Question for Morse Devotees
Mark Whidby
writes:
> Not sure about the TV Morse not being sleazy.
> In the TV version of The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn Morse wants to go to
> see Last Tango in Paris and is most distressed to see that the cinema has
> changed its programme and is now showing 101 Dalmations (much to Lewis'
> delight!) By the way, does that count as a spoiler?
>
> I can't remember if in The Dead of Jericho Morse looks through the old bloke's
> > mags, but I suspect that he does.
Come to think of it, yes, you're right; though these are the earlier episodes
and I reckon he's a bit more refined in the later ones i.e. the ones not
based on the books.
> I'm a bit of a newbie so I don't know if this thread has been done to death,
> but what do you think Morse's first name is. My guess is Ethelred, since we
> know it begins with an 'E', that it's historical and that it's silly. Ethelred
> > scores on all these three.
It's not quite been done to death - it's still twitching :-)
I've seen Esrom suggested as it's Morse backwards; my suggestion is Englebert.
--
________________________________________
Mark Whidby, Manchester Computing Centre
COLLinda
here in the U.S., but I've never read any of Colin Dexter's books. I'm
guessing that tv-Morse's distinctive habits and tastes are similar to
those of book-Morse, but what about his physical appearance? In other
words, does tv-Morse (John Thaw) bear a close resemblance to book-Morse?
If not, has book-Morse evolved to match tv-Morse more closely? I'm
flirting with the idea of delving into the books, but I'd hesitate if I
thought book-Morse was too unlike tv-Morse. I couldn't bear the trauma.
Also: are there more books than there are tv shows? Or have they all been
adapted? Does the character of the female forensic scientist (first name
Grayling?) appear in the books? Are the books best read in chronological
order? Thanks for any info. / Linda Nelson, Chicago.
Kevin Lee
In the Morse novels he is described as middle-aged , thinning grey hair and has
a slight weight problem - so John Thaw fits the bill. His habits in the novels
are slightly different - he has a love of classical music as on tv, drinks more
scotch than beer, reads the tabloids as well as "The Times" and has an interest
in pornography.
The character who differs most from the television series is Sergeant Lewis. In
the novels he is about the same age as Morse whereas in the television series he
is considerably younger.
Several Morse novels "The Wench Is Dead" , "The Secret of Annnexe Three" , "The
Way Through The Woods" and "The Daughters Of Cain" have not as yet been adapted
for television.
One minor point in the novels Morse originally drove a Lancia. Because of the
success of the television series , he now drives a red Jaguar in the novels. So
if you read an early edition of a novel such as "The Wench Is Dead" you will
see the Lancia mentioned , in reprints you'll find a Jaguar mentioned.
--
Kevin Lee
Martin Underwood
: Here's a question for Morse fans. I've seen quite a few of the TV shows
Um... How do you sum up Morse's character is a few sentences? Not easy!
The TV and book versions of the character are pretty similar, although I
think that his likeness for beer is slightly emphasised on TV and his
fascination for porno magazines (see "The Dead of Jericho" and "Last Seen
Wearing") is very much played down on TV, probably because the TV people
thought it made him less likable. In fact the book of "Last Seen Wearing"
is quite different from the TV version. The basic story is the same: a
schoolgirl goes missing. However the setting is different - a rather
seedy comprehensive school in the book, a very up-market private school on
TV. I think the book works a lot better; because I knew the book, the TV
adaptation disappointed me, but it did give rise to that wonderful line
(I'm paraphrasing) "Lewis, have you ever thought about the man who invented
the tennis skirt. He designed a fantasy and then made it compulsory. I
think a lot about that man."
I can't recall any definite physical description of Morse in the books,
although I'm sure his appearance is described. As on TV, he is unmarried,
probably late forties or early fifties, a loner, not very successful with
women and has a passion for classical music - in the books, it's Wagner
rather than Mozart/Bach. The relationship between Morse and Lewis is
very similar.
I'd definitely recommend that you read the books. The differences are not
so great that there's any trauma involved in getting used book-Morse! One
thing which comes out in the books and which doesn't transfer well to TV
is Morse's fascination with word-puzzles and crosswords. Many of the clues
in the books are based on the written word - eg tracing the writer of an
anonymous note by the typewriter and the style of English helps solve a
murder; an anonymous poem (and comments on it as letters to The Times) help
a missing-person enquiry.
