Plot Synopsis

Detective Inspector Robert Lewis, the former working-class foil to the erudite Detective Inspector Morse, is an Oxford policeman who tackles murder and mayhem with the help of his young partner, Detective Sgt. James Hathaway, and pathologist Dr. Laura Hobson. Cases include: the murder of a quiz competition contestant during a quiet summer holiday at an empty Oxford campus; the discovery of a body on an Oxford bus, leading Lewis and Hathaway to a sprawling Oxford estate where Hathaway spent much of his childhood; the murder of the Master of Gresham College, whose body is found at the foot of the University Observatory stairs, leading Lewis and Hathaway to find that the finger of suspicion points at the staff; two murders that share a link with their own Dr. Hobson whose name Lewis and Hathaway must clear; the murder of a prominent student at a reunion for Oxford's remaining all-female college; the poisoning of a bishop, who they suspect was murdered for her progressive views; and a brutal bludgeoning that seems to be a blackmail plot gone wrong, but turns into a case much more dark and sinister. PBS aired the U.S premiere of INSPECTOR LEWIS on Sunday, June 22, 2008 at 9pm ET. Five years later on Sunday, June 16, 2013, PBS presented the U.S. debut of Season 6 of INSPECTOR LEWIS at 9pm ET/PT. On Sunday, October 5, 2014 at 9-10:30pm (check local listings), PBS aired the U.S. premiere of Season 7 of INSPECTOR LEWIS, which follows Lewis and Hathaway as their partnership is renewed under altered circumstances. The Season 7 opener reveals why Lewis rejoins the force after his retirement. In subsequent episodes, the duo's abilities are tested in the investigation of a student's brutal murder and Lewis' reputation is at risk as a new string of murders recalls an old case, now reopened. INSPECTOR LEWIS returned for its final season in America -- 10 months after it debuted in the UK -- as PBS broadcast the U.S. premiere of the new season on Sunday, August 7, 2016 at 9pm (check local listings). In the season opener, "One for Sorrow," learn if Lewis, who needs to prove himself to a new boss, and Hathaway can establish a connection between the remains of a body discovered in a well and the death of a young artist. Hathaway finally gets to know his estranged father. Then in "Magnus Opus," an Oxford college dean is found bludgeoned to death following a heated debate in a pub. An alchemic image purposefully left at the crime scene leads Lewis and Hathaway to anticipate that more murders will follow. An unusual tattoo on the dean's body and the bodies of two more victims leads to a discovery and a frantic effort to prevent another murder. Meanwhile, Hathaway is struggling to accept his father's illness.
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PBS broadcast the series finale, "What Lies Tangled," on Sunday, August 21, 2016 at 9pm (check local listings). In the series ender, an eminent mathematician is killed in a bomb attack, and Lewis and Hathaway quickly discover the victim was a notorious philanderer with many enemies. When a bomb is discovered at the home of the victim's brother, also a mathematician, the case moves in another direction. Then a chemistry professor is murdered. Meanwhile, Lewis' long-planned trip with his girlfriend is put in jeopardy.