Colin Dexter gave television a detective whose prickliness is worth putting up with. We rate the mysteries highly, though the company of Morse and Lewis often rewards our patience more reliably than the elaborate solutions.
Fi1m perspective
John Thaw's Morse is prickly company, and Inspector Morse (1987) is willing to let us spend time with him. Kevin Whately's Lewis makes that company easier to enjoy, with the partnership and its quiet humour earning patience for the slow investigations. These are mysteries we recommend warmly, though some cases take longer to untangle than they deserve. Dexter gave television a detective we want to return to even when another complicated puzzle is not quite what we had in mind.
The character began in Last Bus to Woodstock (1975), the first of Dexter's Morse novels; The Remorseful Day (1999) was the last. His Oxford takes in the town and suburbs as well as the academic setting, and his plots make intricate use of chance remarks and clues. Morse's tastes in literature, real ale and Wagner give him interests beyond the business of the next case. Dexter also wrote additional television scripts, but the screen character owes much of his appeal to Thaw and the partnership with Whately. The performances are a good reason not to judge the programme by the puzzles alone.
Endeavour (2013) goes back to the younger Morse, with Dexter contributing as a consultant. Shaun Evans and Roger Allam make the relationship between the young detective and his mentor worth settling into, even when the investigations feel over-familiar. We were moved by the mentor's care for the awkward younger man; it gives the series a warmth its puzzles alone could not provide.
The puzzles still matter: the red herrings give Morse something difficult enough to require his attention. But the performances explain why these programmes remain inviting when the details of a case have faded. We can enjoy the detectives and still wish an investigation would get on with it. Start with Thaw and Whately, and choose an evening when nobody needs the mystery solved in a hurry.
Biography
Colin Dexter was an English crime writer best known for creating the character of Inspector Morse. He wrote thirteen novels in the series between 1975 and 1999. The books were adapted into the ITV television series Inspector Morse (1987–2000), which in turn led to the spin-off series Lewis (2006–2015) and the prequel Endeavour (2012–2023). Dexter acted as a consultant on Lewis and the early years of Endeavour and made cameo appearances in episodes of all three series.
Born in Stamford, Lincolnshire, Dexter studied classics at Christ’s College, Cambridge. He worked as a classics teacher and later as an examiner for the University of Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations. He also compiled crosswords for The Oxford Times. The Crime Writers’ Association awarded him two Silver Daggers, two Gold Daggers and the Diamond Dagger; he received an OBE in 2000.
