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Lewis (TV series)

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Lewis
Cover of the DVD of the first series
GenreCrime drama
Created byColin Dexter
Developed byChris Burt
Stephen Churchett
StarringKevin Whately
Laurence Fox
Rebecca Front
Clare Holman
ComposerBarrington Pheloung
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series7
No. of episodes27 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersMichele Buck
Damien Timmer
Ted Childs (series 1 only)
ProducerChris Burt
Production locationsOxford, England
Running time93 minutes (pilot – series 3)
89 minutes (series 4-6)
45 minutes (series 7)
Original release
NetworkITV, STV, UTV
Release29 January 2006 – 11 February 2013

Lewis was a British television detective drama made as a spin-off from Inspector Morse. Like that series, it was set primarily in Oxford, England. Kevin Whately reprises his character Robert "Robbie" Lewis, who had been Morse's Sergeant in the original series. Lewis has now been promoted to Detective Inspector and is assisted by DS James Hathaway, portrayed by Laurence Fox.

The series was produced for ITV. Following the airing of a pilot in 2006, a first series of three episodes was broadcast in February and March 2007. A second series of four episodes aired in early 2008. A third series of four episodes was aired on ITV from March to April 2009, but this was not shown in Scotland. A fourth series aired throughout the UK (including ITV HD where available) from 2 May 2010, a fifth series from 3 April 2011, and a sixth series from 16 May 2012, each again of four episodes. The final, seventh series, aired from 7 January 2013, and consisted of three two-part stories.

PBS broadcasts the series, as Inspector Lewis, in the United States and Canada, as part of its Masterpiece Mystery series.[1]

In May 2012, the show was renewed for a seventh series (of three episodes), which Fox told The Daily Telegraph would be its last, as both he and Whately wished to move on to other things.[2] But according to ITV spokeswoman Kate Bain, Lewis may still return to small screen in 2014, either as another series or a one-off.[3]


Cast and crew

Writers

Colin Dexter, the author of the Inspector Morse novels, makes a very brief cameo appearance in several episodes, including one as a porter at Wadham College. The episode scripts follow Dexter's approach, but each of them is credited to one of several other writers including, most frequently, Russell Lewis, Alan Plater, and Stephen Churchett.

The music for the series was composed by Barrington Pheloung, who created the music for the original Morse series.[4]

In the earlier episode of "Inspector Morse", based on Colin Dexter's novel "The Daughters of Cain", one scene shows rowers on the river at Oxford. At that point, Pheloung's background music is similar in orchestration, harmonies, and melodically, to the later theme music for the series "Lewis". This may not be coincidental, as this "Morse" episode includes details about the outcome of Lewis's efforts to win promotion to the rank of Inspector. When Lewis is given the bad news that all promotions are frozen (suspended for the time-being, due to budget constraints), he remarks to his higher superior, Chief Superintendent Strange, that he is not sure that he wants to continue being a detective. This follows earlier episodes, also based on Dexter novels, including "The Way Through the Woods" where Lewis had been seen struggling with his studies for an examination to become an Inspector, and being offered an Inspector's position by another detective who clashes with Morse over an investigation that the detective - and Lewis - had not completed correctly. Lewis's personal story, glimpsed through the novels and in greater detail in episodes of "Inspector Morse", would have provided the background for creating the "Lewis" series, including the music.

Locations

The majority of the series is filmed in and around Oxford. Some scenes are also filmed at Brunel University, London.

Episodes

Main article: List of Lewis episodes

Ratings

Date Episode Viewers (millions)[5]
Pilot
29 January 2006 "Reputation" 11.31
Series 1
18 February 2007 "Whom the Gods Would Destroy" 8.11
25 February 2007 "Old School Ties" 7.81
4 March 2007 "Expiation" 8.85
Series 2
24 February 2008 "And the Moonbeams Kiss the Sea" 8.90
2 March 2008 "Music To Die For" 8.50
9 March 2008 "Life Born of Fire" 8.19
16 March 2008 "The Great and the Good" 8.70
Series 3
22 March 2009 "Allegory of Love" 7.54
29 March 2009 "The Quality of Mercy" 7.19
5 April 2009 "The Point of Vanishing" 6.83
12 April 2009 "Counter Culture Blues" 6.61
Series 4
2 May 2010 "The Dead of Winter" 8.70 [nb 1]
9 May 2010 "Dark Matter" 8.23 [nb 2]
16 May 2010 "Your Sudden Death Question" 7.29 [nb 3]
30 May 2010 "Falling Darkness" 7.10 [nb 4]
Series 5
3 April 2011 "Old, Unhappy, Far Off Things" 7.38[nb 5]
10 April 2011 "Wild Justice" 6.69
17 April 2011 "The Mind Has Mountains" 7.12
24 April 2011 "The Gift of Promise" 6.62
Series 6
16 May 2012 "The Soul of Genius" 6.94[nb 6]
23 May 2012 "Generation of Vipers" 6.46
30 May 2012 "Fearful Symmetry" 6.48
6 June 2012 "The Indelible Stain" 6.64
Series 7
7 January 2013 "Down Among the Fearful - Part 1" 8.21
14 January 2013 "Down Among the Fearful - Part 2" 8.09
21 January 2013 "Ramblin' Boy - Part 1" 7.67
28 January 2013 "Ramblin' Boy - Part 2" 8.21
04 February 2013 "Intelligent Design - Part 1" 7.58
11 February 2013 "Intelligent Design - Part 2" 7.90

