千朵桃花一世开

　　Inspector Morse is a British detective drama television series based on a series of novels by Colin Dexter. It starred John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. The series comprises 33 two-hour episodes (100 minutes excluding commercials) — 20 more episodes than there are novels — produced between 1987 and 2000. Dexter made uncredited cameo appearances in all but three of the episodes.

　　Morse and Lewis investigate the death of Laura Poindexter, an American tourist who is part of an exclusive tour group visiting Oxford. Missing from her personal effects is her jewelry, including the Wolvercote Tongue which she was going to donate to the Ashmolean Museum. The pathologist determines that she died of natural causes, but Morse feels there's something not quite right. The mystery deepens when Theodore Kemp, the Ashmolean's expert on the Wolvercote Tongue, is found dead and Mrs. Poindexter's husband goes missing.

　　Morse finds himself the subject of a murder investigation when his friend, Beryl Newsome, is murdered at a rehearsal of the Magic Flute and he foolishly touches the murder weapon. Morse is suspended and DCI Bottomley, with DS Lewis assisting him, is put in charge of the case. Morse feels that he was set-up and looks to his past to see who, among the many criminals he arrested, might now be setting about seeking revenge. When someone scratches masonic symbols all over his car and he is reported for erratic driving, Morse wonders if Masons may somehow be involved. When a large number of his personal items are found in Beryl's apartment, Morse is placed under arrest.

　　Deputy Assistant Commissioner Charlie Hillian is killed on the night of his retirement party. Hillian was at one time a senior officer in Oxford and was in fact Morse's boss. He was also writing a book about his most memorable cases, including one about the unsolved death of an 8-year-old girl some 18 years ago. The suspect in that case, Frederick Redpath, was at Hillian's house the day he died and that chapter from the manuscript is missing. There are other suspects however, including Hillian's ghost writer who will now receive all of the book's royalties; a handyman who was working on the property; and Redpath's daughter, who knew the little girl who was killed all those years before. Morse comes into conflict with with a colleague DCI Dawson, who was one of Hillian's protégés, as they again look into the little girl's death.

　　Henry Fallon, who is wheelchair bound and is suffering from a neurological disorder, apparently commits suicide and Morse has mixed feelings working on this case as he was once engaged to the dead man's wife, Susan Fallon. The body was found by his son-in-law Peter Rhodes, a local antiques dealer and the victim's wife was in London. When Fallon's doctor advises Morse that Henry didn't have the physical capability to hold a gun to his head, the police realize they may have a murder on their hands. When the police are told that the business arrangement between Fallon and Rhodes had fallen apart, they also have a suspect. Lewis is concerned that Morse is too close to Mrs. Fallon to be objective but in the end, the perpetrators are identified.

　　《摩斯探长前传》第一季于2013年4月在英国独立电视台播出，共由《女郎》、《赋格》、《火箭》、《回家》四个故事组成。该剧主人公改编自经典的侦探形象——摩斯探长，而饰演摩斯的Shaun Evans的表演也为这部剧添光不少，他将摩斯的个性表现的非常丰富，有点忧郁，有点张狂，又有点可爱。

　　《摩斯探长前传》第二季于2014年3-4月在英国ITV播出，新一季由《宝藏》、《夜曲》、《摇摆》、《永无乡》四个故事组成，单集片长为90分钟，Russell Lewis担任编剧，Shaun Evans继续出演主角警探摩斯，摩斯探长系列小说原作者Colin Dexter依旧为本剧担任顾问。四集导演分别由Kristoffer Nyholm、Giuseppe Capotondi、Andy Wilson、Geoffrey Sax担任。

　　《摩斯探长前传》第三季确定于2016年1月在ITV播出。新季将以1967年为背景，剧情承接第二季结尾，依旧由Shaun Evans和Roger Allam联合主演，Russell Lewis担任编剧，摩斯探长系列小说作者Colin Dexter担任顾问。本季四集的标题分别为《旅程》、《桃源》、《狩猎》、《终曲》。

　　《摩斯探长前传》第四季于2017年1月回归ITV，本季共四集，标题分别为《游戏》、《圣歌》、《检疫》、《丰收》。剧情以1967年为背景，承接第三季结尾，由Shaun Evans和Roger Allam主演，Russell Lewis担任编剧，摩斯探长系列小说作者Colin Dexter担任顾问。

　　《摩斯探长前传》第五季共6集，剧情以1968年为背景，于2018年2月在英国独立电视台播出。

　　《摩斯探长前传》第六季共4集，剧情以1969年为背景，于2019年2月在英国独立电视台播出。

　　《摩斯探长前传》第七季共3集，剧情以1970年为背景，于2020年2月在英国独立电视台播出。