Hello everyone and welcome to a new post. I hope this post finds you all well, mentally as well as physically. Personally, I am recovering from the side effects of my first Covid vaccination that I received on Tuesday.
This is a fun post based on the idea of who would you invite to create your ideal dinner party. The guests have to be the from Morse, Lewis or Endeavour series. Why you choose them must be based on the character not the actor playing them. It can be any characters dead or alive. Give a reason why you chose a particular character. You cannot choose the young or older Morse, Lewis or Hathaway or Colin Dexter. You have to choose EIGHT guests. Let me know in the comments who you would chose and why.
Here are my eight guests and why in no particular order.
- Nicole Burgess (Death of the Self. MORSE series). If the conversation ever waned then Nicole could sing for us.
2. Desmond McNutt. (Masonic Mysteries. MORSE series). I would have so many questions about what Morse was like under his tutelage.
3. Hugo DeVries (Masonic Mysteries. MORSE series). He may be an evil man but he is fascinating. I would have a lot of questions for him. One question would be why such an intelligent man turned his intelligence to crime.
4. James Strange (The older character played by James Grout). So many questions. Did his membership of the Masons ever compromise his duties as a police officer? What was his life like as a submariner? And many more.
5. Chief Superintendent Bright. I am sure Bright would make a fascinating guest and would be able to keep us entertained with stories about his time in India.
6. Philip Horton (And the Moonbeams Kiss the Sea. LEWIS series). If the conversation ever flagged Philip could entertain us with poetry readings. I would also like to know how he coped with University after Nell’s death. What was his career choice?
7. Dr Laura Hobson. Why? Do you have to ask? 😉
8. Simon Flaxmore (The Lions of Nemea, LEWIS series). I believe Simon would be a fascinating man. How did he fool his university so convincingly and why did he reinvent himself as a scholar of Euripedes.
Well that was harder than I thought it would be. I hope you enjoy thinking of who your eight guests would be. I look forward to reading your comments.
Subscribing to this website can be done in two ways.
If you have a WordPress account then click the ‘following’ button. If you don’t have a WordPress account then enter your email and click the subscribe button. Entering the email only means subscribing to my website you will NOT be creating a WordPress account. (WordPress are the company that I pay to use their platform).
My book on the Lewis TV series can be bought at Amazon in paperback and for the Kindle.
If you have a WordPress account then click the ‘following’ button. If you don’t have a WordPress account then enter your email and click the subscribe button. Entering the email only means subscribing to my website you will NOT be creating a WordPress account. (WordPress are the company that I pay to use their platform).
To help run my website I have set up a Paypal account for donations. Thank you to all those who have made donations.
My Twitter, https://twitter.com/Jag248RPA?lang=en-gb
My Twitch Channel; https://www.twitch.tv/morselewisendeavour
My Youtube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjIIGCcVpSIFwtRlS8hKWDA?view_as=subscriber
I have started my own Facebook page. It is primarily an extension of this website. I decided to start the Facebook page as there has been times when I have an update to a review post or some interesting news or information but it was all to small to make into a full blown post here on my website. So, come and join and keep up-to-date with all that happens in the Morse universe.
My Facebook Page; https://www.facebook.com/groups/1084993125023468/
I would like to say a huge thank you to those who have become Patrons of the site and also a huge thank you to those who have made donations. What do I mean by Patrons?
What is Patreon? Patreon is a membership platform that makes it easy for artists and creators to get paid. It’s a membership platform that provides business tools for creators to run a subscription content service, with ways for artists to build relationships with their subscribers, or “patrons”.
With Patreon you set up how much you wish to pay monthly. There are three tiers, $5, $10 and $15. It’s like paying for a magazine subscription.
Patreon primarily uses Paypal which is easy to join and a safe way to send money. https://www.paypal.com/uk/home
Here is my Patreon account where you can read more about it, https://www.patreon.com/morseandlewisandendeavour
Here is where to find me on Twitch; https://www.twitch.tv/morselewisendeavour
Here is my Pinterest page https://www.pinterest.co.uk/christopher0210/
At last but not least please think about buying my book on the Lewis TV series.
My choices for dinner guests:1. Max, for his witticisms and experiences 2. Jakes, his life story and how he fared in America 3.Susan, why she chose Fallon over Morse, 4. Thursday, his funny sayings, his war time experiences, and what made him “fall foul.” 5. Rosalind Calloway, why jealousy drove her to commit such awful acts when she was so talented and beautiful, 6. Bixby, his sad life story, his lost love, and how he became so rich but still unhappy, 7. Bagshot, all her stories about spies, 8. Dr. Marriott, for his work with death with dignity.
