THE crime drama series that emerge from the UK have an unmistakable charm about them. Midsomer Murders and Inspector Morse are perfect examples.
The protagonists are so well conceived and have a unique crime-solving style. The worlds are equally distinct, often exuding a quaint small-town allure. There’s also the sidekick providing some comic relief.
Lewis is currently in its seventh season, and set in Oxford. It stars Kevin Whately (The English Patient), whom fans will remember from the original series of course. He plays Detective Inspector Robbie Lewis.
His right-hand man on the job is Detective Sergeant James Hathaway (Laurence Fox).
Sharing his thoughts on why this Inspector Morse spin-off has struck a chord, Whately notes: “When you’ve got the winning formula you don’t want to mess with it too much. People do seem to like murder mysteries and Lewis is a mixture of all sorts. It has the familiarity that goes back to the days of Morse. And it’s set in Oxford, which continues to look beautiful on all counts. It has a nice mix of town and gown, intellect and low-life. I think people also like the chemistry Laurence and I have on screen.”
Shedding light on the storylines this season, he offers: “The first film, Down Among the Fearful, starts with the murder of a psychologist who has been moonlighting as a clairvoyant. There’s also one set in a funeral parlour – The Ramblin’ Boy. That was written by Lucy Gannon who is an old pal of mine. I’ve done seven or eight projects with Lucy, so I was pleased she came on board this year. It guest starts Peter Davison, who plays a really nasty character. The final film, Intelligent Design, is about an elderly don who is murdered on his release from prison. The film stars Alison Steadman whom I’ve worked with before.”
In terms of what Whately and Fox bring to their roles, which has undeniably contributed to the popularity of their partnership, it is, firstly, that father-and-son type of bond.
While Fox has a tendency to be a bit of a geek, obsessive with solving things; he is also a bit of a loner. Some might even call him a walking Wikipedia. Whately offsets those traits with his worldly as well as wise ways.
This season Whately’s romance with Hobson takes an interesting turn. Another twist is Whately having to work with a new constable – Alex Gray (Babou Ceesay) – while Hathaway goes on holiday.
Whately shares: “Lewis seems to keep DC Gray at arm’s length a lot of the time. It’s all a bit out of character as normally you would expect Lewis to take him under his wing. But Babou is a lovely actor, which made it easy to film with him on set.”
The picturesque setting belies the menace the crime-solving duo stumble open. It’s well-paced and has that broody suspense we have come to enjoy in shows of this ilk!
l Lewis airs on ITV Choice (DStv channel 123) on Tuesdays at 9.55pm.