117 of 118 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Good and the Shameful, June 14, 2010
This review is from: Inspector Lewis Complete Set: Pilot, Series 1 & 2 (DVD)
I absolutely love this show! I am one of perhaps a dozen people on the planet who enjoyed watching 'Inspector Morse' more for the character of Sergeant Lewis than for Morse. I am angered, however, by the shameful way 'Lewis' is treated by PBS.
Have you ever watched an episode and wondered 'How did Hathaway know about that film deal?' or 'Why are they suspecting so-and-so all of a sudden?'; not to mention some incongruous, apparently midday, wardrobe changes? I'll tell you why this happens: these DVDs do NOT have the complete version of the episodes; PBS has done a hatchet job on them. They cut even more scenes from the versions they air on Masterpiece Mystery.
The only complete versions are those on the ITV DVDs which you'll need a region-free DVD player to watch. On the bright side, you can get the ITV versions of the pilot and series 1 through 3 (12 episodes) and a Behind-the-Scenes bonus disc for about the same price as incomplete versions of the pilot and series 1 and 2 (11 episodes - what PBS calls series 1-2 includes all the series 1 and 2 episodes and three series 3 episodes; excluding only the episode 'Counter Culture Blues' from series 3. Don't ask me why.). Oh, and the British DVDs have subtitles, too.
American license-holders: Stop giving us an inferior product for an increased price!!
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46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great series, poor sound, March 1, 2010
This review is from: Inspector Lewis Complete Set: Pilot, Series 1 & 2 (DVD)
I picked up this set for my parents as a Christmas present, as they'd seen a few episodes on Public Television and enjoyed them. They've enjoyed having all of these new episodes to work through, but consistently have been running into issues with being able to understand what the main characters are saying. I've watched a few and have to agree--the mix is very poorly done. The seemingly ever-present musical score is constantly drowning out the dialog, and it's been tried now on several speaker setups so it's not just a problem with a particular entertainment center setup. Couple this with the occasional British slang and the habitual dropping consonants, and watching becomes very difficult at times.
Furthermore, though closed captioning is listed as a feature, there doesn't seem to be any way to actually turn it on--again attempted on a couple of players (one DVD and one Blu Ray) and different TVs. The TV says that CC is on, but no text ever appears. It's a shame as the characters are very likable and well played, and the writing is above average for the type of show it is. I do recommend it, I just wish a less amateurish sound mix had been achieved.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Classic British Murder Mysteries, July 16, 2010
This review is from: Inspector Lewis Complete Set: Pilot, Series 1 & 2 (DVD)
These are not as good as the Inspector Morse mysteries because the main characters, Lewis and Hathaway, are not as compelling as Morse and Lewis. But the mysteries are every bit as good, and in some cases better. So if one is more interested in the plots than the characters, then this is for you. Indeed, the episode "And The Moonbeams Kiss The Sea" has got to be one of the best I have ever seen. The others are good, solid who done its with excellent cinematography.
What forces me to rate this a 4 instead of a 5 is the rather sloppy job done on the sound, which is poorly equalized and not normalized. This makes it difficult to hear the actors talking clearly. If one is used to British English, perhaps there is no problem, but Lewis talks like he has marbles in his mouth, and often mumbles. I would often back up the DVD to catch what he was saying. That is, by the way, the single biggest advantage of getting the DVDs. The ability to back up and carefully listen to the words.
The plots are great, however. I will get series 3 and 4 when they finally get around to releasing them.
Below is a list of what is on the DVDs:
0. Pilot
Lewis returns from overseas, having come to terms with the loss not only of Morse, but also of his wife Val (killed in a hit and run incident).
Series one
1. Whom The Gods Would Destroy
Lewis and Hathaway investigate a murder involving a group called the Sons of the Twice Born named after an epithet of Dionysus relating to his birth, whose activities are shrouded in Greek codes, quotes from Nietzsche and a Dionysian fondness for drugs.
2. Old School Ties
When an ambitious Oxford student is found dead in her hotel room after inviting a reformed computer hacker to speak at the Union, Lewis and Hathaway are called in to investigate. The pair are soon drawn into a case driven by celebrity, ambition and dangerous sexual politics, which strikes alarming chords with Lewis.
3. Expiation
Lewis and Hathaway investigate the alleged suicide of a housewife living in Summertown.
Series two
1. And The Moonbeams Kiss The Sea
Lewis and Hathaway investigate the death of a maintenance engineer found shot in the head in the basement of the Bodleian Library. A search of the dead man's house reveals a stash of valuable volumes and a connection to the local gamblers anonymous group, with further probing exposing a scam involving two Oxford academics.
2. Music To Die For
Lewis and Hathaway are called in to investigate a boxing scam, a close link to Lewis' old boss, Inspector Morse, and a love triangle linked to the Stasi.
3. Life Born Of Fire
Lewis investigates when a devout young Christian desecrates a church by committing suicide on its altar, claiming in a call to the police that it was "murder". Hathaway recognises him as Will McEwan, an old school friend. As the detectives delve deeper, a series of gruesome murders occur, all involving members of "The Garden", a modern Christian club, and Hathaway, who once trained for the priesthood, appears to know a lot more than he is willing to tell his boss.
4. The Great And The Good
Following the rape of a teenage girl, Lewis and Hathaway stumble across the curious private dinner parties of high school computer technician Oswald Cooper, who ends up being brutally murdered and castrated after entertaining several highly respected society figures.
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