Most of the books were filmed as the early episodes of the first TV
series. Dexter then wrote the story-lines for the second and third
series, before letting other writers devise plots for the later series -
but he always reserved the right to veto anything that he thought was
out-of-character.
A few of his later books have not been filmed. The full set (from memory) is
(filmed)
The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn
Last Seen Wearing
The Dead of Jericho
Last Bus to Woodstock
??? (based on TV's "The Wolvercote Tongue")
(not filmed)
The Secret of Annexe Three
The Riddle of the Third Mile (rather corny title!)
The Wench is Dead (excellent: Morse solves a 100-year old
murder while he's recovering in hospital
from a stomach ulcer)
The Way Through the Woods
The Daughters of Cain
As Good as Gold (short stories, some about Morse)
The character of Grayling Russell doesn't appear in the books but in The Way
Through the Woods, Max ("the humpbacked pathologist") has an assistant Dr Laura
Hobbs who takes over when Max dies. Needless to say, Morse has the hots for
her, as he does for any female character in a story, but he doesn't make a
very good impression on her until the very end of the book...
Evolution of character - the books came first so TV-Morse initially
developed from book-Morse. However I think that some aspects of the TV
series have filtered into the later books - Dr Laura comes from Newcastle,
as does TV-Lewis; Morse drives a Lancia in the earlier books but in the
very latest books, reference is made to 248 RPA (the red Jaguar). In later
books, Lewis takes a more active role and Morse treats him a bit more as an
equal.
Finally, I heard rumours the other day, on a thread about the TV music
for Morse here in r.a.t.u, that John Thaw has agreed to make some more
episodes of Morse. I've not seen anything else to corroborate this, so
I hope it's not just wishful thinking. Time will tell!
Martin Underwood
Kathy Withycombe
>
> COLLinda (coll...@aol.com) wrote:
> : Here's a question for Morse fans. I've seen quite a few of the TV shows
>
> Um... How do you sum up Morse's character is a few sentences? Not easy!
>
> The TV and book versions of the character are pretty similar, although I
> As on TV, he is unmarried,
> probably late forties or early fifties, a loner, not very successful with
> women
Actually, I find the book-Morse unbelievably successful with women. He's written as a
pompous ass who has women throwing themselves at him. I recall some scene
in which a woman is watching book-Morse give some sort of recitation or speach, and she's
thinking to herself, "My, what a brilliant stud - I so admire the power of his intellect that
I must to sleep with him right away." (paraphrased, of course!). Thaw's Morse, though
abrupt and at times obnoxious, comes across as sort of pitiable, and rather shy and
appealing around women, which makes his romantic involvements a bit more believable
than those in the novels.
> I'd definitely recommend that you read the books. The differences are not
> so great that there's any trauma involved in getting used book-Morse! One
> thing which comes out in the books and which doesn't transfer well to TV
> is Morse's fascination with word-puzzles and crosswords.
I remember that in some of the earlier TV shows, Morse was always fiddling around with
crosswords; they seemed to have dropped it in these later episodes.
But yes, definitely read the books- it fills in the blanks in Morse's investigational style
which the dramatization cannot address.
Anyway,
Martin Underwood
: A few of his later books have not been filmed. The full set (from memory) is
: (filmed)
: The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn
: Last Seen Wearing
: The Dead of Jericho
: Last Bus to Woodstock
: ??? (based on TV's "The Wolvercote Tongue")
My memory isn't perfect, obviously. Let me correct myself:
The book which is based on "The Wolvercote Tongue" is called "The Jewel That
Was Ours", although the story in the book is a bit more elaborate - and yes,
as usual the murderer gives himself away by the way that he writes something
in a police statement.
I knew I'd forgotten one of the other filmed books altogether: it's "Service
of All the Dead".
You may already know about this: there's a book about the making of the TV
series:-
The Making of Morse
Mark Sanderson
Macmillan London Ltd
1991
ISBN 0-333-57503-2
7.99 pounds
Deryk Barker
[...]
