Inspector Morse - The Dead of Jericho

Starring:John Thaw, Kevin Whately, James Grout, Peter Woodthorpe, Amanda Hillwood, Clare Holman
Studio: Bfs Entertainment/Mu
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Great shows - quality??
Wonderful British Detective Series, but not Closed Captioned

Inspector Morse - The Dead of Jericho - Collection Set
Starring: Inspector Morse
Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( I ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Mystery & Suspense | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Inspector Morse: The Last Enemy - Collection Set
Inspector Morse: The Infernal Serpent Collection Set
Inspector Morse: Remorseful Day - Collection Set
Inspector Morse: Absolute Conviction - Collection Set
Inspector Morse: Dead on Time - Collection Set

ASIN: B000BF0DEM
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Description

AS SEEN ON A&E AND PBS MYSTERY!

"One of the classiest things on TV." - Wall Street Journal

Award winning actor John Thaw (Kavanagh Q.C., Goodnight, Mister Tom) stars as the melancholy, enigmatic and romantic Inspector Morse, a man who never uses his first name and who finds solace in real ale, classical music and difficult crosswords. Together with his able Sergeant Lewis ( Kevin Whately), Morse uses his considerable intellect and passion for truth and justice to investigate death and murder in the English university town of Oxford.

The Dead of Jericho - Stars Gemma Jones and Patrick Troughton.

The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn - Stars Clive Swift.

Service of All the Dead

The Wolvercote Tongue - Stars Simon Callow and Kenneth Cranham.

Last Seen Wearing - Stars Elizabeth Hurley and Peter McEnery.

The Making of Morse - This special programme goes behind the scenes in Oxford for a look at many classic moments of this highly successful series. approx. 9 hrs. col.

Special Features: Cast Biographies / Selected Filmographies / Trivia

Customer Reviews:

Great shows - quality??.......2006-06-09

I love the Inspector Morse shows and these are absolutely awesome but I was disappointed in the quality. I'm not a technical expert with dvds and remastering but I immediately noticed that the shows looked like a homemade vcr tape edition. Wasn't the end of the world but a bit disappointing. I bought two different sets and found both the same so I'm guessing the small Canadian company didn't have the same standards as I have come to expect with dvds. Overall, great shows.

Wonderful British Detective Series, but not Closed Captioned.......2006-06-07

I loved the Inspector Morse series as shown in the US on PBS. I missed the show and decided to buy my favorite seasons. Much to my dismay, I discovered that the closed captions provided by PBS are NOT on the DVDs.

I love the storylines, the music, the characters -- Morse, Lewis, and Strange -- and of couse the wonderful actors who brought them to life, particularly John Thaw and Kevin Whatley.

I've bought three sets so far, and I enjoy them. But my hair is as white as Morse's, so for me, the sets would be PERFECT if the DVDs offered closed caption options.

Average customer rating:

Selling the Silver: Morse Would Understand
The final Morse
BFS Cropped this WIDESCREEN episode.
A REMORSEFUL ADAPTATION
Morse's End Predates John Thaw's by Only a Few Years

Inspector Morse - The Remorseful Day
Starring: Inspector Morse
Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Murder & Mayhem | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( I ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Inspector Morse - Death Is Now My Neighbour
Inspector Morse - The Wench Is Dead
Inspector Morse - The Daughters of Cain
Inspector Morse - Deadly Slumber
Inspector Morse - Twilight of the Gods

ASIN: B000056T50
Release Date: 2001-02-03

Amazon.com

An unsolved murder case is reopened after a suspect is released from jail, but when he and two of his associates are found dead, detectives Inspector Morse and Sergeant Lewis face one of their most difficult investigations, and Morse's involvement may be more personal than he is willing to admit.

The final case for British television's best-loved detective is suffused with melancholy. Years of stress and far too much beer have taken their toll, and Morse is a sick man. Popping pills, wincing with pain, and drinking in spite of doctor's orders, Morse keeps going because he is obsessed with bringing criminals to justice. It's impossible to imagine him in retirement, but his vocation has ruined his health and now threatens his life.

