Those of you who frequent the Cozy Mystery site’s TV & Movies page know how much I enjoyed the Inspector Morse mystery television series – which was then followed by the Lewis television series. Well, Endeavor is the prequel to the Inspector Morse series. The Morse shows are based on the mystery books written by Colin Dexter.
Endeavor is played by Shaun Evans, and he does a wonderful job. When the show begins, Endeavor is a detective constable – who went to Oxford on a scholarship. Luckily he has the very capable Detective Chief Inspector Fred Thursday (the excellent Roger Allam) as his immediate superior. For some reason, Thursday’s immediate superior doesn’t like Morse. (I suppose there always has to be a jerky boss!) And there’s a lot of professional jealousy among Endeavor’s peers because DCI Thursday seems to prefer working with Morse. (That’s the problem of being so much better at your job than anyone else!)
The show is set in the 1960s – way before a lot of things that we take for granted these days were invented… no cell phones, internet access for background checks, etc. Instead, these are back-to-the-basics, hitting-the-pavement types of cases. For those of you who haven’t watched Endeavor yet, you’re in luck. There are eight seasons. (Seasons 1-7 are available to watch on Prime.)
Shaun Evans (Endeavor) does a great job replicating a lot of the original Morse’s (John Thaw) mannerisms. And, as an added bonus, Abigail Thaw (the daughter of the original Morse – John Thaw) portrays the journalist from whom Endeavor gets a lot of his background information.
The relationship between Endeavor & DCI Thursday is terrific. DCI Thursday is not only Endeavor’s mentor, but also seems to be very fatherly toward Endeavor. Both Roger Allam & Shawn Evans are excellent!
My husband and I enjoyed the original Inspector Morse shows very much. So much so that I doubted I would enjoy Endeavor. Boy, was I wrong! I think we actually enjoy Endeavor more! These mysteries set in 1960s Oxford are a real treat to watch. The scenery, acting, writing, depiction of the class differences (snobby upper vs. working class), wardrobe, actually everything makes Endeavor a must-see for mystery buffs.
PS: Don’t expect long car chases, female detectives in their stilettoes running after criminals, or shoot-outs! Endeavor is available on Amazon Prime Video (seasons 1-8 as of the time of this writing).
Also, if you’re interested in taking a look at some other good mystery shows, make sure to go to my Cozy Mystery TV and Movies page.