: No, there are fewer books than TV shows:
: (roughly in publishing order)
: Last Seen Wearing
: Last Bus to Woodstock
: The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn
: The Dead of Jericho
: Service of All the Dead
: The Secret of Annexe 3 (can't remember if this was televised)
: The Riddle of the Third Mile (televised as the Last Enemy, or similar)
: The Wench is Dead (never televised)
: The Jewel That Was Ours (televised as The Wolvercote Tongue)
Actually the book was written *after* the tv series. I'm not even sure
that the original scenario was Dexter's.
: The Way through the Woods (never televised)
: The Daughter of Cain (never televised)
: In the books, Morse is a bit paunchier with strong blue eyes. He's rarely
: described in any great detail - I think he's supposed to be what Colin Dexter
: wishes himself to be. In terms of character, the biggest difference between
: book and TV Morse is that the book Morse is a bit of a womanizer.
: Grayling Russell doesn't appear in the books, just Max.
Well, sort of. In The Way Through the Woods, Max dies and Morse has a
bit of a flirtation with Dr. Laura Hobson, Max's replacement.
: It isn't really
: important what order you read them in, they're all good except the Riddle of
: the Third Mile which is far too contrived.
Or, in an alternative view, brilliantly contrived.
---
Deryk.
===========================================================================
|Deryk Barker, Computer Science Dept. | Across the pale parabola of Joy |
|Camosun College, Victoria, BC, Canada | |
|email: dba...@camosun.bc.ca | Ralston McTodd |
|phone: +1 604 370 4452 | (Songs of Squalor). |
===========================================================================
Alan Craig
|>
|> Not sure about the TV Morse not being sleazy.
|> In the TV version of The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn Morse wants to go to
|> see Last Tango in Paris and is most distressed to see that the cinema has
|> changed its programme
... with the line (when Morse sees the poster for 'Last Tango..')
- "That reminds me, I must get some butter"
Alan
Alan Craig
|> The Wench is Dead (excellent: Morse solves a 100-year old
|> murder while he's recovering in hospital
|> from a stomach ulcer)
This was done as a radio play (not with John Thaw), given
that he's in a hospital bed for almost the whole book
you can see why it worked better on radio than it might
on tv.
Alan
Mike Cowgill
> This was done as a radio play (not with John Thaw), given
> that he's in a hospital bed for almost the whole book
> you can see why it worked better on radio than it might
> on tv.
It was an excellent radio play. Over on rec.arts.mystery someone said it was
*very* close to another book, written by someone else. I can't for the life
of me think what it was though.
Mike.
Mike Cowgill
dba...@camosun.bc.ca "Deryk Barker" writes:
> Actually the book was written *after* the tv series. I'm not even sure
> that the original scenario was Dexter's.
It was plotted and drafted by Dexter. In "The Making of Inspector Morse"
there is a photo of Colin Dexter's notes. It was originally titled "Timetable
for Murder" (very Agatha Christie), then "Timetable for Murder".
I much prefer the original two Kenny McBain produced series. Better lighting
and sub-sub-plotting. For example, "Service of All the Dead" has dozens of
references to crosses. Visually, musically and plot-wise (plottically?).
Mike.
--
Michael S. Cowgill (Mike) \_ " ....Cracking toast Gromit!... "
ze...@myth.demon.co.uk (That's me) \_ Royal Blue Dragon
G1...@GB7WRG.GBR.EU 44.131.2.76 \_ -==(UDIC)==-
Deryk Barker
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey I should imagine. In this book
Tey's detective hero, Alan Grant (?), is similarly laid up in bed, and
begins - for complex reasons - to investigate the reputation of
Richard III as a child-murderer, usurper and all-around bad guy.
Tremendous book, I'd always imagined TWID as a homage to it.
Wolfe Home
usd...@interramp.com
Has the new John Thaw series started airing yet?
Paul Rhodes
>Has the new John Thaw series started airing yet?
Kavanagh QC was on a few weeks ago in the UK, if that's what you mean.
______________________________________________________paul....@liffe.com
Wolfe Home
Morse" is flashed. He is crying over the hand of dead man. Anyone know
what episode it might be? The dead (or sleeping) man appears youngish.
They have not decided to kill off Lewis, have they? What else has Thaw
done besides "A year in Province"?