Customer Reviews

Inspector Morse - Complete Collection

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I just finished watching all 33 episodes (each as long as a movie), and collectively they comprise the best television series of all time, in my opinion. This excellence is attributable to a unique combination of factors--brilliant writing, the casting of an actor (John Thaw) who added great depth and complexity to the lead character, the Oxford setting (which provided rich atmosphere as well as compelling plotlines), wonderful music, talented directors, outstanding supporting actors and guest casts. The series got better and better over the years as the characters developed individually and in their relationships with each other, and as information about their pasts was gradually revealed. Kevin Whately, who plays Sergeant Lewis, does a remarkable job of creating a character who is, in his way, as interesting as Morse because of the way he subtly matures. My favorite episodes are "Dead on Time," "Cherubim and Seraphim," and "The Remorseful Day," but all of them are of high quality. Although expensive, the collection is worth every penny.

This attractively packaged and extremely expensive set contains the six previously released "Inspector Morse" collections plus a book full of episode-by-episode details. It should be a pleasure to own, watch, and read. However, the book is rife with egregious typographical errors and mistakes of fact (wrong air dates, for example) and contains almost no episode cast or other production information. It's full of detail on the show's Oxford locations, and if that's all you're interested in then you'll probably be satisfied. As for the DVDs themselves, on my 46" 1080p tv most episodes look like they were shot off a bedsheet in someone's basement direct to a home DVD burner. Definitely NOT a bargain at $430. (Additionally, my set contained two badly mastered/damaged discs, causing me to return it for a refund.) Given this show's enduring popularity, I presume that eventually they'll remaster the original films for a new, improved DVD release. I'll wait.

I suppose it was serendipitous when I first saw Inspector Morse on PBS Mystery!. I was hooked from the beginning. There's something about John Thaw's portrayal--the sardonic, biting temperament and the unique relationship with Lewis--that make this mystery series the best I have ever seen. This series is sophisticated and rewarding. I believe the first time I encountered the word "pedantic" was while watching Inspector Morse (who certainly qualifies as pedantic).

I don't believe I have seen every episode, but I have seen at least half of them. Those that stand out include "Second Time Around", "Promised Land" (supposedly a Thaw favorite), "The Day of the Devil", "The Way Through the Woods", "Death Is Now My Neighbour", and of course the melancholy finale, "The Remorseful Day".

$350 is a considerable sum. One has to wonder if it's worth it to rewatch mysteries. But as I said, there's nothing better than Inspector Morse, so I believe an investment in DVDs is in my future.

This is one of my favourite series and to be able to purchase the lot all together is perfect.

The quality of the DVDs is excellent and all are presented in the original version which was on TV (so no editing!). A short documentary is also included on the disc.

Inspector Morse and Lewis are the perfect English crime fighting team - but favourite episode is still "The Wench is Dead" from Season 8 - but all episodes are a great way to enjoy an evening.

This isn't a review as such (I love Morse - enough said), just a (hopefully) helpful tip for anyone who wants to buy this box set but finds the $425 price tag too high: provided you can play region 2/PAL discs, you can get the same entire Morse collection (in different packaging) from amazon.co.uk for under $200. Of course the shipping costs would be higher, but the total would still be a lot less than the US box set.

Hope this is of help to Morse fans in the States!

I recently purchased a region free DVD player online for about $80 and purchased the Morse series at Amazon.uk for $93 incl. shipping (arrived in 5 days). The Brit version contains 33 fully remastered episodes. The multi region DVD player was a great investment, since I have enjoyed other great Brit programming Lewis, Sherlock Holmes, Poldark, Sharpe, Jewel in the Crown at bargain prices. Often the Brit versions are remastered and of much better quality than the third rate American licensed versions. Also, it's been alleged that PBS video chopped up the Lewis series, leaving 10 minutes off each episode. I refuse to purchase excellent British programming that is the victim of sharp practices on this side of the pond.

Previously owned VHS versions of many Inspector Morse mysteries. When it was time to buy the dvds I knew only the whole set would do. But I didn't want to spend almost $450 dollars for the U.S. set - so I ordered the U.K. version (at less than $150) plus the New Pioneer Dv-420vk ALL Multi Region Code Zone Free DVD Player with Hdmi 1080p Upconverting and USB Input (for less than $85) and saved a bundle. Now I can start working my my Midsummer Murders collection with my savings.....

I got all the INSPECTOR MORSE long before discovering amazon.com, but i needed to give my 2 cents!!
John Thaw and cast, writers, just everything in this series is top notch.
Do yourselves a favor and find other John Thaw stuff "A Year in Provence" comes to mind. Totally different, but just as captivating.
Do not miss the MORSE series!
Sadly we do not have John Thaw anymore to entertain us, a man of his stature comes along very seldom!!!
My husband and I still rewatch all of Morse and other DVD's of his.

These are really expensive DVD's, which seriously limits the audience. But, if you missed some or all of the PBS shows, and you can spring for the tab, you'll be a happy customer. Morse is so incredibly flawed, he is absolutely believable. Most detective stories have a cop who is a lot like cardboard. I mean, really, where are the dimensions. Not Morse. Here you get a genuine person tracking clues, or just following hunches, and making his share of blunders along the way. By the way, John Thaw (Morse) and Kevin Whately (Lewis) were the reason the stories were tops. A good cop who-done-it in the USA: Skinwalkers (Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Novels)

When I ordered " Inspector Morse / Complete Collection )" I knew that was a Zone 1 Edition, but I assumed it included subtitles in the principal languages spoken in Europe, but ... nothing. My first intention was to return the product, but I tried to see the first and I was ... ¡ delighted ! : the put on scene of " Jericho's Death " by Anthony Minghella was superb. So I decided to keep the collection and I' ve been enjoying it and improving my comprehension of spoken English. But I think that the minimum that one edition of this prize must include is close caption for ear- handicapped people.