# Inspector Morse (1987)

> A brooding, brilliant Oxford detective and his loyal sergeant unravel murders through a feature-length mystery format.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/3306

## Facts

- Seasons: 7
- Episodes: 28
- Episode runtime: 100 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama, mystery
- Created by: Tony Warren, Colin Dexter
- Network: ITV1
- Cast: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Peter Woodthorpe, James Grout, Maureen Bennett, Amanda Hillwood, Julia Sawalha, Perry Fenwick
- TMDB rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092379/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: melancholic, cerebral, contemplative, wry, atmospheric

## What critics say

Acclaimed as a sophisticated, literate British detective drama with strong lead performances and atmospheric Oxford settings.

## Synopsis

Inspector Morse (1987-1993) is a British television detective drama created by Tony Warren and Colin Dexter for ITV1, adapted from Colin Dexter's novels. John Thaw plays Chief Inspector Morse, a brooding, music-loving and intellectually restless detective whose solitude and sharp deductive gifts make him a difficult colleague. Kevin Whately plays Detective Sergeant Lewis, the grounded, practical partner who keeps Morse tethered to the working world, while Peter Woodthorpe's Dr. Max DeBryn and James Grout's Chief Superintendent Strange round out the principal cast. Each of the seven seasons is built from standalone, roughly hundred-minute feature episodes, so every story is a self-contained murder investigation in which the detective pieces together a puzzle from academic rivalries, college secrets and the social hierarchies of the city. The engine is patient observation: interviews, dead ends and quiet insight rather than chases. Set in present-day Oxford of the late 1980s and early 1990s, the show moves through its wintry colleges, pubs and cathedral spires with a melancholic, contemplative atmosphere. Viewers who enjoy Endeavour, Midsomer Murders and Wallander will find the same literary, character-led British mystery appeal here.

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- [Lewis (2007)](https://ember.film/tv/2224)
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- [Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989)](https://ember.film/tv/750)
- [Agatha Christie's Marple (2004)](https://ember.film/tv/5763)
- [DCI Banks (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/37291)
- [Midsomer Murders (1997)](https://ember.film/tv/725)
- [Lynley (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/181292)
- [The Last Detective (2003)](https://ember.film/tv/18358)

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