The complex relationship between Morse and his partner has always been at the heart of the show's success, and at the beginning of "The Remorseful Day," that relationship is even more strained than usual. Lewis is furious when Morse takes over his investigation into the multiple murders, and the ailing Morse is more irritable than ever. But in spite of all their differences the two men complement one another and they are soon working together again. When this final episode moves into its final act Kevin Whately's performance as the faithful, underappreciated Lewis is deeply moving, providing a fitting coda to their enduring partnership.

The accompanying documentary includes behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with many of the distinguished actors who have appeared in the show over the years, and comments from Morse's creator, Colin Dexter. --Simon Leake

Customer Reviews:

Selling the Silver: Morse Would Understand.......2006-08-14

The opening shot shows the family silver, lovingly and lusciously photographed. . . the camera pans out to see the rest of the Great House and its more tawdry doings.

The sandwich of the story is intricate, multi-layered, and shows the shifting powers of Morse and Lewis as Morse declines physically but continues to mentor Lewis up to the last possible moment. The series has always focused on the character of Morse and the relationship between the two detectives, but this episode brings both these strands home beautifully.

Then, at the end, Lewis speaks to the daughter who had to sell the family silver we saw in the opening shot (to pay off a blackmailer). It's an upper class shame that she doesn't feel Lewis fully appreciates. "Morse would understand," she says. And he would have.

Morse understood everything with such subtlty. That is what great books and literature and a lifetime of melacholy can train you for. . . being open to the clues of the world. May we all take heart from the life of this fictional character.

--Janet Grace Riehl, author "Sightlines: A Poet's Diary"

The final Morse.......2005-09-18

A very good conclusion to the Morse TV series.

As always, John Thaw is excellent as the Chief Inspector. And Oxford is delightful.... The background music adds to the touch of the mystery.

The book written by Colin Dexter has been adapted. Fans of this, could also get the book or book on tape, to read the extended story.

BFS Cropped this WIDESCREEN episode........2004-08-21

This great closing episode of the great series by the great John Thaw has one flaw, the picture has been cropped to fit a full-frame 1:33-1 screen.

By the time this episode was produced, England had switched over to the 1:85-1 wide-screen telecast. Currently PBS is showing this in its original wide-screen format so I was able to compare the pictures. This razor sharp DVD is indeed cropped on the sides.

Fortunately the producers realized that it would be shown cropped in some markets. So nothing important is framed at the sides of the picture, the action all takes place in the center of the picture. You will not know any picture is missing unless you see the wide-screen version. It is just a shame that BFS decided not to release an anamorphic wide-screen edition!

Everything else is excellent about the disc. A sharp clean picture with solid colors, clear sound, and bonus material!

A REMORSEFUL ADAPTATION.......2002-07-19

There's been a murder here, but it's not the one you think. The adaptation of Colin Dexter's "The Remorseful Day" has left a stinking corpse of what was a masterful story, an exquisite exposition of the "Parsifal" like heart of Endeavour Morse. The culprits? Rebecca Eaton and her doltish cadre of American PBS writers who have distinguished themselves in missing the entire point of the book.
Mind you, if you have not read the book, you'll enjoy this video. All the great elements are there: John Thaw essays Morse brilliantly, Kevin Whately turns in a terrific performance as Lewis, although he is compelled to deliver a totally ridiculous and melodramatic "Morse is dead!" proclamation. He acquits himself and moves on. All the supporting players, the family intrigues, the score, the filmwork - all executed brilliantly. So, you'd have little reason to suspect something is awry.

But there is and it is as great a disservice to a book as I can ever remember. Now, that argument can be made about a lot of transfers from book to film, but in this case, and with this series, which has been so faithful to Dexter's works, it is just incomprehensible. I can only conclude that it is due to the American fascination with smoothing out any sense of nuance in order to champion the easily digestible. I should tell you where the crime lies, but that's not fair to anyone who really would enjoy what actually happened in the story. Suffice it to say that much of the story turns on the Parsifal legend, and how in fact the pure of heart are vindicated with vision of the grail, whatever form that grail may take. So, Endeavour Morse is vindicated in a coda that lingers with you long, long after you put the book down. Throughout the film, there are efforts made to quote not only Wagner's theme for "Parsifal", but Han Knappertsbusch's direction of it in the 1962 score. Why? Well, Morse makes reference to it in discussion with Lewis, and it fits with the T.S Elliott quote that includes the title of the story, plus Knappertsbusch was himself the most Morse like of conductors in every way imaginable, and in 1962 was well aware that he was dying. So with all of the main clues in tact, why on earth Eaton and her merry band of nitwits elected to miss the point is not only unimaginable but unforgiveable.

