Inspector Lewis (Kevin Whately) was never the lead dog on the Inspector Morse series, and when he gets his own show, it is really Sergeant Hathaway (Laurence Fox) that is the brains of the detective team. In the last two series (seasons), Lewis retires and Hathaway becomes the lead detective. Lewis stays on as his consultant.
Hathaway is a dead on serious copper, and that makes him my favorite character. Lewis is a nice guy, but he seems to take some things personally, which usually leads to mistakes. Between the Inspector Morse series and this one, Lewis' wife died, and his two children never appear on the Inspector Lewis series. His family life was always a plus on Inspector Morse, so it is kind of sad they decided to eliminate it for the Inspector Lewis show.
One major plus is that Lewis and Hathaway are never trying to get dates with witnesses and suspects. Inspector Morse, the pathetic old codger was on more than one occasion trying to strike up a relationship with a witness or suspect, and it usually ended very badly.
Overall the Inspector Lewis series is very solid. Mostly good stories, with interesting guest actors and some thought-provoking situations. Hathaway brings a lot of literary, mythological, and cultural background to many of the stories, and that makes them even more interesting. The team of Lewis and Hathaway is a notch above the team of Morse and Lewis.
Hathaway is a dead on serious copper, and that makes him my favorite character. Lewis is a nice guy, but he seems to take some things personally, which usually leads to mistakes. Between the Inspector Morse series and this one, Lewis' wife died, and his two children never appear on the Inspector Lewis series. His family life was always a plus on Inspector Morse, so it is kind of sad they decided to eliminate it for the Inspector Lewis show.
One major plus is that Lewis and Hathaway are never trying to get dates with witnesses and suspects. Inspector Morse, the pathetic old codger was on more than one occasion trying to strike up a relationship with a witness or suspect, and it usually ended very badly.
Overall the Inspector Lewis series is very solid. Mostly good stories, with interesting guest actors and some thought-provoking situations. Hathaway brings a lot of literary, mythological, and cultural background to many of the stories, and that makes them even more interesting. The team of Lewis and Hathaway is a notch above the team of Morse and Lewis.