Masterpiece Mystery: Inspector Lewis - Pilot Through Series 6 (2013)

If you have followed this series and are involved with it and perhaps know "Inspector Morse" that preceded it (where the Lewis character was established,) you will find this a wonderful trio of episodes. The characters are brought to an interesting conclusion and thankfully stay the course of their development as this series wraps up. Both emotional and believable, it seems to be a graceful conclusion with drama, suspense, and wit. The production values are great, and the disc mastering heralds the "Original UK Edition". The cinematography and settings are even cooler than before, tastefully hipster in a way, I'm guessing they have gotten continually larger budgets as this series unfolded. Other reviewers have dwelt on and discussed the lengthy process of getting the actual DVDs released in the US, why does it take seemingly longer with each set of discs, whether these delays are real or imaginary (not going there) etc, etc. One US release negative: while I expect PBS and Masterpiece Mystery to have some intro and sponsor information on the DVD menu, and even on the first episode, it was awkward to have to go through all of that again at the beginnings of episodes two and three. Perhaps I fumbled the menus, but I don't think you have the option to skip the Ralph Lauren or other sponsors and their identical pitches at each playing of every episode. Given the calibre of the sponsors, surely they could have developed three different pitches, telling a more interesting story, if their sponsor dollars dictate that they are getting embedded into each play? If "Ralph" and Viking River Cruises had kept their story going in three different parts, I would have felt much more charitable about them instead of viewing the identical spots three evenings in a row. I doubt that kind of impression was what they were hoping for. But you could watch these Lewis episodes numerous times (and I'm sure our household will) and still find new items in each to thrill to and enjoy!

I don't normally bother with writing reviews but I have watched every show of all six seasons and have thoroughly enjoyed this series! The two inspectors are realistic, down-to-earth characters just trying to do the best that they can. The plots are excellent and the dialog is very well written. Inspector Hathaway has a great dry sense of humor and it is fun to watch the interaction between him and Inspector Lewis. The two men have great respect for each other and it shows. At first, as I do with most mysteries, I concentrated on trying to figure out "who-done-it". However I came to realize that the data needed to determine the solution was only slowly revealed throughout the show so, instead, I learned to just sit back and relax and enjoy the main characters and their interactions as they unravel the mystery - great writing. In addition, the writers did a great job of slowly building the relationship between Inspector Lewis and Dr. Hobson. I always looked forward to the bit at the end of each show, that revealed a little more about each character. Thanks, so much, Amazon Prime for making this series available!

I really enjoy this series. Its more then just the police detecting, its the characters themselves that the viewer begins to care about. It is touching to see the bonding that goes on between the two Main Characters, they really draw you into their partnership. They really work as a team and you see there friendship develope in each series. In some ways they both are broken and become whole together and it is Inspector Lewis that seems to keep his partner in the police force and learning and it is Hathaway that keeps Lewis open to new idea's. They compliment each other and through each case they develope trust. In this sixth season you get the sense that the show in its present form is ending and that adds a taste of sadness to this season for me. Truly life does change and you can see that its realistically changing as life would do, so it'll be interesting to know where things go from here. Its a good ride though. Well, written and acted, real in presentation. If you like those qualities in a Mystery, You'll enjoy this and want go buy the rest of the series.