Certainly, enjoy this DVD for what it is. I assure you that if you read the book, you will want, as I want, to grab the murderous crutch and shove it where PBS don't broadcast. The most heinous murder in Oxford was committed in Boston. Shame on Eaton. Perhaps one day Dexter will insist on a reshoot, although Thaw is not well, and Whately may have no interest in any further casting as Lewis. Somehow, the record, as it is in the book, needs to be set straight.

Morse's End Predates John Thaw's by Only a Few Years.......2002-02-23

Sad to see that the great actor, John Thaw has passed away from esophageal cancer.

This episode is on par with all of the other great episodes of this outstanding series. Thaw's portrayal of an intellectual, world-weary British detective who confronts often complex and involved cases of murder and other crimes.

Now episode to this point really brought home to me how much I loved Inspector Morse. I was actually quite angry to see the great Inspector face such health problems (an understatement), but in light of John Thaw's actual illness, I guess it is to be expected.

Customer Reviews:

Number One, With Introductory Material -- A Great Start.......2007-01-15

Perhaps the strongest asset of the Inspector Morse series is its plot variations; with other mystery series the M O is repeated from one adventure to the next - however with Morse you don't know what to expect from one story to the next; although there are some repetitions there are a multitude of variations, adding strength to each episode and the anticipation of what will this particular entry offer. "The Dead of Jericho" is entry number one of the video taped thirty-three episode great mystery series. The events that take place throughout this installment foreshadow many of the situations and circumstances we will encounter time and again during the run of the series, i.e.: Intellectual and cultural activities; thwarted romance; various forms of sexuality; the by play between Morse and Lewis; the amicable jousting of Morse and Max; the confrontations between Chief Superintendent Strange and Morse; and let us not forget those sudden plot twists and surprises. If you haven't experienced Morse, make this your first choice - to set the stage, so to speak. If you have already experienced Morse - see this next as it will recall some of your favorite elements of this series and add to your enjoyment. If you are a Morse veteran, see this episode and start all over again - yes - it's that good! You already know what to look for in this entry as it literally is the table setter for this series. Our music for this entry features chorale; all the other items listed above come into play, and off hand this may be the only episode they all do. Enough said. Enjoy!

With this as the first episode, it's no wonder the series was such a hit!.......2006-10-03

The Dead of Jericho, the first episode of the video series of Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse, gets the series off to a roaring start! Filled with local color, an atmosphere of intimacy, wonderful photography, and the best music ever for a mystery series (choral, piano, and opera selections), it completely involves the reader in the action and stimulates interest in the lives of Inspector Morse and Sgt. Lewis. The talented John Thaw, as Inspector Morse, is a man who is passionately interested in music, crossword puzzles, and beer at the pub, but he is also interested in finding a woman who shares his interests. In this episode, he has made the acquaintance of Anne Stavely, a woman who sings in his chorale and whom he would like to get to know better.

Anne, however, has a painful past history, and she is reluctant to begin a relationship with Morse. Before Morse finds our more about this, however, Anne Stavely is found hanging in her apartment. Several plots unwind simultaneously as Morse investigates Anne's death and tries to find who might have wanted to kill her. A neighbor has been peeping through the window at her; her boss's wife suspects he has been having an affair with Anne; a young druggie with money problems steals money from Anne. The producers, however, let the threads develop on their own, leaving the action unclear at first and forcing the viewer to become involved and draw conclusions about how or whether these plot lines may be connected.