Good choices Kathleen. With so many great characters in the Morse Universe did you find it a hard to choose. By the way, which Max? The younger or older?
I did find it hard to choose. The younger Max would be my preference. I do like Frances’ choice of Ogleby as well as he would be very interesting to speak with, so intelligent.
Robbie and Laura. That’s pretty much all I want. Maybe Fancy, Trewlove and Monica. I watched Endeavor first but much prefer Lewis.
Oh what a difficult task– so many wonderful characters to choose from. My list was very long, but I finally picked out 8. Here they are, not in order of preference.
1. Liv Nash (The Soul of Genius) I found her quite charming and very bright and articulate. Would like to talk gardening with her. I know Hathaway can’t make it to dinner, but maybe he could drop by later to take Liv home?
2. Philip Horton (And the Mountains Kiss the Sea) Because I like him, and I would like to find out what direction his life has taken.
3. Max de Bryn — witty, no doubt a great conversationalist.
4. Jean Innocent– ditto. Also I would just like to know her better.
5. Donald Ogleby (The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn) Another character I’d like to know better–I’m sure he’d be interesting to listen to.
6. Margaret Gold (Whom the Gods Would Destroy) Interesting woman with hidden depths.
7. Anthony Donn-(Deceived By Flight) We were not given enough time with him. I’d like to think he got rid of Kate and survived to find a happy life. Lovely character.
8. Philippa Garwood (the Lions of Nemea) Another lovely character, one I’d like to know better.
I think this group would provide an evening of very enjoyable conversation. My problem would be– what shall I serve? I wonder how they would respond to Ozarks hill-country cooking.
Great list Frances. The Morse Universe has so many great characters it is extremely difficult to only chose eight. Nice to see we both chose the lovely Philip Horton.
Philip Horton is such an endearing character, certainly one of my very favorite characters in the Morse Universe.
Ah, Margaret Gold. Yes, such an interesting character.
I love competence. And I think these characters who show that trait have something lurking under the surface. I will ask them all to do the same thing: ‘tell me a story about yourself’. I have only seven because I like an even number at table. Most of them have been known to raise a glass so hopefully some interesting and revealing conversation will ensue.
1) Jean Innocent (Lewis)
2) Dorothea Frazil (Endeavour)
3) Fred Thursday (Endeavour)
4) Professor Selina Cadell (Lewis – Allegory of Love)
5) Professor Hamid Jassim (Lewis – Allegory of Love)
6) Dempsey (Endeavour – Pilot)
7) Professor Margaret Gold (Lewis – Whom the Gods Would Destroy)
And the also-rans:
– Andrew Lipton (Lewis – The Indelible Stain) – because he might reciprocate and invite me to his beautiful cottage, but perhaps his prison experience has made him a less appealing dinner guest.
– Professor Norman Deering (Lewis – Allegory of Love) and/or Philip Coleman (Lewis – Dead of WInter) – both delightfully hammy and probably great entertainment…although the rest of us might end up staring with mouths agape. Will keep them in case someone cancels at the last minute.
(Aha! This is why I like Lewis so much. These wonderful gems of small character roles. A benefit I think of setting the stories in the colleges…my list is heavy on academics. If Hathaway was allowed, he would be the only person on the list and I would ask him to tell me seven stories. I think he might struggle with that though.)
Oh Dempsey ( absolutely love his character) and Frazil, good ones! I better make my dinner a banquet because I would keep adding people.
Interesting choices, and good point about how vivid many of these minor characters are. They reside in our memory years after we’ve watched an episode.
Great choices, I especially like your choice of Professor (Bernie) Rutherford, (Selina Cadell).
Ha ha thanks for the tactful correction! Of course she was Professor Rutherford.
OK, here goes, I’m afraid it does show my age
1. Susan. Not that we are gossipy, not at all, not in any way. But…
2. Max. The elder, I think, just for the extra self-confidence
3. Laura. You really have to ask? Really?
4 Walter Majors. A proper professional story man
5 Dorethea Frazil. Real actual knowledge
6. Fr Moreno Mancini. An intellectual counterpoint to all these infidels and a man who can Bring-a-Bottle. Or
three. Always welcome
7. Gwladys Probert. Sublime to ridiculous at the drop of a hat. Fabulous
8 Harry Field’s Dad. So what’s wrong with Raphael anyway?
A last thought. Is all this with or without Morse and Lewis?
You’re brave, inviting Gwladys. Expect some broken crockery before the night is over.
I like your choices Kenny especially Walter Majors and Harry Field’s dad.
