Bring back Superintendent Strange

Firstly, the actor who played Superintendent Strange in Morse, James Grout, was born in 1927. This means that when Morse finished in 2000, he was in reality 73 years old, even if his character was perhaps meant to be a few years younger. Not surprising then that by the time Lewis started in 2006 with the pilot episode, later called "Reputation," the story line was that Superintendent Strange had retired from the police force. If he hadn't, he would have been aged 79!

In reality, the actor himself had poor health for the last years of his life and, apparently, had to give up acting as a direct result of this. Moreover, the actor died in 2012, so, sadly, it would be impossible to bring him back under any circumstances.

On a slightly different tack, I read somewhere once that when ITV planned to bring back Lewis, they wanted, for continuity reasons, to have another character (in addition to Lewis himself) who had connections back to Morse. Since James Grout was unavailable for the reasons given above, they turned to actress Clare Holman (who had played forensic pathologist. Doctor Laura Hobson in the last five episodes of Morse). She agreed to appear in this same role in this sequel show. I bet she never imagined that she would remain with Lewis for the whole ten years of its run, becoming, as time went by, an increasingly important central character.

On such decisions, careers and reputations can often depend!

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You mean Supt. Innocent? I have to admit that during the many scenes when she was berating Lewis in her office, my mind pictured him doing rather naughty things with her. I'm sorry.

It's nice to hear Rebecca Front narrating 'The Supervet' in recent years. She has a lovely voice.

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remember: tv is called PROGRAMMING, items of news are STORIES

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I agree that Rebecca Front's Jean Innocent was written to be strict and remote, even harsh, in the first couple of seasons, but rest assured that she became a great deal warmer in subsequent years. Eventually she seemed to regard Lewis and Hathaway as her best detectives and special favorites, granting them privileges and even going out with them socially (to the pub in a group, not on dates, of course).

I used to wonder if the writers hadn't gone too far, in fact. In a real life work situation a manager can't afford to show that kind of partiality.

Perhaps this is why, in the final season (season 9), which hasn't aired in the United States yet, Jean Innocent's character is moved on somehow and a new superintendent is installed. I gather from comments by those who have seen the newest shows that he isn't the warm, indulgent supervisor that Jean Innocent had become. I suspect that the producers wanted to introduce a new element of conflict and tension into the narratives.

And I can't imagine what "m" word you could be referring to. Matron?

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I think that as female bosses go she isn't bad. i don't think she's as aggressive as they sometimes are.

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I loved Strange as well, with his no nonsense "Now you listen to me matey" attitude, and the grudging respect he had for Morse, and that he cared for Morse...almost in a fatherly way when coming down on him for scotch in his teacup.

But Lewis kind of makes a jump, and we're suddenly in the "World of Modern Policing", whatever that is, and I think Innocent is a perfect fit for that. As you get to know her, she isn't always bitchy, and is often supportive. And unlike Strange, she pitches in with ideas, and helps with the cases. I like her. Lewis doesn't need a Strange. Morse did.

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with the exception of Helen Mirren as Tennyson

Helen Mirren's character was SO uptight and ANGRY; always ready to explode for no reason! She seemed 100% menopausal.

She was basically a NIGHTMARE as an employee! She took her MOODS out on everyone around her! She complained, or grouched, all the time; or she was silent and "stomped around." She couldn't get along with her superiors, nor with those under her. She wasn't a team player; she "grated" on everyone. She ALWAYS had something to say, but not until everything blew up. Yet, when she could mitigate a circumstance, by sharing information, she holds back.

Most annoying was her constant "harried/worried" demeanor. She was ALWAYS running late while she kept others waiting, so she must have been very disorganized! To get out of the door (either at home or at work) she was always "pulling on a jacket" while doing a running-walk, or frantically searching for keys, or grabbing at papers on the way, or mumbling incoherent statements. She desperately needed her coffee but never budgeted time to drink it, and she NEVER combed her dang hair!

She couldn't have a healthy relationship with men, not those at work nor those she "dated." In fact, she would BLAME the men that she was with, for being "not what she needed" and "not what was good for her." She was HORRIBLE to her father, then whined that he preferred her sister. She was NASTY to her sister, then complained that her sister never called or included her. Helen Mirren has an "arch" demeanor anyway, but when she tried to make her "Jane Tennyson" character "more human," the character appeared weak, ambivalent, paranoid, or borderline nuts.

I couldn't STAND her character! She (Helen Mirren AND Jane Tennyson) had that incomprehensible "post-feminist" view that to be a "strong woman," one is a rude, judgmental, incompetent, man-hater.

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What happened to CS Jean Innocent? She was on the show for years then all of a sudden this Moody guy showed up, did I miss something?

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