Inspector Morse poster

TV series

Inspector Morse

1987TV-147 seasons7.9 / 10

Inspector Morse is a detective drama based on Colin Dexter's series of Chief Inspector Morse novels. The series starred John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis, as well as a large cast of notable actors and actresses.

Streaming, rental and purchase options

Where to watch in United States

Checked Jul 22, 2026

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Synopsis

Inspector Morse is a detective drama based on Colin Dexter's series of Chief Inspector Morse novels. The series starred John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis, as well as a large cast of notable actors and actresses.

Season 1 episodes

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Episode 1

The Dead of Jericho

Morse is passed over for promotion and gets a new working partner in the shape of Lewis, who is not sure what to make of his new boss. Their first case together is a murder, when Anne Staveley, who was Morse's friend in a choral society, is found hanged in her house in the Jericho area of Oxford. The death looks like suicide, but Morse has his own reasons for treating the case as a murder investigation. A parking ticket and Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, come to his assistance.

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Episode 2

The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn

Someone at Oxford's Foreign Examination Syndicate is selling exam secrets. Nicholas Quinn, a member of the board, overhears something he shouldn't know about and is soon found dead at his cottage, poisoned with cyanide - but Nicholas was deaf. Then crossword compiler Philip Ogleby has his skull smashed in. During his investigations, Morse is attracted to Monica Height. She works for the Syndicate and may be mixed up in the corruption which led to Quinn's murder, and perhaps to Ogleby's as well.

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Episode 3

Service of All the Dead

Morse investigates murder on hallowed ground. A quiet country church is an unlikely setting for the killing, and a vicar and his voluntary helpers are the unlikely suspects. Among them is Ruth Rawlinson, whom Morse is attracted to. Then it appears that a serial killer is at work.

Where to watch Inspector Morse

Episode information updated Jul 22, 2026

More about Inspector Morse

Cast

John ThawChief Inspector Morse
Kevin WhatelyDetective Sergeant Lewis
Peter WoodthorpeDr. Max DeBryn
James GroutChief Superintendent Strange
Maureen BennettVal Lewis
Amanda HillwoodDr. Grayling Russell
Julia SawalhaRachel
Perry FenwickJimmy

Credits

Created by
Tony Warren, Colin Dexter
Written by
Julian Mitchell, Daniel Boyle, Alma Cullen, Anthony Minghella, Kenny McBain, Jeremy Burnham, Peter Buckman, Thomas Ellice, Peter Nichols, Charles Wood

Production details

Status
Ended
Series type
Scripted
Episodes
28
Original language
English

Networks & production

  • ITV1United Kingdom
  • Carlton UK ProductionsUnited Kingdom
  • GBHUnited States
  • ITV CentralUnited Kingdom
  • Zenith EntertainmentUnited Kingdom

Themes

based on novel or bookcrime investigationcriminalcriminal investigationdetectiveenglandforensic sciencemurder