This series changes the character of Morse and Sgt. Lewis from the book, where Morse is actually younger than Lewis, and Lewis is more adept at police procedure. Here Lewis (Kevin Whately) is the perfect foil to Thaw's Morse, less educated and proud of it and willing to do the leg work for Morse. In this episode, Morse is actually a candidate for police superintendent, with Inspector Bell as his rival. Max, the coroner, makes an appearance and highlights Morse's queasy stomach in the face of bloodshed and death. Elegantly produced, with wonderful on-location shots of Oxford neighborhoods and homes, the series starts with a terrific mystery, involving a woman Morse cares for and develops in surprising, dramatic ways. A worthy debut for a terrific series! n Mary Whipple

Vintage Morse.......2006-01-16

John Thaw is superb in the lead character. This first installment depicts the new relationship between Morse and Sgt. Lewis, and how they come together. In this early episode, Morse is as unorthodox in his approach to solving homicides as he is throughout the series. Sgt. Lewis just begins to get as idea of what his job will be like working (and drinking) with the Chief Inspector.

initial partnership.......2004-08-15

This is the episode which introduces Morse to Lewis and inaugurates their partnership as crime solvers. Viewers also become acquainted with Morse's tendency to fail at forming lasting relationships with women. As an introductory mystery, this entry in the series is good, but not spectacular. For example, a blackmailer is murdered, even though the reason for this drastic measure is not completely clear or convincing--- since the wife of the person being blackmailed already knows the relevant salacious details. Additionally, Sergeant Lewis displays at least one behavior which was inconsistent with the development of his personality/character in the later episodes. Lewis, always something of a moralistic Boy Scout at heart, commits an act of doubtful legality (without the slightest protest) by willingly searching offices without a warrant and without the permission of the occupants. In any event, despite the aforementioned shortcomings, this entry in the series was still entertaining and far better than almost anything on commercial television.

Unlucky in love??.............2002-09-03

Dear Inspector Endeavor Morse of the Thames Valley Police in Oxford England (the late John Thaw) is a good police officer. When he isn't dectecting, he's home listening to Wagner or Turandot on the phonograph and drinking whisky. On duty, he may often be found having a pint of dark bitter at a pub with Sgt. Lewis (Kevin Whately). Morse does have his problems with the opposite sex, however. He meets attractive women left and right, but they always seem to have a dark secret. Sooner or later, he is embroiled in their problems.

In THE DEAD OF JERICHO, Morse encounters the lovely Anne Stavely (Gemma Jones, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY) a fellow member of an Oxford community choir. One evening after choir rehearsal, Anne invites Morse back to her new flat in the recently gentrified Jericho section of Oxford. One thing leads to another, and soon Morse discovers Anne has troubling secrets she won't share with him.

The day of the choir concert, Anne does not show up. Morse drives to her flat only to discover Thames Valley Police SOCO (Scene of crime officers) at hand. Who killed the victim, or was it suicide? Who was the young man staying with Anne who kept a copy of "Oedipus Rex" beside his bed? And what about the nosy neighbor--did he see something he should tell the police? Morse soon steps into sticky ethical waters as he is no longer a disinterested bystander. His difficulties grow more complex by the hour as he discovers death, backmail, and other illicit activities in Jericho--all involving Anne.

Amazon.com

John Thaw brought one of Britain's best-loved TV detectives to life in this telefilm that started the long-running Inspector Morse series, based on the novels by Colin Dexter. The brilliant, somewhat elitist police inspector who loves crosswords, classical music, and more than the occasional pint of ale clumsily romances a woman (Gemma Jones) from his choir. When he finds her hanged in her apartment on the eve of their big recital, he suspects murder and muscles his way in on the investigation. All the assigned investigators are convinced it's suicide except for the eager Sergeant Lewis (Kevin Whately), and Morse and Lewis reluctantly team up to sort out a mystery tangled in blackmail, adultery, peeping neighbors (former Doctor Who Patrick Troughton), and mistaken identities.

With his snooty temperament and lone-wolf lifestyle, the white-haired, Oxford educated bachelor is a wonderful mismatch with the younger Lewis, a married man with a family and a rather less classical background. There's a quiet undercurrent of affection and respect that builds with each continuing Inspector Morse mystery, as well as an air of melancholia and loneliness beautifully developed in the script by future Oscar®-winning writer-director Anthony Minghella (The English Patient). Morse's initial theories may be washouts (a series hallmark), but his relentless sleuthing, eye for clues, and mind for puzzles dredges up the answer in the end, even as he loses the girl.

