History Series / InspectorMorse

Broadcast on Creator/{{ITV}}, the show show was immensely popular in Britain, and John Thaw's portrayal of Morse is generally considered one of British television's most iconic characters. Still repeated fairly frequently on [=ITV3=] in Britain and Creator/{{PBS}} in the United States.

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* LongRunners: The show ran for 33 episodes across 13 years, which is an incredibly long time for a British series. The franchise - known as the 'Morseverse' kept on running long after, with ''Series/{{Lewis}}'' lasting nine series (also 33 epiosdes in total) and ''Series/{{Endeavour}}'' having broadcast seven series (as of 2020).

* TemporarySubstitute: Lewis isn't in 'The Wench is Dead'; his place is taken by a number of characters, chiefly Constable Kershaw.

** "The Remorseful Day". After the collapse of the only true relationship he's actually had in the series, Morse's health declines throughout the episode, [[spoiler: eventually resulting in him dying of a heart attack. At least he's able to solve the case shortly before he dies.]]

''Inspector Morse'' was a British DetectiveDrama based on a series of novels by Creator/ColinDexter, which ran from 1987 to 2000. Set among the dreaming spires of UsefulNotes/{{Ox|bridge}}ford, it starred Creator/JohnThaw as the grumpy, brilliant and beer-loving Detective Chief Inspector "[[LastNameBasis Inspector]]" Morse, and Creator/KevinWhately as his cheerful [[UsefulNotes/NorthEastEngland Geordie]] sidekick Detective Sergeant Robbie Lewis. During the course of each episode, the pair would investigate a murder, which would often involve complex university politics, bright but emotional students and the opportunity for Morse to utilise his love of [[CulturedBadass classical music, literature and cryptic crossword puzzles]]. Baddies are usually rich, arrogant, and well-connected. It was the starting point for the {{Series/Morseverse}}.

** Lewis' love of cricket is definite Author Appeal as well, for both Dexter and Kevin Whately.

* RetCanon: In a similar way to how Bernard Cornwell ended up retconning Series/{{Sharpe}}’s backstory in the novels to better fit Creator/SeanBean’s portrayal of the character on TV, so Colin Dexter ended up doing the same to Lewis in the novels - changing him from a Welshman close to retirement age into a younger Geordie to better match Kevin Whately’s TV’s counterpart.

''Inspector Morse'' was a British DetectiveDrama based on a series of novels by Creator/ColinDexter, which ran from 1987 to 2000. Set among the dreaming spires of UsefulNotes/{{Ox|bridge}}ford, it starred Creator/JohnThaw as the grumpy, brilliant and beer-loving Detective Chief Inspector "[[LastNameBasis Inspector]]" Morse, and Creator/KevinWhately as his cheerful [[UsefulNotes/NorthEastEngland Geordie]] sidekick Detective Sergeant Robbie Lewis. During the course of each episode, the pair would investigate a murder, which would often involve complex university politics, bright but emotional students and the opportunity for Morse to utilise his love of [[CulturedBadass classical music, literature and cryptic crossword puzzles]]. Baddies are usually rich, arrogant, and well-connected. It was the starting point for the Series/Morseverse.

''Inspector Morse'' was a British DetectiveDrama based on a series of novels by Creator/ColinDexter, which ran from 1987 to 2000. Set among the dreaming spires of UsefulNotes/{{Ox|bridge}}ford, it starred Creator/JohnThaw as the grumpy, brilliant and beer-loving Detective Chief Inspector "[[LastNameBasis Inspector]]" Morse, and Creator/KevinWhately as his cheerful [[UsefulNotes/NorthEastEngland Geordie]] sidekick Detective Sergeant Robbie Lewis. During the course of each episode, the pair would investigate a murder, which would often involve complex university politics, bright but emotional students and the opportunity for Morse to utilise his love of [[CulturedBadass classical music, literature and cryptic crossword puzzles]]. Baddies are usually rich, arrogant, and well-connected.

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->''"Coded messages, murder -- [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant right up my street]]. It's not a bad way to start the day."''