Other countries

The Americas
  • In almost all Latin America, Lewis is aired on Film & Arts channel.
  • In the United States, all episodes of Lewis are and were aired on PBS on Masterpiece Mystery! except for the pilot, which was aired on the earlier series Mystery! in 2006. The numbering of the episodes on PBS is slightly different from ITV. Series 1 aired as "Series I" in 2008. However, all of Series 2 and episodes 1-3 of Series 3 were aired as "Series II" in 2009. Episode 4 of Series 3 and all of Series 4 were aired as "Series III" in 2010. Series 5 aired as "Series IV" in 2011, and Series 6 aired as "Series V" in summer, 2012.
  • Lewis is shown in Canada on Knowledge Network, a public service channel in British Columbia.
Europe
  • In Belgium, Lewis is aired on public channel Canvas.
  • In Czech Republic, Lewis is aired on different channels of TV Prima group as Vraždy v Oxfordu (Murders in Oxford – the same TV group broadcasts Midsomer Murders as Vraždy v Midsomeru).
  • In Denmark, Lewis is aired on the original public-service, non-commercial channel DR1 (with Danish subtitles). As of January 2013 series 6 is airing.
  • In Estonia, Lewis is aired on public channel ETV
  • In Finland, Lewis is aired on YLE TV1 – public Finnish non-commercial channel (with Finnish subtitles) – as Komisario Lewis (Inspector Lewis)
  • In France, Lewis is aired on public channel France 3
  • In Germany, Lewis is aired on ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen)
  • In The Netherlands, Lewis is aired on public channel Nederland 1 by broadcaster KRO
  • In Norway, NRK1 – the country's largest TV channel (public broadcaster) – all five series with Norwegian subtitles
  • In Russia, Lewis is aired on Moscow municipal channel TV Tsentr
  • In Sweden, SVT 1 and/or SVT 2 – public Swedish non-commercial channel – not all episodes shown yet (with Swedish subtitles). Later "Kanal 9" replayed the first 12 episodes, from episode "Dark Matter" (which followed the replay of "Counter Culture Blues"). This channel seems to have bought also the primary rights. "Kanal 9" is a commercial channel with a lot of British series.
Oceania
  • In Australia, Lewis airs on Channel Seven, 7TWO and UKTV.
  • In New Zealand, Lewis is aired on Prime and UKTV

Time edits

PBS owns the exclusive rights to both broadcast Lewis and to manufacture DVDs for North America. This is in contrast to Inspector Morse, which was commissioned by British company Carlton Television (originally Central Independent Television) and which included all original broadcast footage, even if that footage was edited on North American TV stations. PBS edits 10 minutes out of every Lewis episode so that it fits into the 90 minute Masterpiece Mystery time slot; this includes a preview of the episode's contents narrated by Alan Cumming before the episode and commercials for other PBS programs at the end of this slot. In at least one episode this has resulted in a baffling resolution to the plot because a vital clue has been edited out. Even Barrington Pheloung's end credit music is abruptly cut for this purpose. For the Pilot, Inspector Lewis 1, and Inspector Lewis 2 DVD sets, PBS Home Video releases what was broadcast on-air in the US as opposed to the UK DVD content. However, for the new Inspector Lewis 3 DVD set, PBS Home Video has released the unedited UK version of the programmes contained in the set.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ 8.46 million on ITV1,[6] and 240,000 on the ITV1 HD simulcast.[7]
  2. ^ 8.03 million on ITV,[8] and 198,000 on the ITV1 HD simulcast.[9]
  3. ^ 7.17 million on ITV,[10] and 119,000 on the ITV1 HD simulcast.[11]
  4. ^ 6.90 million on ITV,[12] and 207,000 on the ITV1 HD simulcast.[13]
  5. ^ Series 5 figures include ITV, ITV HD and ITV+1[14]
  6. ^ Series 6 figures include ITV, ITV HD and ITV+1[15]

References

  1. ^ "Inspector Lewis". Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  2. ^ Woods, Judith (18 June 2011). "Laurence Fox: 'I'm a Manic, Indiscreet Mess' – Candid, Louche and Charming, the 'Lewis' Star Laurence Fox on His New Baby, Billie Piper, and the Perils of Being Part of an Acting Dynasty". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  3. ^ http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/10223210.Lewis_will_return_to_small_screen__ITV_confirms/
  4. ^ Composer Barrington Pheloung's official website
  5. ^ "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  6. ^ "Weekly Top 30 Programmes: ITV1 w/e 2 May 2010". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  7. ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes: ITV1 HD w/e 2 May 2010". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  8. ^ "Weekly Top 30 Programmes: ITV w/e 9 May 2010". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  9. ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes: ITV1 HD w/e 9 May 2010". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  10. ^ "Weekly Top 30 Programmes: ITV w/e 16 May 2010". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  11. ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes: ITV1 HD w/e 16 May 2010". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  12. ^ "Weekly Top 30 Programmes: ITV w/e 30 May 2010". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  13. ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes: ITV1 HD w/e 30 May 2010". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  14. ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes: ITV HD w/e 3 April 2011". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  15. ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes: ITV HD w/e 20 May 2012". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
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