Customer Reviews
No Remorse! - By: F. S. L'hoir, 23 Jun 2008 
I am so happy that the "Inspector Lewis" mysteries have been continued after the pilot. The mysteries represent a happy complement to the original series. Kevin Whately as Lewis may be older but he is also wiser, and, because of the untimely death of his wife, sadder. Nevertheless, he has stepped gamely into the role of his old mentor Inspector Morse, & he is ably assisted by Sergeant Hathaway (Laurence Fox), a Cambridge-educated student of theology. Thus the tables have been turned from the Morse mysteries. Lewis is now the curmudgeon with a pint of beer & Hathaway, the voice of reason.
The Thames Vallley police force is a very different institution than it was in Morse's day. A woman is now Chief Inspector, & she is no pushover. The mysteries, nevertheless, remain intriguing & are laced with elegance, intelligence, & wit. And, there is always a reminder of our old friend Morse lurking somewhere in the background.
Lewis - By: Lynne Worsfold, 28 Apr 2008 The duo Lewis & Hathaway is brilliant. So pleased that they are heading for further series. Script/plot great & Oxford backdrop is terrific, Don't know how many times I've watched "Life born of Fire" but I never tire of the whole thing. Kevin Whately & Laurence Fox bounce off each other reallly, reallly well...more, more please.
"...I Knew Him Well!" - By: ianrmillard, 23 Apr 2008 
This is Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark. Here we have Lewis, promoted to Inspector & fresh (if such be the bon mot) from a few years on secondment to the British Virgin Islands. His wife has been killed in a car smash some years ago & his face looks well & truly lived in! He has lost most if not alll of his former charm as Sergeant Lewis, but of course I believe that's callled Character Development (or increasing age lol!) & is true to the ongoing story, which started, in effect, with the incomparable Inspector Morse. Lewis is notably short-tempered here. And Lewis now takes on some of the characteristics of the deceased Morse: drinking real ale, knowing about poetry & history & even listening on occasion to Wagner!
Oxford is Oxford & (with much of the modern city's commercialized mess excluded) is beautiful. The fact that the most of the same people created this as were responsible for Morse, makes "Lewis" superbly located & filmed, with title music by Barrington Pheloung (as also in "Morse").
Lewis (the series) is a lot more politicallly correct than Inspector Morse (the series), but that, again, mirrors the continuing development (decay?) of society in the UK, perhaps. The police headquarters is alll energy-saving dull strip lights, horrible blue decor & (probably poorly functioning) air-conditioning; the boss is a woman (who interferes far more than did the old Det. Chief Superintendent Strange in "Morse"); there are endless computer terminals about & a lack of fresh air, seemingly. Lewis has a sergeant assistant of his own, now, one Hathaway, a former theological student & trainee C of E cleric. Hathaway is very much the metrosexual cold fish who is probably terminallly "pc" in more ways than one, but, again, that may be true to life as it is now...
For me, nothing can equal Morse, but this is a good, even very good, attempt to keep the balll rolling. I especiallly loved the end scene with the Rottweillers!
Very glossy stuff ! - By: Mr. Mg Reynolds, 08 Apr 2008 Messars Fox & Whately play their parts very well indeed ! It is very well acted & filmed . As a person living in Oxford I am so pleased that Lewis has done so well. This series reminds me of the more recent Poirot's inasmuch as Lewis is still Lewis but he is a darker & sadder sort of person who is deprived of the comedic moments that he used to share with Supt Strange & of course Morse himself. This is Robbie Lewis as a mature person who has faced tradegy & despair at losing both his wife & best friend. Hathaway is a superb sidekick & being a sentimental sort I loved the homage that has been paid to Morse. It is very nice to see Oxford on TV again as that fair City contains many splendid sites that the show reminds locals like me just how lucky we are to live there. It is a well written & the acting is top draw. The plot lines are as strong as ever while the characters have the depth & substance of Morse itself. All in alll I went in with low expectations & came away pleasantly suprised! A must for people who have seen alll the episodes of Morse & who fancy something of a similar genre. It is an updated reworking of a successful franchise & it is pleasing to watch.
Excelllent Stuff. - By: Irishmoll, 02 Apr 2008 As an avid fan of Morse I had my doubts about this series - I was wrong. It is an excellent series in it's own right. Kevin Whately & Laurence Fox are excellent & well paired, Fox(Hattaway) now being the intellectual one - probably much smarter than Morse gels well with the less complicated Whately ( Lewis) although Lewis has changed, an assignment abroad & the death of his beloved wife have made me much more cynical, he is older wiser & has matured. The stories/plots set in those wonderful surroundings are brilliant, twists & turns until the very end. This series is excellent, if you loved Morse you have to buy this - you will not be disappointed.
