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‘University Politics’: Change and Continuity in Representations of Higher Education Between ITV’s Series Inspector Morse and Colin Dexter’s Morse Novels

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Television Series as Literature

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Abstract

This chapter focuses on the phenomenon of Inspector Morse that includes both the Morse books by Colin Dexter and the Inspector Morse television series, inspired by Dexter, advised on by Dexter, but written and directed by numerous people. It offers an example of books and television series that developed in an intensely enmeshed way, so as to challenge linear notions such as source text and adaptation as well as challenging a deficit model of the television ‘adaptation’ of books. This chapter refutes a prevalent notion that television dumbs down and depoliticises the books that inspire its programming. On the contrary, this chapter argues, Inspector Morse embraces a greater role than the novels in articulating and critiquing higher education policy in 1980s and 1990s Britain.

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References

Morse Novels and Short Stories Cited

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  • ———. 1976. Last Seen Wearing. London: Macmillan.

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  • ———. 1977. The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn. London: Macmillan.

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  • ———. 1981. The Dead of Jericho. London: Macmillan.

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  • ———. 1983. The Riddle of the Third Mile. London: Macmillan.

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  • ———. 1986. The Secret of Annexe 3. London: Macmillan.

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  • ———. 1991. The Jewel That Was Ours. London: Macmillan.

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  • ———. 1992. The Way Through the Woods. London: Macmillan.

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  • ———. 1993. Inspector Morse: Morse’s Greatest Mystery and Other Stories. 2016. London: Macmillan.

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  • ———. 1994. The Daughters of Cain. London: Macmillan.

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Inspector Morse and Lewis Episodes Cited

  • Boyle, Daniel. 1992. “Happy Families.” Inspector Morse. Television program. London: Zenith Productions/Central Independent Television/Carlton Television.

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  • Bradbury, Malcolm. 1998. “The Wench Is Dead.” Inspector Morse. Television program. London: Zenith Productions/Central Independent Television/Carlton Television.

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  • Buckman, P. 1989. The Last Enemy. Inspector Morse. Television program. London: Zenith Productions/Central Independent Television/Carlton Television.

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  • ———. 1991.“Fat Chance.” Inspector Morse. Television program. London: Zenith Productions/Central Independent Television/Carlton Television.

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  • Ellice, Thomas. 1988. “Last Seen Wearing.” Inspector Morse. Television program. London: Zenith Productions/Central Independent Television/Carlton Television.

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  • Jenkins, Helen. 2014. “Entry Wounds.” Lewis. Television program. London: ITV.

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  • Lewis, Russell and Stephen Churchett. 2006. “Reputation.” Lewis. Television program. London: ITV.

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  • Minghella, Anthony. 1987. “The Dead of Jericho.” Inspector Morse. Television program. London: Zenith Productions/Central Independent Television/Carlton Television.

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  • Mitchell, Julian. 1987a. “The Silent Word of Nicholas Quinn.” Inspector Morse. Television program. London: Zenith Productions/Central Independent Television/Carlton Television.

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  • ———. 1987b. “The Wolvercote Tongue.” Inspector Morse. Television program. London: Zenith Productions/Central Independent Television/Carlton Television.

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  • ———. 1989. “Ghost in the Machine.” Inspector Morse. Television program. London: Zenith Productions/Central Independent Television/Carlton Television.

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  • ———. 1990. “Masonic Mysteries.” Inspector Morse. Television program. London: Zenith Productions/Central Independent Television/Carlton Television.

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  • ———. 1992. “Cherubim and Seraphim.” Inspector Morse. Television program. London: Zenith Productions/Central Independent Television/Carlton Television.

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  • ———. 1993. “Twilight of the Gods.” Inspector Morse. Television program. London: Zenith Productions/Central Independent Television/Carlton Television.

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  • ———. 1996. “The Daughters of Cain.” Inspector Morse. Television program. London: Zenith Productions/Central Independent Television/Carlton Television.

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  • ———. 1997. “Death Is Now My Neighbour.” Inspector Morse. Television program. London: Zenith Productions/Central Independent Television/Carlton Television.

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  • Nichols, Peter. 1991. “Greeks Bearing Gifts.” Inspector Morse. Television program. London: Zenith Productions/Central Independent Television/Carlton Television.

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Reference List

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  • ———. 1995. “Shakespearean Authority in the Classic Detective Story.” Shakespeare Quarterly 46 (4): 424–448.

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  • ———. 2007. “Transmedia Storytelling 101.” Confessions of an Aca-fan. http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.html.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bangor University, Bangor, UK

    Sarah Olive

Authors
  1. Sarah Olive
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Correspondence to Sarah Olive .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China

    Reto Winckler

  2. University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    Víctor Huertas-Martín

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Olive, S. (2021). ‘University Politics’: Change and Continuity in Representations of Higher Education Between ITV’s Series Inspector Morse and Colin Dexter’s Morse Novels. In: Winckler, R., Huertas-Martín, V. (eds) Television Series as Literature. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4720-1_13

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