Comedian Alan Davies joined other actors at an Oxford college to film his guest appearance in the Inspector Morse spin-off Lewis.

The star of Jonathan Creek and QI is playing a quizmaster in Sudden Death Question, the second of four new episodes of the ITV drama set in Oxford.

The film crew was shooting scenes at Merton College and the Cherwell boathouse in Bardwell Road, North Oxford.

Last month, Lewis actors Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox, who play Det Insp Robbie Lewis and Sgt Hathaway, appeared in scenes at Oriel College and in Broad Street, for the first of the new episodes, Dark Matter.

Mr Davies said: “I’m delighted to be here in Oxford and joining the Lewis team.

“I was here in Oxford a couple of weeks ago doing a Horizon film and I used to come here when the QI Club in Turl Street was open so I know the place quite well.”

A sudden shower forced the 70-strong film crew to move out of the college grounds into the college chapel for a scene involving Mr Davies and actress Ruth Gemmell.

Author Colin Dexter, from North Oxford, who wrote the Inspector Morse novels on which the TV series was based, turned up for his traditional cameo role in each episode.

He said: “It’s lovely to be with the crew again for my cameo – I don’t think I will ever be in the running for a BAFTA.”

Lewis producer Chris Burt added: “The weather has been up and down, which makes filming more difficult.

“When it rained we decided to film inside this beautiful college chapel instead.

“Oxford is one of the main characters in Lewis and Inspector Morse, and the audience love watching because of the beauty of the architecture.

“I know the crew would love to make a fifth series of Lewis and ideally I would like to see the series match Inspector Morse, with 33 films made.

“The selling of Lewis around the world has been very successful, and the sales of DVDs has been very high.”

Mr Burt added that he hoped the four latest episodes would be screened early next year.

Third assistant director Emma Peter said at Tuesday’s filming: “It’s gorgeous being here in Oxford and the film crew really look forward to it. We get a big following from the tourists and members of the public who like to stop and watch.”

Episodes of Lewis regularly attract 8m viewers and there was relief when ITV confirmed it was commissioning a fourth series, despite being forced to make cutbacks in other dramas.