Both were terrific but also made one yearn for the original.
A moody sleuth with trademark eccentricities – real ale, opera, cryptic crosswords, vintage Jags – has only become a TV cliché because Morse blazed a trail so superbly. It sparked not one but two spin-offs, sequel Lewis and prequel Endeavour. Both were terrific but also made one yearn for the original. To watch an episode of Morse is like sinking into a favourite armchair with a full glass and a crackling fire. Goodbye, sir.