Not having a university education- watching the show "Lewis"- is it almost that bad in the UK?

[Evangeli]

I'm watching and really enjoying the TV show "Lewis"- I used to love Morse, and I'm a sucker for that kind of British murder mystery.

I used to live in the UK but haven't done so for at least twenty years. I live in Canada.

What really strikes me is that almost every 5 minutes there's some reference to Lewis's lack of university education. Just now:
The doctor says: "It's "Merchant of Venice"
Lewis (looking really confused and clearly making an effort): "That's the one about the pound of flesh, right"
Doctor smiles and rolls eyes "Yes Lewis".

And this is constant with his educated sergeant.

I get the show is set in Oxford and the running set-up is they're surrounded by academic types, and also it's a tv show and not real life. But still. This kind of thing would be really bad manners irl! and it is constant throughout each episode. I remember the difference in education and class between Morse and Lewis from the originals, but looking back, I feel it wasn't so blatant- I mean it was clearly there, but wasn't being openly referenced every five minutes.

I guess my question is: if you don't have a university degree in the UK, are going to be reminded of it continuously by your colleagues? Or are the writers completely fictionalizing?

I think Lawrence Fox's character is meant to be a genius or something. Very bookish. Lewis isn't meant to be.

I have a degree and work in an industry where most people don't. It never comes up!

Most people I work with have Masters, PhDs and/or MBAs. I don't think people look down on people without a university education (most off us would be pretty impressed by someone who had worked their way up from technician level), but I think we do all just simply assume that everyone we talk to is university educated.

People do make ridiculous jokes in Latin still, but that's the Civil Service for you. Especially amongst older staff there is still a high % of privately educated (hence the Latin), but things are changing and the younger cohorts tend to be from much more diverse backgrounds.

*of us