Inspector Morse Creator Colin Dexter Passes Away at 86
By Lacy Baugher
Colin Dexter, beloved author of the Inspector Morse novels, has passed away at the age of 86.
Colin Dexter, author of the popular Inspector Morse series of crime novels, has passed away at the age of 86.
Per The Independent, Dexter’s publisher confirmed the news in a statement on Tuesday morning.
"“With immense sadness, MacMillan announces the death of Colin Dexter who died peacefully at his home in Oxford this morning.”"
Born in Lincolnshire in 1930, Dexter studied classics at Cambridge and was a teacher before he became an author. His Morse – a cerebral curmudgeon with a love of ale and crossword puzzles – is an iconic character in mystery fiction.
All told, Dexter wrote thirteen Morse novels and sold millions of copies. His first, Last Bus to Woodstock, was published in 1975 and written while the author was on holiday in Wales. His final Morse story, The Remorseful Day, appeared in 1999. Along the way, Dexter won many crime fiction awards, and received an OBE in 2000 for his services to literature.
ITV adapted Dexter’s novels into the long-running British mystery series Inspector Morse, which starred John Thaw. A huge hit in England, it became a staple on every PBS station in America. (Many of your PBS stations probably still run it.) Morse clocked in at 33 episodes in its own right and spawned both a spinoff (Inspector Lewis) and a prequel (Endeavour). Lewis wrapped up its run in 2016 after nine seasons, but Endeavour is still going strong. Its fourth season recently aired in the U.K. and should hit your local PBS station later this year. (It’s also already renewed for a fifth.)
Actor Laurence Fox, who played Morse’s sidekick Lewis and went on to headline his own spinoff series based on the character, mourned Dexter’s passing on Twitter.
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Dexter famously made cameos in almost every episode of Inspector Morse. He also popped up regularly on Endeavour until the most recent season. And since he played everything from a homeless man to a teacher, spotting his in-episode appearance was something of a game for many fans.