Customer Reviews

Inspector Morse: Dead of Jericho [VHS]

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Dear Inspector Endeavor Morse of the Thames Valley Police in Oxford England (the late John Thaw) is a good police officer. When he isn't dectecting, he's home listening to Wagner or Turandot on the phonograph and drinking whisky. On duty, he may often be found having a pint of dark bitter at a pub with Sgt. Lewis (Kevin Whately). Morse does have his problems with the opposite sex, however. He meets attractive women left and right, but they always seem to have a dark secret. Sooner or later, he is embroiled in their problems.

In THE DEAD OF JERICHO, Morse encounters the lovely Anne Stavely (Gemma Jones, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY) a fellow member of an Oxford community choir. One evening after choir rehearsal, Anne invites Morse back to her new flat in the recently gentrified Jericho section of Oxford. One thing leads to another, and soon Morse discovers Anne has troubling secrets she won't share with him.

The day of the choir concert, Anne does not show up. Morse drives to her flat only to discover Thames Valley Police SOCO (Scene of crime officers) at hand. Who killed the victim, or was it suicide? Who was the young man staying with Anne who kept a copy of "Oedipus Rex" beside his bed? And what about the nosy neighbor--did he see something he should tell the police? Morse soon steps into sticky ethical waters as he is no longer a disinterested bystander. His difficulties grow more complex by the hour as he discovers death, backmail, and other illicit activities in Jericho--all involving Anne.

This is an excellent DVD and a good recording of the original TV show. My DVD has a little documentary of the "Making of Morse" showing locations around Oxford. A definite plus for Anglophiles.

One cold rainy night in England with nothing to do I turned on my television (only four channels available) and found a new show called Inspector Morse. I have always been a fan of the detective story in print and had read extensively in the genre. Similarly I was a great action buff, with one of my favorites being the Streets of San Francisco (I wonder why that is not available on tape or DVD?).

At first, the pace of the drama was slow and a little bit irritating but I recognised John Thaw from that superb action show, the "Sweeney" and Patrick Troughton as the irrepressible second Doctor Who. It did not take long before I was hooked by the simple device of trying to figure out whodunnit. Usually in these things, especially Columbo, it does not take that long to figure out but in this case it was clear that there were red herrings and little cul-de-sacs aplenty to intrigue the viewer.

The main character was often morose and grumpy, with no time for the trivia of life and did not bear fools gladly. Unlike most other shows, this Morse did not pander to popular culture, utilizing it to sell the show. Instead it was clearly aimed at a more highbrow audience yet through a medium that was often the subject of disdain in those circles.

Pretty soon the two hours of leisurely paced drama was over and that was IT. As I lived near Oxford I sought out the locations on my next visit. It took some time to digest the content of the drama over and above the story itself, the insider's view of the contradictions of the city of Oxford, the juxtaposition of town and gown etc.

But getting back to the story itself. This is more of a movie than a TV show. It is a gripping, compelling piece of police drama set against a backdrop of relative opulence and wealth as well as against a working class city background. It is a story of a dreaming city, of intellectuals and academics, a story of the mundane, of passions and secrets. It is the story of a man of Oxford and at once against the rituals and spectacle that the University has to offer.

At the end of this show, I came quietly. I have had the pleasure to have enjoyed every minute of Morse - being entertained and perplexed until the final moment when the killer is revealed.

This is a great introduction to a marvellous run. One last thought - how measured and appropriate the incidental music and theme are.

Full marks all round!

The Dead of Jericho, the first episode of the video series of Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse, gets the series off to a roaring start! Filled with local color, an atmosphere of intimacy, wonderful photography, and the best music ever for a mystery series (choral, piano, and opera selections), it completely involves the reader in the action and stimulates interest in the lives of Inspector Morse and Sgt. Lewis. The talented John Thaw, as Inspector Morse, is a man who is passionately interested in music, crossword puzzles, and beer at the pub, but he is also interested in finding a woman who shares his interests. In this episode, he has made the acquaintance of Anne Stavely, a woman who sings in his chorale and whom he would like to get to know better.

Anne, however, has a painful past history, and she is reluctant to begin a relationship with Morse. Before Morse finds our more about this, however, Anne Stavely is found hanging in her apartment. Several plots unwind simultaneously as Morse investigates Anne's death and tries to find who might have wanted to kill her. A neighbor has been peeping through the window at her; her boss's wife suspects he has been having an affair with Anne; a young druggie with money problems steals money from Anne. The producers, however, let the threads develop on their own, leaving the action unclear at first and forcing the viewer to become involved and draw conclusions about how or whether these plot lines may be connected.

This series changes the character of Morse and Sgt. Lewis from the book, where Morse is actually younger than Lewis, and Lewis is more adept at police procedure. Here Lewis (Kevin Whately) is the perfect foil to Thaw's Morse, less educated and proud of it and willing to do the leg work for Morse. In this episode, Morse is actually a candidate for police superintendent, with Inspector Bell as his rival. Max, the coroner, makes an appearance and highlights Morse's queasy stomach in the face of bloodshed and death. Elegantly produced, with wonderful on-location shots of Oxford neighborhoods and homes, the series starts with a terrific mystery, involving a woman Morse cares for and develops in surprising, dramatic ways. A worthy debut for a terrific series! n Mary Whipple

This is the episode which introduces Morse to Lewis and inaugurates their partnership as crime solvers. Viewers also become acquainted with Morse's tendency to fail at forming lasting relationships with women. As an introductory mystery, this entry in the series is good, but not spectacular. For example, a blackmailer is murdered, even though the reason for this drastic measure is not completely clear or convincing--- since the wife of the person being blackmailed already knows the relevant salacious details. Additionally, Sergeant Lewis displays at least one behavior which was inconsistent with the development of his personality/character in the later episodes. Lewis, always something of a moralistic Boy Scout at heart, commits an act of doubtful legality (without the slightest protest) by willingly searching offices without a warrant and without the permission of the occupants. In any event, despite the aforementioned shortcomings, this entry in the series was still entertaining and far better than almost anything on commercial television.

