Customer Reviews

Inspector Lewis Complete Set: Pilot, Series 1 & 2

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!!

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.

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.

I realized the mistake when I started playing them and got what was basically the PBS broadcast, right down with sales pitch to buy the DVD set! If I only read the reviews first..

I'm waiting on some DVDs purchased from Amazon UK. If I can view them on my computer I'll buy all my future British series from the source. Less expensive as well.

The Complete Inspector Lewis is the DVD collection the pilot and complete first and second series (for a total of 11 episodes) of "Inspector Lewis", the British detective who strives to live up to the legacy of his late long-time partner, the legendary Inspector Morse. Lewis must rebuild himself after the terrible loss of his wife to a hit-and-run accident, figure out how to work with his intelligent yet estranged younger partner, and prove his worth to a questionable new boss. Yet the cases Lewis receives remain his specialty, as each involves the affairs of the Oxford elite. A dramatic mystery collection featuring flawed yet well-rounded characters, The Complete Inspector Lewis is a superb pick for fans of the genre. 8 DVDs, 16.5 hours.

I recently caught a couple of episodes of Season Three of Inspector Lewis on Masterpiece Mystery and I knew I had to get this DVD collection of the earlier two seasons so that I could catch up on the show since I liked the few episodes I saw. I have never seen the Inspector Morse series of the past but I look forward to seeing it in the future so I can see how the character of Inspector Lewis has developed. The series takes place in Oxford, England and it begins with Inspector Lewis returning from a long term departure, after the death of his wife in a hit and run and the death of his long time partner Inspector Morse. Inspector Lewis has to deal with the changing atmosphere of the force and finds himself with a younger brilliant but distant partner Detective Hathaway. The only thing that hasn't changed is human behavior as Oxford seems to be a flatbed for murders.

I really love Kevin Whately, I think he is an excellent actor and he plays his character so well. I think the relationship he develops with Detective Hathaway (Lawrence Fox) is wonderful, they have such excellent chemistry that is really hard to find between two actors from different age groups. The tension is palpable when it needs to be and at times humor can be detected. They learn from each other and it is wonderful to watch. I really love this series and would recommend it to others who have enjoyed similar mystery series on Masterpiece.

I enjoy these DVD's. I am disappointed that the Closed captioning does not work in our TV. It works for cable and other DVD's but does not work for Inspector Lewis.

I really like this new Series, however; my DVD player cannot display the Subtitles. When I press the subtitle button I get a message that they are "Off". I have a Sony Carousel player that is approximately 4 years old. Any suggestions. I really need CC or Subtitles (okay I am a little hard of hearing).

This is a way above average British detective series. The three scripts from Alan Plater,"Old School Ties," And The Moonbeams Kiss The Sea," and "The Quality of Mercy are splendid. The writing, directing, photography, and acting throughout the series are solid.

The reviewer who complained about losing some dialogue is on target, regretably. Laurence Fox is not always easy to understand, and the music does get in the way at times.

"Life Born of Fire," is the low point in the series, being both ridiculous and politically correct. "The Great and The Good" is simply unintelligible.

Another problem is the female boss. When she isn't being shrewish toward the two detectives, she tries slightly to flirt. For some reason she consistently wears unflattering clothes.

Is the box worth buying? Absolutely. But don't expect all of it to be on the Morse, Frost, Gently level.

To me Inspector Lewis is not only the best detective/crime solving show of all-time, but the best TV show. I have started to purchase the complete Inspector Morse series just so I can catch a young Detective Sergeant Lewis. Inspector Lewis and Sergeant Hathaway are great together. While they have completely different personalities, they just have a certain chemistry in working together. And the Hathaway character is not just there so Lewis can play off of someone. You can tell that Hathaway respects Lewis (a great change from the Pilot), but is quick to interject his opinion or viewpoint. I purchased the box set of the Pilot and Series 1 & 2 and I am trying to find Series 3 and Series 4 on Region 1 DVD format but have not been successful. But I can assure you that I will keep trying.