I love everybody’s lists. Many of those were on my original list, from which there had to be 8 chosen, but I’d forgotten that delightful Walter Majors.
I might have to host two or more dinners.
Oh, This is fun. I’m impressed by everyone else’s lists. I realized, after my first three choices were women, that it might be fun to have an all-gal gathering. And I chose people with whom I’d want to spend time.
1) Dorothea Fraziel. Smart, brave, knows every murder committed in Oxford and can get me into the archives.
2) Jean Innocent. Might be a bit testy, but has tickets for the best concerts.
3) Lizzie Maddox. Brilliant, fun. Will not be our designated driver.
4)D.S. Maitland, Driven to Distraction. Good detective, can hold her own among unenlightened coppers.
5) Emma Pickford, Fat Chance. Smart, good humored, breaking boundaries but not so ambitious as to lose her compassion.
6) Adele Cecil, Death is Now My Neighbor. Talented, good humored, no one’s fool.
7) Nell Buckley, And the Moonbeams. Imaginative, bright, charming. After dinner, we’ll all go to see the crocodile 🐊
8)Miranda Thornton, Generation of Vipers. She needs a night out with some strong women who will buck her up.
Of course, I ought to invite Laura Hobson, but I assumed she’d be at your dinner, Chris.
Great choices Mary Ann. It’s not until one puts together a list such as this that one realises how many wonderful characters inhabit the Morse Universe.
Oh how could I have forgotten to invite Dorothea Frazil, a favorite character of mine! She would have some stories to tell about Oxford history and she’s a wealth of information of past crimes committed there. Not to mention her war time experiences as a woman reporter, tough independent and smart all around! Chris, you gave us such a hard task having to chose only 8. I want to invite them all.
Mine (in no particular order)
1. Joan (all those gaps – what happened after she left the hospital and lost the baby)
2. Laura (another with gaps – between Morse series and Lewis and all those PM’s over the years)
3. Adrian Kershaw (The Wench is Dead – was Morse’s sidekick whilst Lewis was absent but we never heard of him again?)
4. Hugo de Vries – is he Ludo (and mainly as I loved the original actor)
5. Old and young Strange – is that cheating…… I think the younger Strange would just be fun at a party
6. Bettina Pettybon – hoping like Joan she found her voice and independence
7. Dorothea – because I think having her and Laura in the same room would be fascinating – also the actresses that play her and Joan often lament that they have never had a scene together.
8. Anthony Donn – why was he such a great friend to Morse but then clearly never saw him again for decades (also loved Daniel Massey who played him and made him such an interesting older character)
Lots more I am sure that i have completely forgotten……if I could have a 9th would be Jean Innocent – again, her, Laura and Dorothea at the same dinner table would be fascinating and a lot of fun as well I think.
Great challenge, Chris, and my 8 guests would be
1 & 2 – Max DeBryn and Laura Hobson – how interesting to have two brilliant pathologists sharing their comparative thoughts
3 & 4 – Chancellor Lord Hinksey (Twilight of the Gods) and Professor Ian Matthews (Harry Field) – two vastly different Oxford academics- with very strong views of fund raising for the university with much humor
5 – Hilary Dobson (Fat Chance) – she can be counted on to always express her thoughts in no uncertain terms and would be a catalyst for animated conversation
6 – Inspector Bright – his intelligence and grace would simply be a pleasure to be near – my apologies to his wife as she did not make the cut.
7 & 8 – Harry Field and Anthony Donn – both men are selfish choices on my part as they are vastly different characters but both intrigue me and the table would really be full of lively discourse and much wine drinking. Yee haw, such fun!
Interesting coice Carolyn. Hilary Dobson is a good choice.
On my goodness, what a tough question. I’m going to steal the plot from Agatha Christie’s “Cards On The Table” and assemble a guest list of four sleuths and four villains:
The four “sleuths” would be:
1. Dr DeBryn (the older version. Sharp sense of humour)
2. DS Maitland from Driven to Distraction (Principled but waspish)
3. Bright (Love the old school manners and the stories of his time overseas)
4. Ronnie Box (Just to find out whether he survived the shooting. Can’t forgive Russell Lewis for that Loose end).
The four villains would be:
1. Hugo DeVries (The ultimate charmer).
2. Zoe Kennith (from Life Born of Fire. Utterly ruthless, but a tortured soul).
3. Lady Hornbury (Ghost In The Machine. Classy and a lover of Tosca).
4. Vernon Ox ( Counter Culture Blues. A killing machine, but a very funny killing machine).
I’d love to squeeze in an amateur sleuth and invite Michelle Marber. I think Celia Imrie gave my favourite performance out of all the Lewis episodes.