Lewis - Series Three [DVD] [2009]

After the bizarre decision by STV not to show this season, I had no choice but to buy this dvd on the day it was released. It was well worth it. The series continues to become better and better the longer it runs (and I hope it does run for a while yet despite rumours to the contrary). The production values are high, the acting attracts our finest names, and even if I was initially unsure about Lewis's sidekick, the banter between them has now reached the stage of working like a dream.There are four stories this time. Firstly, a barmaid dies in circumstances matching those in a novel, but all is not as it seems. Then, an actor playing Shylock in a production of Merchant of Venice gets killed, but before anyone can start wondering about whether he was the one who had the pound of flesh taken, other actors start dying. Thirdly, in a convoluted tale, a man is found murdered, but that man himself has a troubled past. Finally, Lewis investigates a rock band and a singer who was supposed to have died many years ago.This series did mark some major changes, apparently, amongst the production staff, but nothing that appeared on screen would suggest that. All the tales are entertaining and perfect to lose yourself in for an hour and a half. My favourite is the final one with its jokier side that feels different to anything else they've tried so far. Long may Lewis continue to patrol Oxford.

This series improves with age, like the best clarets. Fortunately, once you've drunk in the fine performances, the superb cinematography, the satisfyingly robust scripts, the delicate touches of pathos and the tannins of treacherous murder, you can put the container on the shlf, still full, ready to be enjoyed again when time has blurred the plot lines.Second viewings are just as satisfying, as the quality of the performances is of such high standard that it is unlikely to show the cracks and lines of aging so evident in some series.Lewis has proven more than just a worthy successor to his old mentor Morse - he has become more satisfying as a character, thanks to excellent performances by Kevin Whately, who is more credible as a character and has better scripts. Sidekick Hathaway, played superbly by Laurence Fox, is a perfect foil for the still-rough-along-the-underside-edges Lewis, highly intelligent with a dry wit and deep empathy.While no action-packed thriller, the twists and turns of each plot are so absorbing that it is almost a shock when the sun sets on the two men at the end of the tale, and the credits appear, and a glance at the clock reveals the evaporation of time in your world while you immersed yourself in that of the Oxford of Lewis and Hathaway.

Inspector Lewis Series 2 and 3 are great improvements over the first series. Lewis is back to solving murders--no longer the easily unnerved, constantly irritable, "clueless" (pardon the pun) shell of a detective that Series 1 presented. During the course of these eight episodes, we see Lewis solve some interesting murders, learn who killed his wife and see his self-confidence grow. For fans of the Morse series, Morse's memory plays an appropriate, but not overdone, and sometimes humorous role. At one point, when Lewis says he "has to think like Morse", Hathaway asks him if that means they are going to the pub. Superintendent Innocent has lightened up a bit; she no longer threatens to throw Lewis off every case to which he is assigned. By the end of these episodes, Lewis is an older, wiser version of the character we watched mature over thirteen years with Morse, coming into his own as a lead character.(Note: This product is in PAL fomat. In the USA, play on a region-free player or your computer.) Lewis - Series Two [DVD] [2007]Lewis - Series Three [DVD] [2009]

The series, as usual, is very, very good. However...Because I am living most of the year in the US, I have a collection of both region 1 and region 2 DVDs. I already owned the pilot and the first 2 collections of Lewis, so, when the third collection appeared in the UK and was not yet available in the US, I purchased it immediately. It arrived promptly, as usual. Except... the episodes in the third collection were already included in the first set I already owned! An unpleasant (and costly) mistake.Now, I know that the publishing companies make tons of money by issuing a bewildering number of sets offering an equally bewildering number of combinations. What Amazon could do, and often does not, is include a list of titles, or content, in the product review so that the purchasers always know, specifically, what they are getting.Thank you for your attention.

I was a big fan of the original "Inspector Morse" series, and at first had my doubts when this "Lewis" spin-off came along. However,to my delight, these doubts proved to be unfounded. In fact, I am now enjoying "Lewis" more than the original series. The chemistry between Lewis and his new partner Hathaway seems to work much better than the relationship between Lewis and Morse. The main roles are well casted with Kevin Whatley and Laurence Fox (son of actor James Fox, who also appears in one episode of series 3). The supporting cast is strong too, and especially the charaters of Ch. Supt. Innocent (Rebecca Front) and Dr. Laura Hobson (Clare Holman) are well drawn.In terms of story lines the "Lewis" series seems to grow from strength to strength. Not only is the relationship between Lewis and Hathaway developing more and more, but also the the stories themselves seem to have more twists and turns with each episode.Great stuff and a must see for all fans of good old-fashioned crime drama!