I was pregnant with first son when I first encountered Morse.
My brother and I were sharing a rented bungalow in Scunthorpe. He’d just left the Navy and my husband was in Deepest, Darkest Africa for 6 months.
Strange time. Just before The Hillsborough Disaster, brother had left to work in London so there was just me, German Shepherd and bump.
From the very first, this TV series had me hooked like nothing else.
So clever. Barrington Pheloung’s theme created such a stir as did the fact that Colin Dexter would not reveal the first name of Morse until many years later. Did the theme tune have a Morse Code Clue to his name? Why did Morse never marry? Why did he not finish his Oxford education ? Why did we know absolutely nothing about his past or his family upbringing?
Gradually, slowly these things get revealed.
And after John Thaw’s death, when the TV decided to resurrect Lewis from obscurity, the same suspense is added.
Who killed Lewis’ much loved wife ? Why did Hathaway never become a priest ? Why do we know nothing about Hathaway’s family upbringing ? Will Lewis ever find love again ? How much impact did the irascible, annoying, condescending, sometimes obnoxiously nasty Morse have on Lewis ?
When I’m solvent, I’ll buy every single DVD of both series and watch them again and again. Why? Because, unlike today, the stories are multi-layered and hurt your brain as you have to THINK about stuff.
:o)
P.S. Kevin Whately starred in another of our favourite TV series, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.
Gan canny, lass!