"LEWIS" is the best detective show of all-time. Set in Oxford, perfectly-cast, well-written, masterfully photographed and directed, the 27 episodes in this collection will get quite a workout in your home. I hope you don't mind, but I refer to this show by its UK title, "LEWIS," because when you buy these discs you'll be watching the full UK-length version of each episode, not the edited "INSPECTOR LEWIS" version shown here in the states on PBS. The hallmarks of "LEWIS" are • first-rate storytelling; • unfailing suspense in revealing the theory of the case and the murderer's identity; • smart and lean dialogue; • naturalism in the depiction of characters and relationships; • the flowering of Detective Inspector Robbie Lewis as a crime-solver in the mold of the late DCI Morse while he simultaneously becomes more like Morse in many other ways, including his disposition; • the spiritual and professional evolution of Detective Sergeant James Hathaway; • tremendous chemistry and ease between the lead actors, Kevin Whately (Lewis) and Laurence Fox (Hathaway), which translates onscreen into a rather nurturing father-son relationship; • the use in every episode of actual locales in the City and University, (e.g., the detectives interview witnesses in actual dorms, professors' offices, common rooms), making the greater Oxford area and its centuries-old University—with its breathtaking architecture—one giant indoor/outdoor "LEWIS" film set; and finally • old-fashioned gumshoe police work, the kind Morse humorously loathed to perform, yet gumshoeing reminiscent of the best of "Law & Order" in the Lenny-Mike/Lenny-Rey years. Lewis and Hathaway solve their cases with by-the-book leg work, keen observation, and that vaunted skill that Lewis clearly developed when he was Morse's bagman sergeant: the ability to put the puzzle pieces together. All this is done without resorting to violence or action-film gimmicks. The typical "LEWIS" action scene has our detectives running from their car to the final encounter with the suspect or to some other exigent circumstance. The rarity of physical confrontations, explosions, and screeching tires is refreshing and laudable. The total absence of suspects' rights violations and gunfire exchanges is something I wish American cop shows would emulate. Mrs. Bookman and I have watched this entire collection four times—all 27 "LEWIS" episodes in chronological order, although we freely cherry-pick our favorite episodes here and there for additional viewings. I've probably seen the "Series Pilot" and "The Quality of Mercy" (Season 2) half a dozen times apiece; and seen "Counter Culture Blues" (Season 3),"The Dead of Winter" (Season 3), "The Gift of Promise" (Season 4), "The Soul of Genius" (Season 5), "Generation of Vipers" (Season 5), and "The Ramblin' Boy" (Season 6) eight to ten times apiece. Each afternoon when we're not travelling, Mrs. Bookman and I have our tea and watch at least one episode of "LEWIS" (we own this collection plus the Season 7 Blu-ray) or "ENDEAVOUR" (we own every episode on Blu-ray) or "INSPECTOR MORSE" (we watch it online). Just a few days ago we watched "Intelligent Design," the last episode in this collection. (We then re-watched Season 7 on Blu-ray, finishing last night. Now, it's on/back to "ENDEAVOUR.") As Hathaway's guv'ner might put it, "LEWIS" is the best telly in years. And what better way to enjoy the episodes of your choice anytime you want than by owning the discs. I have streamed HD episodes of "LEWIS" on Amazon Prime. (Seasons 4 through 6 are currently available in HD.) But when the interwebs are busy or my cable company can't be bothered to provide sufficient uninterrupted broadband width, the DVDs come in handy. They give me more control over my options; my Blu-ray/DVD player is more responsive than streaming video to the remote control; and when our high-speed-cable internet connection lets us down, we get a clearer image from the DVDs than we get from the low-def streaming video. I give "LEWIS" my highest recommendation. I wish I could give it 6 stars. Or 10.

This may be the last of Lewis and the best, too. Excellent episodes in this pack. The romantic in me greatly enjoyed seeing movement in the "Push me, Pull me" relationship between Lewis and Laura Hobson. It rang very true that Lewis is stepping out of his guilt-nurtured clinging to his wife and on to seeing new possibilities for his life. The stories here stand well on their own as mysteries. I also happened to be able to see the third episode and then view the final Morse episode "The Remosrseful Day" as I had ordered the 25th anniversary collection from Amazon and had a visitor who had seen all the but that final episode so we played it. The writers of the current Lewis series very nicely come full circle and wrote a script that brings the unfinished business in Morse and Lewis' relationship to a closer relationship between Lewis and Hathaway. That pairing of stories is very nice. Again I applaud Colin Dexter's creation of characters as a mystery series that brings the amateur detective of the Agatha Christie vein to the professional police detective and bridges the older style detective fiction with the modern police procedural to create a very satisfying story form. The writers and creators who have taken the characters further and added Hathaway to the mix have kept the spirit and brilliance of the original without feeling the need to totally change the style and characters. Their creation is marvelous.

