Product Description: The legendary Inspector Morse (John Thaw) has passed away and in the wake of a family tragedy that sent his ex-partner Inspector Robert Lewis (Kevin Whatley) on a two-year assignment in the British Virgin Islands Lewis returns to Oxford England to investigate the death of an American college student. Along with his new partner Detective Sergeant James Hathaway (Laurence Fox) Inspector Lewis seeks out the assistance of troubled student Danny Griffon - a prominent heir to a wealthy but notoriously secretive family - in cracking the increasingly difficult case. Now as Inspector Lewis peers deep into his own past while learning that Griffon was once inspected by none other than his deceased partner he must enlist the aid of his old boss in order to make the connection and bring the guilty party to justice. Just as everything finally begins to come into focus however Inspector Lewis learns much to his dismay that Chief Superintendent Jean Innocent is planning to take him off of the front lines to take part in a special training session; a prospect that doesn't sit too well with the man who just wants to get back to work. ~ Jason Buchanan All Movie GuideSpecial Features:Access to the Mystery! web siteScene selectionClosed captionsSystem Requirements:Run Time: 95 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: MYSTERY/SUSPENSE Rating: NR UPC: 783421410695 Manufacturer No: WG41069
Amazon.com: Inspector Lewis is a very satisfying follow-up to the legacy of Inspector Morse, the late investigator (played by John Thaw, who died in 2002) beloved by many a fan of British television mysteries. Lewis (Kevin Whatley) was Morse's right-hand sergeant. Following the elder sleuth's death, Lewis was promoted but then faced the sudden and unexpected loss of his wife. Inspector Lewis catches up with him upon his jet-lagged return from a two-year assignment in the British Virgin Islands. Destined to be put out to pasture as an instructor at detective school, Lewis instead gets caught up in a murder case that overlaps with an old, strangely yet apparently unresolved investigation by Morse. Joined by a new character, Detective Sergeant James Hathaway (Laurence Fox), Lewis looks into the murder of a brilliant American student at Oxford and her connection to the survivors of a racing legend killed, years before, under questionable circumstances. A coffee-stained, cryptic note in Morse's hand could provide a valuable clue, but fans of Morse holding any doubts about a possible new series built around Lewis will see this determined and hugely likable fellow come into his own. Lewis's emerging partnership with Hathaway is one of the real delights of this drama. The younger man, a former seminarian, and Lewis, who lost religious faith following his family tragedy, manage to find some ground for mutual respect and appreciation. --Tom Keogh
Lewis is his own detective Anyone expecting Morse results will be disappointed but Lewis has come into his own and becomes a good detective. It would have been nice if there were more of this series to watch him progress as his own identity emerges without Morse to shadow him.
Lewis is superb! Whatley did a magnificent job re-creating the character of Lewis. He maintained the personality of the character while developing some more depth to it. This Lewis is more determined than the one in the Morse episodes. It even seem like a little of Morse has rubbed off on Lewis, which is both surprising and refreshing. I like the new sargent Hathaway as well, he compliments Lewis like Lewis did Morse.
Well Done! I look forward to the rest of the series as it comes out
Why only 1 episode? I would like to give this series a chance before I decide what I think of it. I was never that impressed with Inspector Morris (sorry!) but I kinda got into this. Here's my problem: There were 4 episodes in the 1st season and only the 1st episode was released in the U.S. which hardly gives it a fair chance. Release the full season, or, really go out on a limb and release the 2nd season too. "Inspector Morris" had 33 episodes is it asking too much to see a meager 4 of "Inspector Lewis"?
A Far Cry --The 1st Four Episodes Box There's a good reason why Whatley was a sidekick to Thaw -- as an actor, he doesn't have the presence, resourcefulness, and worldly charm of the old man. Throughout the four episodes in the box, Whatley is desperately trying to find an identity, a persona. For the most part, he resorts to stock attitudes and personality traits (the grouch, working-class cynicism, a disgruntled widower, or a fumbling combination of these). Whatever he chooses, Whatley cannot appropriate the character, make it his own -- the lines take over and he becomes as flat as the pages they were written on. Any worse, and he'd be reciting his way through the series.
Sorry, but Lewis is just not up to being Inspector in a series of such high repute. If you need a specific example, check out the first episode, where Lewis's sidekick Hathaway (not much of character to begin with) steals the show completely, even taking over the plot! Thereafter, we see Whatley trying on different hats, changing character with every new investigation. You have it all wrong Whatley -- you make the hat yourself!
As for the storylines, well, I never thought anything related to Morse would drag, but these cases meander, nearly reaching a standstill in the middle of a couple of episodes. And then you have the remaining characters, the Superintendent and the Pathologist, both cookie-cut with the same languishing creativity. In fact, Inspector Lewis is beginning to remind me of dreadful and crude productions like McBride on Hallmark channel (god forbid!).
A shame that Morse should have to end this way.
There are more episodes of Lewis! Just wanted to let all the Morse and Lewis fans know that a short series (4 episodes in addition to the pilot selling here) of Lewis was broadcast in the UK in 2007. Why it apparently hasn't been shown in the US is a mystery (no pun intended). You've got three options: (1) move to the UK; (2) start a letter-writing campaign to PBS to show them; (3) buy a multi-region DVD player from Amazon.com and buy the series from Amazon.co.uk. If you pick the last option, you can also then see other great UK productions like Life on Mars.
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