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Inspector Morse

John Thaw as Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Lewis
  • Posted at 2:27pm
  • 25 September 2008
  • by AlisonGraham-RT
  • 6 comments

You have to hand it to the people at ITV3 - they've taken their inestimable back catalogue of aged detective dramas, and fashioned a whole "season" out of them. And just in case you think they've got a nerve in bombarding us with creaky whodunnits for no particular reason, the channel shoehorns in that magical word "awards" to make it appear just a wee bit more shiny and up to date.

Actually, I'm being mean here, because the Crime Thriller Awards season (Mondays, ITV3) is great fun if you're a crime nerd like me. I can watch weathered-cops shows until cobwebs form over my eyes, though I'm not bothered with the actual awards nonsense in which viewers are invited to vote for their favourite TV crime thriller writer - Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Colin Dexter, PD James, Ruth Rendell or Lynda la Plante - with the winner being announced at a "glittering" ceremony next month. Forget the window dressing, most importantly the season has allowed me to revive my dormant acquaintance with Inspector Morse.

Watching ITV3's regular repeats makes me realise just how much I miss it, and John Thaw as the tetchy Oxford detective. Of course, some of the stories look more like period pieces than others. The early episodes can now appear painfully slow as characters glide in and out of the action with an insouciance that's almost insulting. But if you're in the right mood, it's easy to spend a couple of happily languid hours watching Morse and Lewis potter around the postcard-y bits of Oxford while character actors feverishly over-emote as wild-eyed killers and wronged loved ones.

I get a kick too out of Morse's titles - it's nice to spot the names that went on to greatness: Anthony Minghella wrote early episodes and John "Shakespeare in Love" Madden directed four stories in the early 1990s.

And 20-year-old Morses are just so much better than the turgid, contemporary Lewis, with its chemistry-free dullard detective duo. Lewis (Kevin Whately) is, and always will be, the perfect sidekick - he is not a leader. The interaction between Morse and Lewis is lovely; occasionally a bit barbed, but always intelligent and respectful, even if Lewis feels a bit hard done by from time to time.

Even the essentially ridiculous nature of the stories - a posh detective solving murders over pints of bitter and the crossword while listening to opera - somehow adds to its charm. Inspector Morses are chic puzzles set against a scholarly backdrop. As such, they would never be made today where relevance and characterisation mean everything, and always at the expense of good storytelling.

**

Alison Graham is TV editor of Radio Times - read her column in the latest issue of Radio Times magazine, on sale now.

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Comments

  • Posted on 08 October 2008
  • at 2:21pm
  • by Not Mr Fox

No chemistry between Kevin and Jamie, now come on. Its obviously a curious inversion of Morse and Lewis but still fun...

  • Posted on 07 October 2008
  • at 8:46am
  • by MazY

I don't understand why the 'plus' channels exist in the first place. The majority of their programming time is used by showing endless cycles of repeats, so clearly the channels weren't necessary to accommodate new programming.

As for Morse, I've tried to get interested in it. No really, I have. Alas, I fear that the alleged magic and wonder of this programme is beyond my grasp.

  • Posted on 28 September 2008
  • at 10:42pm
  • by Phillip

Then you haven't been paying attention, Caroline. I've noticed, particularly the RT that Alison Graham praises and criticises in broadly equal measure, and does in fine style.

Her talents are entirely suited to being a TV editor.

  • Posted on 28 September 2008
  • at 5:01pm
  • by Psychopath

Well, to be honest, the film critics in the Radio Times are far worse, coming out with the most ridiculous, cliched non-existent moans to bash films over-it's bad enough half of the really good ones aren't ever listed or shown in the first place. But if Alison Graham's bad, The Mirror's Kevin O'Sullivan is far worse. Music critics, on the other hand, defy belief-they like everything, and the music is full of moronic, poncing, arrogant, talentless crap-see the X Factor for a great example-or just turn on any commercial usic radio station-though XFM, Heart, Virgin, Kiss, Magic, Real, Crapital FM and Jackie are among the worst offenders. To be fair, Alison loves a good moan-I suppose it's more satisfying for them to see their own negative comments in print, but I will always hear worse!

  • Posted on 26 September 2008
  • at 5:33pm
  • by Crouchback

Alison Graham should get out more: she spends too much time in front of the box, watching Morse repeats. Thus familiarity breeds contempt for modern TV. I happen to think Lewis is excellent, particularly the sidekick who studied for holy orders. The Morse episodes are really showing their age now…

  • Posted on 26 September 2008
  • at 4:48pm
  • by Caroline

Does Alison Graham actually like anything on TV? I think I've yet to see a positive review on anything from her. Perhaps her talents are best suited to something other than a TV editor?

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