By now most are aware that Season Six includes the finale of "Inspector Lewis". Whether they sporadically continue the episodes as was done with "A Touch of Frost" is unknown, but for now it appears the Morse themed homage to Oxford will continue with "Endeavour" and Lewis will be allowed to gracefully retire and set up housekeeping with Dr. Laura. These episodes represent a departure from the rather mundane scripts of the last several years. From the outset they deviated from Colin Dexter's characterization of the Oxford Police by launching the cast into a protracted campus police role where just about every investigation was focused on the colleges. I'm not sure why this creative decision was made but the episodes soon became repetitive, at times pretentious, and certainly not worthy of the sequel status PBS had appended to it. By contrast, the Morse episodes were diverse and only a few dealt with the colleges directly. It was much more likely to find Morse and then DS Lewis out of the academic environment dealing with known criminals, the landed gentry, or troubled townies. For some inexplicable reason the Lewis producers turned the time honored Oxford social tension of "town and gown" into all gown and no town. That, and the inability of the writers to develop Lewis into a dominant lead character limited the episodes to be a pleasant but shallow police procedural rather than the personality driven drama of it's predecessor. In these final episodes the writing is still weak and too much time is wasted showing Lewis and Hathaway strolling across the same college courtyards they seem to cover in every film, but there's a certain thematic diversity that's been lacking in previous seasons. They still didn't resolve the "is he or isn't he gay" tease on Hathaway, but at least they seem to have solidified Lewis as a soon to be happy pensioner. In a literary trilogy the middle novel often represents a difficult transition from the initial story arc to something new and different. Perhaps with "Endeavour" they'll be able to bring the Morse saga full circle and create a video trilogy worthy of the Dexter novels. Regardless, Lewis Season 6 stands on it's own as a fitting denouement to a story line and title character many of us have known for over 25 years (or 38 years if you first met Lewis in print). Have your "happy life" Robbie, we'll miss you.

