IMDb >
"Inspector Morse" (1987)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditsepisode listepisodes castepisode ratings... by rating... by votestv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsrecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summaryplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips"Inspector Morse" (1987) More at IMDbPro »TV series 1987-2000
Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
4 February 1988 (USA)
more
Plot:
A grouchy but cultured police detective and his easy going partner investigate crimes around the British community of Oxford. full summary
Awards:
9 wins
&
12 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(11 articles)
TV plays it by the book
(From The Guardian - TV News. 22 November 2009, 11:44 PM, PST)
'The Guards' Shoot Underway in Galway
(From IFTN. 27 October 2009, 12:29 AM, PDT)
(From The Guardian - TV News. 22 November 2009, 11:44 PM, PST)
'The Guards' Shoot Underway in Galway
(From IFTN. 27 October 2009, 12:29 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Inspector Morse, a Synopsis
more (23 total)
Cast
(Series Cast Summary - 4 of 25) | John Thaw | ... | Chief Inspector Morse (33 episodes, 1987-2000) |
| Kevin Whately | ... | Detective Sergeant Lewis (32 episodes, 1987-2000) |
| Colin Dexter | ... | College porter showing Morse and Lewis to John Brewster / ... (30 episodes, 1987-2000) |
| James Grout | ... | Chief Superintendent Strange (22 episodes, 1987-2000) |
Additional Details
Runtime:
120 min (33 episodes)
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Ailish Hurley was the bar manager of Chapter's Bar (now the Morse Bar), Randolph Hotel, Oxford. She was a good friend of Colin Dexter and was a continual source of inspiration to him, persuading him to carry on writing the Inspector Morse novels on which the TV series is based. As a mark of respect, he asked for her to be given a cameo role in the final Inspector Morse film, "Inspector Morse: The Remorseful Day (#12.1)" (2000), where she is briefly seen serving coffee to Morse and Sandra Harrison. Sadly, she died of cancer on 25 September 2005.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Women of the House: You Talk Too Much (#1.5)" (1995)
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (23 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for "Inspector Morse" (1987) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Mystic River | La bête humaine | The Black Widow | Making the Headlines | Wonderland |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Episode guide | Full cast and crew | Company credits |
| External reviews | News articles | IMDb TV section |
| IMDb Crime section | IMDb UK section | Add this title to MyMovies |
You may add a new episode for this TV series by clicking the 'add episode' button
Inspector Morse is television at its finest. Based around the Oxford-based characters created by Colin Dexter (some films are based on the novels; some on plot ideas by Dexter; and others, original scripts), the ITV series starring John Thaw and Kevin Whately has endured 33 high-quality episodes, each of which is approximately 104 minutes in length, and made with the same high standards usually reserved for a film with a theatrical release, ultimately resulting in a very arduous-yet-rewarding filming process. The premise of the series, to paraphrase John Thaw, is observing how two disparate men - one of which is a cerebral, Jaguar-driving, beer-drinking, crossword-solving, music-loving, well-educated, pedantic, arrogant, bachelor (Chief Inspector "Endeavour" Morse); the other of which is a northern, subservient, down-to-earth, prudish, humble and publicly-educated, family man (Sergeant "Robbie" Lewis) - proceed through an intricate whodunit and come to the conclusion which they inevitably reach. There is a noticeable father-son relationship between Morse & Lewis; and perhaps more of a brother-brother relationship between Morse & Strange, the Chief Superintendent. Aptly described as "a good detective but a poor policeman," Morse's modus operandi is very unconventional and parallels the way in which he solves his daily crossword puzzle (sometimes resulting in him getting things "arse about face"). His partnership with Lewis, however much as Morse would probably deny it, is vital to the investigation, just as Watson's was to Holmes; a lot of times mere innocent remarks from Lewis will lead Morse to deduce essential pieces of a puzzle, thereby solving the crime. Although Morse's melancholy is a rarely changing factor, Thaw is able to convey the gambit of emotions without having to resort to overacting. Their Christian names are rarely broadcast throughout the series; Morse tends to refer to Sgt. Lewis as just "Lewis," whereas Sgt. Lewis is inclined to address Morse as "Sir." The team who commissioned the Inspector Morse series seem to have elected not to use the same filming/writing crew on more that one episode, resulting in direction and writing styles which differ immensely from one another at different stages in the series. Contributing a lot to the show are the classically-trained backgrounds of many of the guest stars and the talent of the writers and directors, many of whom have gone on to have tremendously successful careers. Another important element of the show's success is the, at times hauntingly beautiful, strikingly apposite music composed by Barrington Pheloung. The characters evolve throughout the series, almost to the point where Lewis metamorphoses into an obtuse version of Morse. In Hitchcockian-style, Colin Dexter makes a cameo appearance in nearly every Inspector Morse film. The deterioration of Morse's health from a nasty combination of both drink and diabetes, and his apathy toward its maintenance were his ultimate downfall; indeed the re"morse"ful day occurred in the final episode (same name, same poem, same pun) wherein Morse succumbed to a heart attack, fittingly on the lawn of an Oxford college. Although it is hard for one to simultaneously predict the future and judge in a contemporary environment, it appears that the series has all the requisites to be regarded as "timeless."