Morse: 20 Years Episode Guide

Episode Guide

Morse: 20 Years: Season 7

• Season 7 Episode 3: Twilight of the Gods

  A famous opera diva is wounded by a sniper during the procession at an Oxford University honorary degree ceremony - but was she the intended victim? Morse is a big fan of her work and takes a personal interest in the investigation - but she strikes the wrong chord with him as he begins uncovering sordid secrets. Detective drama, starring John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Robert Hardy, Sheila Gish and John Gielgud

• Season 7 Episode 2: The Day of the Devil

  A homicidal rapist escapes from captivity and embarks on a deadly game of cat and mouse with Morse, relying on his mastery of disguise and bizarre occult connections to stay one step ahead of the law. Only the madman's psychiatrist seems able to provide a lead as to his whereabouts and her life is in mortal danger as a result. John Thaw stars as the cerebral sleuth, with Kevin Whately, Keith Allen, Richard Griffiths and Harriet Walter

• Season 7 Episode 1: Deadly Slumber

  A former bookie falls under suspicion for the mysterious death of a hospital benefactor. As the detectives probe the case, it quickly becomes clear their prime suspect had a strong motive, believing the victim responsible for putting his daughter into a coma. Brian Cox and Jason Durr guest star, with John Thaw and Kevin Whately

Morse: 20 Years: Season 6

• Season 6 Episode 5: Cherubim and Seraphim

  The Oxford detective is shocked to discover his stepniece has committed suicide, and sets out to discover the reason for her death, entering an alien world of teenage rave parties and drug-taking. Meanwhile, sidekick Lewis has his sights set on promotion and is busy studying for exams. John Thaw and Kevin Whately star, with Sorcha Cusack, Jason Isaacs and John Junkin

• Season 6 Episode 4: Absolute Conviction

  The Oxford detective goes to prison to investigate the murder of an inmate sent down for a property swindle. The victim's partners-in-crime are also incarcerated in the same low-security cell block : and Morse is determined to find out whether they know anything about the killing. John Thaw and Kevin Whately star, with guest appearances by Sean Bean, Richard Wilson, Jim Broadbent, Diana Quick and Steven Mackintosh

• Season 6 Episode 3: The Death of the Self

  Leaving behind the dreaming spires of his beloved Oxford, Morse sets off to investigate an Englishwoman's bizarre death in Italy, dragging a reluctant Lewis along for the ride. Their inquiries lead them to the vineyards and villas of Vicenza and Verona - as well as a glamorous opera singer. John Thaw and Kevin Whately star as the detective duo, with Frances Barber and Michael Kitchen

• Season 6 Episode 2: Happy Families

  The murder of a well-known business tycoon leads the Oxford detective to investigate the man's feuding family, and inadvertently makes him the unwitting target of a hate campaign by the gutter press : a problem compounded by his uneasy relationship with a new chief superintendent. John Thaw and Kevin Whately star alongside Gwen Taylor, Alun Armstrong, Anna Massey, Charlotte Coleman and Rupert Graves

• Season 6 Episode 1: Dead on Time

  Ghosts from the past return to haunt Morse as he looks into the apparent suicide of an Oxford don whose widow turns out to be the same woman he was set to marry in his youth. John Thaw and Kevin Whately star as the brilliant sleuth and his trusty sidekick, with Joanna David, Samantha Bond and David Haig

Morse: 20 Years: Season 5

• Season 5 Episode 4: Greeks Bearing Gifts

  The Oxford sleuth investigates a double mystery connected to the local Greek community - the death of a restaurant chef and the disappearance of a baby - and wonders if an academic event attended by some of the University's leading classical scholars could shed light on the case. Mystery, starring John Thaw and Kevin Whately, with Jan Harvey, Martin Jarvis and James Hazeldine

• Season 5 Episode 3: Who Killed Harry Field?

  Mischievous artist Harry Field, who specialises in preparing bogus coats of arms for gullible American tourists, is bumped off : and Morse takes a personal interest in finding the culprit. Unfortunately, as investigations progress, he discovers the victim wasn't quite the lovable rogue he initially appeared. John Thaw stars as the Oxford detective, with Kevin Whately, Geraldine James and Freddie Jones

• Season 5 Episode 2: Fat Chance

  The murder of a female deacon who was about to become Oxford's first female chaplain makes Morse wonder whether the city's conservative clerics could be hiding a deadly secret. John Thaw stars, with Kevin Whately and Zoe Wanamaker

• Season 5 Episode 1: Second Time Around

  The mysterious death of a former police commissioner forces a reluctant Morse to team up with old professional rival Chief Inspector Dawson. As they and Sergeant Lewis begin to investigate, a link to the unsolved murder of a girl 18 years before is uncovered. John Thaw stars, with Kevin Whately, Kenneth Colley and Christopher Eccleston

Morse: 20 Years: Season 4

• Season 4 Episode 4: Masonic Mysteries

  A rehearsal of an amateur operatic production ends with Morse being arrested on suspicion of murder and suspended from duty pending further investigation. Stripped of official powers, he fights to clear his name : unaware he's been pencilled in as the real killer's next target. John Thaw and Kevin Whately star

• Season 4 Episode 3: Driven to Distraction

  A woman is found murdered near a driving school. The ensuing investigation proves a testing time for Morse and especially Lewis, who has the added distraction of being paired with an attractive female colleague. Detective drama, starring John Thaw and Kevin Whately