''Inspector Morse'' was a British DetectiveDrama based on a series of novels by Creator/ColinDexter, which ran from 1987 to 2000. Set among the dreaming spires of UsefulNotes/{{Ox|bridge}}ford, it starred Creator/JohnThaw as the grumpy, brilliant and beer-loving Detective Chief Inspector "[[LastNameBasis Inspector]]" Morse, and Kevin Whately as his cheerful [[UsefulNotes/NorthEastEngland Geordie]] sidekick Detective Sergeant Robbie Lewis. During the course of each episode, the pair would investigate a murder, which would often involve complex university politics, bright but emotional students and the opportunity for Morse to utilise his love of [[CulturedBadass classical music, literature and cryptic crossword puzzles]]. Baddies are usually rich, arrogant, and well-connected.

* TheMaster: Clixby Bream, The Master of Lonsdale College in "Death Is Now My Neighbour", is a very nasty piece of work and even [[spoiler:harasses, manipulates and takes advantage of a woman throughout the episode which ultimately causes her death]].

** "Dead on Time" ends with the woman who's apparently the nearest Morse has never had to a true love [[spoiler:turn out to have assisted her husband in killing himself, then tried to use the death to falsely pin a murder charge on her son-in-law, before committing suicide herself]]. The only thing preventing it from being even ''more'' of a downer ending is the fact that Lewis destroyed the tape that confirmed she was involved in the former two actions.

** This also applies to ''Lewis'' and ''Endeavour'' as well, all three series only have 3-5 episodes per series on average, however they are all at least 7 series long and have hour and 40 minute long episodes.

* RetCannon: In a similar way to how Bernard Cornwell ended up retconning Series/{{Sharpe}}’s backstory in the novels to better fit Creator/SeanBean’s portrayal of the character on TV, so Colin Dexter ended up doing the same to Lewis in the novels - changing him from a Welshman close to retirement age into a younger Geordie to better match Kevin Whately’s TV’s counterpart.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: In a similar way to how Bernard Cornwell ended up retconning Series/{{Sharpe}}’s backstory in the novels to better fit Creator/SeanBean’s portrayal of the character on TV, so Colin Dexter ended up doing the same to Lewis in the novels - changing him from a Welshman close to retirement age into a younger Geordie to better match Kevin Whately’s TV’s counterpart.

* SpinOff: ''Series/{{Lewis}}'' and ''Series/{{Endeavour}}'', the latter also acts as a [[Main/Prequel prequel]].

* SpinOff: ''Series/{{Lewis}}'' and ''Series/{{Endeavour}}''.

* NewscasterCameo: The Presenters of what was the {{Creator/ITV}} Central News South seemed to have a second career reporting in all the murders that Morse ended up investigating judging from the amount of times they appeared in the show.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: In a similar way to how Bernard Cornwell ended up retconning Series/{{Sharpe}}’s backstory in the novels to better fit Creator/SeanBean’s portrayal of the character on TV, Colin Dexter ended up doing the same to Lewis in the novels - changing him from a Welshman close to retirement age into a younger Geordie to better match Kevin Whately’s TV’s counterpart.

* EmbarrassingNickname: Morse's college nickname of "Pagan", revealed in "Deceived by Flight", because he refused to use his Christian name, isn't much of an improvement.

* EmbarrassingFirstName: [[spoiler: Morse's first name is Endeavour]], leading Lewis to comment: "You poor sod."
* EmbarrassingNickname: Morse's college nickname of Pagan, revealed in "Deceived by Flight", isn't much of an improvement.

** This also applies to Lewis and Endeavour as well, all three series only have 3-5 episodes per series on average, however they are all at least 7 series long and have hour and 40 minute long episodes.

** Max also appears in every series of Endeavour and Laura in every series of Lewis.

* SettingUpdate: The novel series began publication in 1975 with a book set in 1970. It was only to be expected that the TV adaptations from 1987 would update to the then-present day. The effect of the Setting Update only becomes pronounced with the prequel Series/{{Endeavour}}, initially set in 1965 - it follows the TV chronology, so its setting is 20+ years before the original series, not five.

* SesquipedalianSmith: [[spoiler: Morse himself]]