The Dead of Jericho

For nostalgia, I decided to look out the very first Morse mystery to be filmed and televised. I remember being drawn into the series when living in a flat on my own in Edinburgh, when the unusual for its time two hour format allowed for greater plot and character development than preceding detective - oriented series.

This starter episode introduced the viewer to staples for the show, the Oxford settings, Morse's cussedness and tastes for drink, classical music and red Jaguar cars, an eye for the mature lady, a trickle-down relationship with his dogged, home-loving, long-suffering Sgt Lewis sidekick and most of all an individual and intuitive method to crime-solving which frequently put him at odds with his superiors.

This episode concerning the suicide of a piano teacher Morse has just met at choir practice leads to another murder and overtones of voyeurism, blackmail, adultery and even incest before Morse has his customary Eureka moment and solves the crime just in time. The plot was suitably serpentine in construction although the apparent Sophoclean-attributed conclusion was possibly mistakenly dispensed with for a good old-fashioned case of mistaken identity to eventually catch the killer.

Sure both the direction and police procedures portrayed are dated (Morse barging in on the original death site, searching a suspect's premises without a warrant, roughing up a suspect like he was in the Sweeney, drinking on duty) but Thaw and Whately already demonstrate their chemistry in this introductory episode. The series in time became a TV national treasure, setting the standard for other shows which followed in its wake. Better episodes were to follow but a strong marker in terms of production standards, narrative quality and acting levels was definitely put down here for further investigation.

This was the first book to be filmed but the 5th book to be written. I can't understand why there is a mystery about Morse's first name as it would have to be included in every witness statement he made and spoken every time he gave evidence.

For most of the episode he doesn't appear to have anything to do and he just wanders about interfering with someone else's case. Chief Superintendent Grout explains that he did not get promoted because of his attitude. If this was true he would never have made it to CHief Inspector.

Having got that off my chest, I have to say that I really love John Thaw and the Inspector Morse series.

Others have described the episode quite well.

Inspector Morse is just amazing, with complex characters, well outlined stories, and well-crafted scripts. The first episode The Dead of Jericho is just brilliant, you can't help cheering, when Morse arrives on screen in the Jaguar to Vivaldi's Gloria. I don't think Dead Of Jericho is the best Morse episode, but it definitely worth a watch, and I couldn't fault it really. I loved the soundtrack; when Morse is listening to Porgi Amor from Marriage of Figaro with a sad expression on his face, I just wanted to reach into the television and hug him. John Thaw is magnificent in the title role, maintaining that standard all the way through the series' run. Thaw adopted a more likable and sensitive character than his novelistic counterpart, and it is this portrayal that I do prefer. Kevin Whately also shines as Lewis, a young and quite charming character, who when compared to Morse couldn't be more different, and it is the characters' relationships toward each other that make the series so compelling. Also worth noting are contributions from the late Patrick Troughton as the blackmailing neighbour,Gemma Jones as the unfortunate Anne, James Laurenson as the "prime suspect" and the lovely Annie Lambert as his fiery wife. The script is well crafted, and there is an intriguing unpredictable storyline, and while it isn't faithful to the book, it is still an excellent episode. 10/10 Bethany Cox.

The first episode of the iconic Inspector Morse series, sees the enigmatic Detective investigate the death of a woman he was attracted to.

A fantastic start to the series, no wonder the entire nation fell in love with Morse and the show, John Thaw became Colin Dexter's character, watching it now it's hard to believe it was the first episode, John Thaw and Kevin Whately were both effortlessly brilliant in their respective roles, the relationship between the characters began in such a different way.

They made a fantastic job of casting in this opening episode, Gemma Jones was excellent as Anne. Troughton was a superb addition, great to see him play such a different role, he was really creepy in this. James Laurenson too, just great.

Cracking opener, 8/10

John Thaw and Kevin Whatley have amazing chemistry and that is the hallmark of the whole series. The story in the episode itself has changed considerably from the book, current and previous profession of Ann Scott, meeting with Morse, business of Richards etc. But none of it matters, the direction, acting and the pace of the episode keeps you hooked. Excellent start of an excellent series. I have watched Morse series 3 or 4 times and every time the episodes have been equally entertaining and every repetition it felt like comfort food. Perhaps reason John Thaw looks old even though he was mid 40s, perhaps due to his alcoholism and smoking. Shame.