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Death Is Now My Neighbour

A Review By Lindsay Siviter

Broadcast on 19th. November 1997, this new television episode is an impressive addition to the Morse oeuvre. Morse and Lewis’s 31st. case opens early in the morning on a small modern housing estate in a leafy Oxfordshire village, in a cul de sac named Bloxham Drive. When the milk float drives past chatty neighbours, you know the peace and tranquillity will be short lived. Next we see a woman in a dressing gown lying in a pool of blood with the Thames Valley constabulary busily positioning the scene of crime tape.

The victim is a physiotherapist called Rachel James who has been shot though the window. The plot thickens. Within 24 hours her next door neighbour, a pony-tailed reporter with a flash car played by Paul McGann, is also killed with the same gun. Both crimes are linked to the academic world of an Oxford college. Denis Cornford (Roger Allam) and Julian Storrs (John Shrapnel) complete for the Mastership, while the evil Sir Clixby Bream, unusually but brilliantly played by Richard Briers is busy in a sexual political blackmail. Music teacher Adele Cecil (Judy Loe) becomes involved and becomes an attractive prospect to Morse through her love of crosswords and Vivaldi. In this complex plot, twists and turns are in abundance.

The best part of the episode is clearly centred around the lead character himself. Morse’s affection for Adele enables a revelation of the Christian name that has had a nation guessing for some time. Named Endeavour due to his Quaker upbringing and his father’s passion for Captain Cook (watch for the visual clues) the best line of the night* undoubtedly comes from Lewis on his discovery of Morse’s first name “You poor sod!” he exclaims with feeling. It all ends in the beautiful Georgian city of Bath where Morse romantically takes Adele to the Royal Crescent Hotel which had sinister connotations earlier in the episode.

Filming for the latest Morse episode took place in April and May 1997. I was privileged to be on the set for one memorable moment when I saw author Colin Dexter acting his familiar Hitchcock type appearance, here dressed as a vicar saying Latin grace at the college feast. Watch out for this and all the other marvellous performances in an episode which successfully contains all the traditional and memorable Morsian elements.

* Your editor prefers one of the following lines when Adele replies that obviously it would be inappropriate to use Morse’s Christian name so what should she call him? Lewis ventures, “He likes to be called sir!” is another moment to treasure.