• Season 4 Episode 2: The Sins of the Fathers

  Called to investigate the murder of a brewery manager, Morse delves into the history of the generations-old family firm and discovers that several employees and shareholders stood to profit from the victim's death. The challenge facing him is to discern whether any of them would stoop to foul play. John Thaw plays the cerebral sleuth, with Kevin Whately as trusty Sergeant Lewis, and guest appearances by Lionel Jeffries, John Bird and Lisa Harrow

• Season 4 Episode 1: The Infernal Serpent

  A highly respected scientist is bumped off just as he is about to deliver a controversial lecture on the environment. It soon becomes clear he had many enemies within the profession, but Morse's investigations lead him to a killer who is altogether closer to home. Complex mystery, starring John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Geoffrey Palmer, Cheryl Campbell and George Costigan

Morse: 20 Years: Season 3

• Season 3 Episode 4: The Secret of Bay 5b

  A diary and a parking ticket are found at a murder scene in a multi-storey car park. It's not much to go on but, ever the professional, Morse soon links the clues to a crime of passion involving a jealous husband, his wife and her lover. On the personal front, the Oxford detective's feathers are uncharacteristically ruffled by a woman he finds himself attracted to. John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Mel Martin and Amanda Hillwood star

• Season 3 Episode 3: Deceived by Flight

  The members of an Oxford old boys' cricket team gather for their annual match, unaware that death is waiting to bowl one of them out for good. Morse sets out to find the culprit : helped as ever by the faithful Lewis, who demonstrates unexpected skill on the pitch. John Thaw, Kevin Whately and Sharon Maughan star in an episode scripted by Oscar-winning writer Anthony Minghella

• Season 3 Episode 2: The Last Enemy

  The master of a prestigious college asks Morse to investigate the disappearance of one of his colleagues. The subsequent discovery of a dismembered torso soon has everyone fearing the worst : until the missing man turns up alive and well. Starring John Thaw, Kevin Whately, James Grout, Beatie Edney, Sian Thomas and Barry Foster

• Season 3 Episode 1: The Ghost in the Machine

  An aristocrat goes missing, along with his collection of explicit erotic paintings : and Morse's investigation provides him with a close-up view of the upper crust's dark side. What's more, there's a further culture shock lying in wait : the prospect of working with a new female pathologist. Starring John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Amanda Hillwood, Patricia Hodge and Clifford Rose

Morse: 20 Years: Season 2

• Season 2 Episode 4: Last Bus to Woodstock

  The badly beaten body of 18-year-old clerk Sylvia Kane is found in a pub car park by her boyfriend John Sanders. Called in to investigate, Morse finds a coded letter in her bag and sets about trying to decipher it, gradually unravelling a sorry saga of passion and corruption at the insurance office where she worked. Detective drama, starring John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Anthony Bate, Terrence Hardiman, Jill Baker, Holly Aird and Ingrid Lacey

• Season 2 Episode 3: The Settling of the Sun

  The Oxford detective faces a tough time while looking into a murder at a peaceful college : first he suffers the familiar pangs of unrequited love, then clashes with the unpleasant college master. To cap it all, he unwittingly provides his main suspects with a watertight alibi. John Thaw and Kevin Whately star, with Robert Stephens, Amanda Burton and Philip Middlemiss

• Season 2 Episode 2: Last Seen Wearing

  Continuing the celebration of the detective series' 20th anniversary with episodes from the archive. The father of a missing schoolgirl demands action, angry that a six-month investigation has failed to uncover any leads, leaving Morse to discover some unpleasant truths about her family and teachers. John Thaw stars as the Oxford detective, with Kevin Whately, Peter Woodthorpe, Peter McEnery, Elizabeth Hurley and Frances Tomelty

• Season 2 Episode 1: The Wolvercote Tongue

  An American tourist's body is discovered in her hotel room, apparently dead from a heart attack - but a valuable Anglo-Saxon jewel she intended to donate to the Ashmolean Museum is missing and several interested parties are acting strangely. John Thaw and Kevin Whately star, with Simon Callow, Roberta Taylor and Kenneth Cranham

Morse: 20 Years: Season 1

• Season 1 Episode 3: Service of All the Dead

  The Oxford detective investigates murder in the vicinity of a quiet country church, whose previous vicar committed suicide. As the case proceeds, he uncovers a sinister nest of evil-doing. Acclaimed crime drama, starring John Thaw and Kevin Whately, with Michael Hordern, Angela Morant and Maurice O'Connell

• Season 1 Episode 2: The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn

  A member of Oxford University's examinations board is found dead and Morse deduces he must have overheard a conversation someone wanted to keep secret at all costs. However, his theory has one major flaw - the victim was deaf. John Thaw and Kevin Whately star, with Barbara Flynn, Michael Gough, Clive Swift, Roger Lloyd Pack and Frederick Treves

• Season 1 Episode 1: The Dead of Jericho

  Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the detective series, which appeared on screens in 1987, with a chance to see episodes from the archive. John Thaw stars as author Colin Dexter's Oxford detective who treats his cases as intellectual challenges. In the first-ever episode, Morse is introduced to trusty Sergeant Lewis (Kevin Whately) and takes it upon himself to investigate the apparent suicide of a lady friend. Co-starring Gemma Jones, Patrick Troughton, James Grout and Peter Woodthorpe