The dreaming spires of Oxford, with its idyllic tree-shaded canals and Gothic courtyards, has been the setting for two of the smartest, most engaging TV dramas of recent years. The first, "Morse," ended with the death of the curmudgeonly, classical-music loving Inspector Morse of the Oxford police. Afterward, is bumbling but practical-minded sidekick took charge with his own series, "Inspector Lewis." Series 3 runs Aug. 29-Sept. 26 on PBS.
Given the high intellectual firepower of the criminals he encounters, Lewis (played by ordinary bloke Kevin Whatley) is lucky to have a detective sergeant with the caliber of Hathaway (modish Laurence Fox) at his side. A former divinity student, Hathaway can knowingly discuss medieval madrigals, Zoroastrianism and the Transit of Venus with witnesses, suspects and victims. It's all over Lewis' head, yet his common sense complements Hathaway's academic prowess in problem solving.
The coming season shows no decline in the level of screenwriting, a pitfall in most programs that run past two seasons. Only one thing is bothersome: with at least one dead body turning up each episode, "Inspector Lewis" posits the notion that the murder rate in quiet Oxford rivals the mean streets of Detroit and LA.
