dearly love to be a part. He is at odds with that world--and with his colleagues in the police force--most of the time. Passionate about opera and "proper beer", he is a cultural snob for whom vulgarity causes almost physical pain. As a result, he lives from one disillusionment to another. And he is scarred--more deeply than he would ever admit--by past relationships. But he also has a naïve streak and, deep down, sensitivity, which makes him a fascinating challenge for women.
At the heart of Morse's professional life is his awkward partnership with Detective Sergeant Lewis, the resolutely ordinary, worldly sidekick who manages to keep his boss in an almost permanent state of exasperation while retaining his grudging respect. It's a testament to Kevin Whately's consistently excellent performance that from such unpromising material, Lewis becomes as indispensable to the series as Barrington Pheloung's hypnotic, classic theme music. Morse's investigations do occasionally take him abroad to more exotic locations, but throughout 14 successful years of often gruesome murders, the city of Oxford itself became a central character in these brooding two-hour dramas: creator Colin Dexter said he finally had to kill Morse off because he was giving Oxford a bad reputation as a dangerous place! --Piers Ford
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Unquestionable quality MORSE was, in my opinion, quite simply the best British drama series ever. All 33 episodes for under a hundred quid ... no debate. This is a must buy series. Unquestionable quality from start to finish.
What incredible value for money ! James Grout & Kevin Whatley are superb as Messars Strange and Lewis - but the biggest round of applause must go to the late great John Thaw . The writing is of a very high standard indeed - you must concerntrate very hard to miss all the clues not to mention the umpteenth twist & turn during the last half of hour of each episode ! The special guest stars such as Peggy Mount , Robert Hardy , Anna Massey , Sir John Giulgud , Sean Bean , Jim Broadbent , Ian McDiarmand , Diane Fletcher , Zoe Wanamaker ,... more info
Morse - The Greatest Here is one of those rare things that is so precious and is certainly worth every penny. I absolutely adore Inspector Morse and this DVD set is a brilliant collection to own. A red Jag, a pint of beer, crosswords, Oxford and of course...Lewis. Poor Lewis. If you love murder mysteries and have never watched Morse then you clearly must. The most important ingredient of the series though is clearly the late John Thaw. What a wonderfully gifted actor. He creates so much character to Morse that this is... more info
Response to chap who liked the books and not the tv program Never read the books. Love the series though watching now it has dated. I believe it's very rare that a filmed version of a book will mirror the book or perhaps more importantly your imagined version of it. In my case "Trainspotting" is one of my favourite books. The film version is very different in terms of structure and content but is still an excellent film. I - as an adult - am able to accept the differences. I wil however get slightly more peturbed at a film version of an actual true-story differing... more info
![Inspector Morse - The Complete Series (33 Disc Box Set) [1987]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61XQ4MFE0DL._SL160_.jpg)