The DVD also features the 50-minute documentary The Mystery of Morse, a kind of character study built around a tour of Morse series shooting locations. It features interviews with the stars, the producer, the composer, and author Colin Dexter. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Enduring and Endearing.......2006-08-14

I appreciated seeing the first episode of this long-running series adapting Colin Dexter's fine novels. Seeing how the characters and their relationships were introduced and begun to be developed is helpful to me as I now catch-up with the rest of my Morse education.

The accompanying documentary, "The Mystery of Morse," is very well done--informative, funny, and poignant in places. John Thaw speaks eloquently on how he got into acting in the first place, the character of Morse that comes through him, and the price of fame (always feeling he is being watched). He makes it clear that there was always an emphasis on keeping the character of Morse (slightly morose and wonderfully eccentric) at the center of each Morse episode.

It's that emphasis on character that deepens this effort at sleuthing the secrets of death--and life.

--Janet Grace Riehl, author "Sightlines: A Poet's Diary"

Very good title to own, great story.......2001-10-02

If you've ever watched an Inspector Morse story this, the first one, is as good as any of them. For those who haven't seen Morse on PBS or A&E this is a good start because the story has all that a police story needs and does it well. It is English which will turn just a few people off but do try it, so much better than most of the stuff on television.

A Different Kettle of Fish..........2001-05-15

THE DEAD OF JERICO was the first Inspector Morse tale broadcast in the U.S. on 'Mystery Theatre', the series developed by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (PBS). For those with an intellectual bent, this series was "heady" stuff. Morse is the hard drinking, Wagnerian loving, Jaguar driving, crossword-puzzle working, police officer created by the Oxford writer and acrostics maestro Sir Colin Dexter. Played by the wonderful actor John Thaw, Morse is known only by his last name. His first--Endeavor, for the famous Nelson ship--remains a secret to most. Morse code buried in the theme music by Phelong Barrington spells out M-O-R-S-E.

In THE DEAD OF JERICO, Morse acquires his trusty sidekick, the loveable Lewis played by Kevin Whately, whom, by way of introduction he informs, "I'm a different kettle of fish." An intellectual loner, Morse has a less than sucessful way with women, and in THE DEAD OF JERICO his bad luck is evident. His love interest a woman named Anne, played by Gemma Jones (the mother in SENSE AND SENSIBILITY and THE WINSLOW BOY, which she also co-produced). Anne is a piano teacher and member of the the Oxford Community Choir along with Morse.

Anne lives in a newly refurbished town house in Jerico, a gentrified neighborhood in the city of Oxford. After choir practice, Morse walks her home, and occasionally they have a drink in the local pub or she makes him a cup of tea at her place. One day, Anne fails to appear for a scheduled choir performance. When Morse goes to check on her after the concert, he discovers the police have found her dead. Who killed her and why? Or, did she die by her own hand? At the beginning, Morse is viewed as an intruder by the officer assigned to the case due to his involvement with the deceased, but soon Morse is placed in charge of the investigation.

This is not a run-of-the-mill mystery. THE DEAD OF JERICO is a wonderful adaptation of one of Colin Dexter's fine books. Anthony Minghella directed this tale, and then went on to direct THE ENGLISH PATIENT, for which he won an Oscar. Kevin Whately (Sergeant Lewis) also had a role in THE ENGLISH PATIENT--as one of the two sappers who defused bombs left by the Nazis.

The DVD version of THE DEAD OF JERICO is outstanding. The cinematograpy is excellent, the color is clear and bright. The film is filled with footage showing the City of Oxford and the University, and if you're an Anglophile you will love this film for these shots alone. Inspector Morse's red Jaguar never looked better--in between repair jobs. I love the Morse series and recommend this DVD for your collection. You will watch it more than once.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

Golfballs!

Canterbury Tales : DVD

Criminal (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Men

Natural Wonders Of New Zealand