PHOTO 1 = SERGEANT LEWIS (AGE 36) WITH INSPECTOR MORSE PHOTO 2 = INSPECTOR LEWIS (AGE 64) WITH INSPECTOR HATHAWAY PHOTO 3 = INSPECTOR LEWIS (?) REPRIMANDED BY DCI GEORGE GENTLY UPDATE: Sad News Season Eight will be the final season of Inspector Lewis. [see the Comment dated November 3, 2015 for the official announcement] Final total: Inspector Morse = 33 Episodes (with Sergeant Lewis) Inspector Lewis = 33 Episodes (the final six shared with Inspector Hathaway) Actor Kevin Whately played the same role for 28 years (1987-2015). ----------------------------------------------------------- My original review: The following discussion uses the American season numbers. * It looked like Inspector Lewis had finally had it after Season Six. Pity. In the final episode, Inspector Robert Lewis announced his retirement from the Thames Valley Police Force, and Sergeant James Hathaway announced that he was leaving the force entirely (precluding a possible sequel). That's where this box leaves off. Surprise. At the start of Season Seven, Superintendent Innocent finds herself short-staffed. She asks Robert Lewis to consider coming back part-time to help out. The prime beneficiary of his help turns out to be the newly appointed Inspector James Hathaway. A bit far-fetched, but I love it! SERIES OVERVIEW: For the past thirty years, Oxford University has averaged a murder a week. Shocking. Actor Kevin Whately (born 1951) has played the same character - Sergeant, then Inspector Robert Lewis - from age 36 through age 64 and counting. -- a) Inspector Morse, aired 1987-2000 (his Sergeant = D.S. Robert Lewis) following Morse's death, Sergeant Lewis was promoted to Inspector. -- b) Inspector Lewis, aired 2006-present (his Sergeant = D.S. James Hathaway) following Lewis's retirement, Sergeant Hathaway was promoted to Inspector. -- c) Inspector Hathaway doesn't have his own series [yet] because Inspector Lewis, bored with retirement, came back part-time in Season Seven. A slightly resentful Inspector Hathaway now shares the 'Inspector Lewis' series with Inspector Lewis. Together they share Sergeant Lizzie Maddox. Season Eight of Inspector Lewis: Inspector Lewis: Season 8 [Blu-ray ] ** I wouldn't object to Season One of "Inspector Hathaway", but I do hope Kevin Whately sticks it out for two more years to celebrate his Thirtieth Anniversary as Lewis. BUYING OPTIONS: [hint: for ease of navigation, read the review through to the end, then come back and click on the links.] When Inspector Lewis was first broadcast on PBS 'Masterpiece Mystery', the episodes were cut by ten to fifteen minutes. The earliest DVD releases were of the cut version, but since then all seven series have been released in America in their uncut form Seasons 4-7 are also available on Blu-Ray. Seasons 1-3 are only on DVD. The easiest way to make certain you are getting the uncut UK version of the early seasons is to buy this inexpensive 17 DVD box, which takes you to the end of Season Six. All episodes are uncut, wide-screen and have subtitles + there is a "making of" documentary. -- Then buy Season Seven: Masterpiece Mystery: Inspector Lewis 7 [Blu-ray ] (Blu-Ray or DVD) -- Wait till later this year to buy Season Eight. ** * The confusion in numbering is due to PBS's decision to broadcast the first three British seasons as two US seasons. Seasons 1-7 (UK) = Seasons 1-6 (US) Season 8 (UK) = Season 7 (US) Season 9 (UK) = Season 8 (US) There is no difference in content (at least on Blu-Ray/DVD - The PBS broadcasts are a different matter) ** Beware of Lewis series 8 [UK import, region 2 PAL format ] This is not U.S. Season Eight - Everything in this box was was released as "Season Seven" in America. For more information click on the link and read my review" NOT REALLY SERIES EIGHT --- This is Season Seven in North America" The review has more information about the upcoming U.S. release of Season Eight. ---------------------------------------------------------- Kevin Whately doesn't look 64 in the Inspector Lewis series, but check out his guest appearance as Inspector Don McGhee in the final episode ("Gently in the Cathedral") of George Gently, Series Five: George Gently, Series 5 [Blu-ray ] Inspector Morse - played by John Thaw - was the first and best of modern British Police Inspectors. He is long overdue for remastering and repackaging at a reduced price. The 25th Anniversary set was a disappointment: Elderly video transfers, No subtitles, Expensive. Inspector Morse 25th Anniversary Collection (read the review by Happy Reader dated November 11, 2012) I only hope the upcoming Thirtieth Anniversary may bring an improvement. And don't forget 'Endeavour', aired 2011-present. This is a prequel to the Inspector Morse series. Set in 1960s England, when young Detective Constable Endeavour Morse is assigned to Inspector Fred Thursday (Morse dropped the first name after he made Inspector). Pilot + Series One: Masterpiece Mystery: Endeavour Series 1 [Blu-ray ] Series Two: Masterpiece Mystery: Endeavour Series 2 [Blu-ray ] There will be a Season Three.

I think when I am done watching all of season 6, I will have to start all over again. The scenery, the plots and the characters make this a must watch if you are a fan of this genre. England for as small as it is compared to the US has the most spectacular landscapes, cottages, castles and well, it is shot in and around the Oxford area - so the architecture is nothing short of spectacular. I have loved every moment of this series. Masterpiece showed Season 7 last year and I pray they will be adding the newer seasons 8 and then 9. I must say that I will watch the series again even if I know who the villains are in advance. I had the same kind of love affair with Midsomer Murders and could watch those again and again. Great acting, beautiful rolling hills and meadows. Seriously, I can't get enough of it. Thanks Amazon for making most of it available for your Prime Members at no additional cost.