Perhaps the strongest asset of the Inspector Morse series is its plot variations; with other mystery series the M O is repeated from one adventure to the next - however with Morse you don't know what to expect from one story to the next; although there are some repetitions there are a multitude of variations, adding strength to each episode and the anticipation of what will this particular entry offer. "The Dead of Jericho" is entry number one of the video taped thirty-three episode great mystery series. The events that take place throughout this installment foreshadow many of the situations and circumstances we will encounter time and again during the run of the series, i.e.: Intellectual and cultural activities; thwarted romance; various forms of sexuality; the by play between Morse and Lewis; the amicable jousting of Morse and Max; the confrontations between Chief Superintendent Strange and Morse; and let us not forget those sudden plot twists and surprises. If you haven't experienced Morse, make this your first choice - to set the stage, so to speak. If you have already experienced Morse - see this next as it will recall some of your favorite elements of this series and add to your enjoyment. If you are a Morse veteran, see this episode and start all over again - yes - it's that good! You already know what to look for in this entry as it literally is the table setter for this series. Our music for this entry features chorale; all the other items listed above come into play, and off hand this may be the only episode they all do. Enough said. Enjoy!

I've become an ardent fan of the Inspector Morse series since discovering it about two months ago. I came to Morse by way of Inspector Lewis, and discovered that Kevin Whately (who is amazing as DI Lewis) also used to play DS Lewis in Inspector Morse. He is one of my favorite actors, and of course, John Thaw is one of my all-time favorite actors in investigative dramas. Thaw's Morse is compelling to watch - he loves listening to operatic music, enjoys his quality pint of ale, is easily smitten by a pretty face and intelligence, and is meticulous and astute in his deductive reasoning. All in all, Morse exemplifies the consummate detective, and most of the Morse episodes are of superior quality in terms of writing and acting.

In this first episode in what would become a long-running series, Chief Inspector Morse falls for one the singers in a local choir (of which Morse is also a member). Her name is Anna Stevely (played by Gemma Jones who first impressed me in The Duchess of Duke Street - The Complete Collection) and she lives alone, making a living as a piano teacher. Morse tries to gently court her, but he senses something is not quite right, not that this puts him off. Well, the romance is short-lived as Anna is found dead, hanging in her kitchen. Is the death suicide, or is it murder?

Morse applies himself diligently to figuring out who Anna really was, and makes some startling discoveries. Anna used to be married and had a child; she also had an affair with her superior at a company she used to work for; there's a rather eccentric student of Anna's who appears to have stolen money from her; there's the peeping tom sleazy neighbor; etc. In what would become trademark Morse, viewers are left trying to figure out who the perpetrator is, and this is never easy as the list of suspects is usually long, and there are red herrings aplenty.

This is vintage Morse, and here is the episode listing in order:
First Series (1987)
The Dead of Jericho
The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn
Service of All the Dead

Second Series (1988)
The Wolvercote Tongue
Last Seen Wearing
The Settling of the Sun
Last Bus to Woodstock

Third Series (1989)
Ghost in the Machine
The Last Enemy
Deceived by Flight
The Secret of Bay 5B

Fourth Series (1990)
The Infernal Serpent
The Sins of the Fathers
Driven to Distraction
Masonic Mysteries

Fifth Series (1991)
Second Time Around
Fat Chance
Who Killed Harry Field?
Greeks Bearing Gifts
Promised Land

Sixth Series (1992)
Dead on Time
Happy Families
The Death of the Self
Absolute Conviction
Cherubim and Seraphim

Seventh Series (1993)
Deadly Slumber
The Day of the Devil
Twilight of the Gods

Specials 1995-2000
The Way through the Woods
The Daughters of Cain
Death is Now My Neighbour
The Wench Is Dead
The Remorseful Day

Anthony Minghella! This series was off to a cracking good start!!! After seeing the new series last night, LEWIS, it occurred to me that I may not have seen the very first episode of Morse. I had, but enjoyed it so much, had not seen this in years. It is a pleasure to see a series done so well. The writers won award after award, according to IMDb. The awful reality shows on tv do not have to hire good writers. I don't watch them nor will I ever buy any product which supports them. Just support good writing! I have gotten four Morse mysteries from btjunkie, the ones which were not locked. I will buy them as soon as my bank account heals.
I REALLY miss John thaw. It is a pleasure to see Lewis for the association with his late friend. XXX

John Thaw is superb in the lead character. This first installment depicts the new relationship between Morse and Sgt. Lewis, and how they come together. In this early episode, Morse is as unorthodox in his approach to solving homicides as he is throughout the series. Sgt. Lewis just begins to get as idea of what his job will be like working (and drinking) with the Chief Inspector.

Not necessarily the best episode ever, this definitely gives you a good view of Morse's personality, and endears him to you immediately.