Inspector Lewis: Series 8

At this point in the popular British series Inspector Lewis—a spin-off of the equally popular Inspector Morse—Lewis (Kevin Whatley) is retired from the department but continues to work as a consultant on a contract basis, while his former junior partner Hathaway (Laurence Fox), a brilliant investigator with poor social skills and an arrogant manner, is a Detective Sergeant in his own right. With a new Chief Superintendent (Steve Toussaint) taking over the Oxford Police, Lewis is concerned with making sure that Hathaway has the tools he needs to work well with others, in particular the new chief (who Hathaway has a tendency to rile up with sarcastic remarks). All of this is background for three new cases being investigated: a corpse found in a well, the murder of a college dean, and a parcel bomb at Oxford University. Hanging over all three mysteries is Hathaway's troubled relationship with his ailing, estranged father and Lewis's apprehension over a six-month leave to visit relatives in New Zealand with his wife Laura (Clare Hobson), who is also the police coroner. Lewis has been a detective all his life, giving him a purpose that he's afraid he'll lose if they leave. Fans will find a comforting level of familiarity here: deliberate pacing, understated workplace dynamics, and police work grounded in interviews, investigation, and conversation rather than car chases and shootouts. Airing on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery stateside, this six-episode 2015 eighth series is recommended. (S. Axmaker)