The Dead of Jericho (6 Jan. 1987)

Morse is taken aback by the apparent suicide of Anne Staveley. Morse knew her well as they were members of the same choir and he was quite attracted to her. On the evening of the choir's ... See full summary »

Director:

Alastair Reid

Writers:

Anthony Minghella (screenplay), Colin Dexter (novel)

Stars:

John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Gemma Jones

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
John Thaw	...	Chief Inspector Morse
Kevin Whately	...	Detective Sergeant Lewis
Gemma Jones	...	Anne Staveley
Patrick Troughton	...	George Jackson
James Laurenson	...	Tony Richards
Peter Woodthorpe	...	Max - Pathologist
Norman Jones	...	Chief Inspector Bell
Spencer Leigh	...	Ned Murdoch
Annie Lambert	...	Adele Richards
Richard Durden	...	Alan Richards
James Grout	...	Chief Superintendent Strange
Charlotte Mitchell	...	Mrs Staveley
David Michaels	...	Pete
Paul Dixey	...	Tutor
Christopher Guinee	...	Grimes

Storyline

Morse is taken aback by the apparent suicide of Anne Staveley. Morse knew her well as they were members of the same choir and he was quite attracted to her. On the evening of the choir's public performance, Morse stops by her house to collect her but finds her front door open and no one at home. On his way home after the performance he sees several police vehicles outside her house and it appears Anne has hung herself. When her nosy neighbour is also killed, Morse is convinced that Anne was murdered.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 January 1987 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Blackwell's Bookshop - 48-51 Broad Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Central Independent Television, Zenith Entertainment

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

In the 2000s, ITV created new end-credit sequences for repeat showings of many of their successful programmes of previous years, including Inspector Morse. In the new credits at the end of The Dead of Jericho, they have erroneously credited James Laurenson with the part of Colin, in addition to the Richards brother whom he did actually play.

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Soundtracks

"Gloria"
(uncredited)
Music by Antonio Vivaldi

User Reviews

Brilliant start to a wonderful series!

Inspector Morse is just amazing, with complex characters, well outlined stories, and well-crafted scripts. The first episode The Dead of Jericho is just brilliant, you can't help cheering, when Morse arrives on screen in the Jaguar to Vivaldi's Gloria. I don't think Dead Of Jericho is the best Morse episode, but it definitely worth a watch, and I couldn't fault it really. I loved the soundtrack; when Morse is listening to Porgi D'Amour from Marriage of Figaro with a sad expression on his face, I just wanted to reach into the television and hug him. John Thaw is magnificent in the title role, maintaining that standard all the way through the series' run. Thaw adopted a more likable and sensitive character than his novelistic counterpart, and it is this portrayal that I do prefer. Kevin Whately also shines as Lewis, a young and quite charming character, who when compared to Morse couldn't be more different, and it is the characters' relationships toward each other that make the series so compelling. Also worth noting are contributions from the late Patrick Troughton as the blackmailing neighbour,Gemma Jones as the unfortunate Anne, James Laurenson as the "prime suspect" and the lovely Annie Lambert as his fiery wife. The script is well crafted, and there is an intriguing unpredictable storyline, and while it isn't faithful to the book, it is still an excellent episode. 10/10 Bethany Cox.