Stars: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Amanda Hillwood, Mel Martin, Marion Baily, Andrew Wilde, Philip McGough, Cheryl Campbell, Barbara Leigh Hunt, Geoffrey Palmer, Irene Richard

Director: Jim Goddard

Summary: The incredibly high murder rate in Oxford continues almost unabated in another two INSPECTOR MORSE mysteries. This time, Morse (John Thaw) and Lewis (Kevin Whately) are called in to investigate the death of a playboy architect (THE SECRET OF BAY 5B) and murder of a controversial environmentalist (THE INFERNAL SERPENT).

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When Inspector Morse first appeared on television in 1987, nobody could have predicted that it would run into the next century, maintaining throughout a quality of scripts and story lines that raised the genre of the detective series to a new level. Much of its success can be attributed to John Thaw's total immersion in the role. Morse is a prickly character and not obviously easy to like. As a detective in Oxford with unfulfilled academic propensities, he is permanently excluded from a world of which he would dearly love to be a part. He is at odds with that world--and with his colleagues in the police force--most of the time. Passionate about opera and "proper beer", he is a cultural snob for whom vulgarity causes almost physical pain. As a result, he lives from one disillusionment to another. And he is scarred--more deeply than he would ever admit--by past relationships. But he also has a naïve streak and, deep-down sensitivity, which makes him a fascinating challenge for women.

At the heart of Morse's professional life is his awkward partnership with Detective Sergeant Lewis, the resolutely ordinary, worldly sidekick who manages to keep his boss in an almost permanent state of exasperation while retaining his grudging respect. It's a testament to Kevin Whateley's consistently excellent performance that from such unpromising material, Lewis becomes as indispensable to the series as Barrington Pheloung's hypnotic, classic theme music. Morse's investigations do occasionally take him abroad to more exotic locations, but throughout 14 successful years of often gruesome murders, the city of Oxford itself became a central character in these brooding two-hour dramas: creator Colin Dexter stating he finally had to kill Morse off because he was giving Oxford a bad reputation as a dangerous place! --Piers Ford

Aspect Ratio:	4:3
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Production Gallery
Year:	1989
Release Date:	June 24, 2002
Runtime:	206 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	37115 02243
Keywords:	Bay, Two, Pack, General, Secret, Mystery, Inspector, Morse, Serpent, Dexter, Colin, Tv, Drama, Discs, Whodunnit, 5b, Infernal
Genre:	Mystery/Whodunnit