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Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Inspector Morse Prequel: Masterpiece Mystery!

Variety reports that PBS "Masterpiece Mystery!" will air a prequel to "Inspector Morse," with Shaun Evans playing the title character.  

The single-episode "Endeavour," a reference to Morse's first name, will air on PBS in 2012 to mark the 25th anniversary of the "Morse" bow (written by Anthony Minghella). ITV1 will air the prequel in the U.K.

"Inspector Morse was one of my favorite detectives," said "Masterpiece" exec producer Rebecca Eaton. "Shaun Evans has a similar depth and quiet charm. I can't wait to see his Endeavour."

In all, 33 previous episodes of "Morse," with John Thaw starring, have been made. All but five aired from 1987-93, with nearly annual specials following from 1995-2000. Thaw died in 2002.

Prequel will be set in 1965 and takes place in Oxford, the setting for "Morse" and spinoff series "Inspector Lewis," which will see four new episodes on "Masterpiece" beginning Sept. 4. Russell Lewis, creator of the spinoff, is writing "Endeavour."

Hat Tip: Shelf Awareness
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6 comments:

  1. Esri RoseAugust 9, 2011 at 9:55 AM

    I'm really excited about this! My husband and I were talking about how you get a wonderfully consistent product from Masterpiece Mystery, in terms of tone, production values, violence level, etc. It's a reliably high-quality product.

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  2. Sandy CodyAugust 9, 2011 at 10:14 AM

    I'll be watching for this one. Morse is one of my favorites too. Agree with Esri about Masterpiece Mystery.

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  3. AnnOxfordAugust 9, 2011 at 9:51 PM

    Thanks, Janet, for this terrific news! Can't wait for that and the new Inspector Lewis episodes.

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  4. Wendy DingwallAugust 10, 2011 at 2:01 PM

    I couldn't agree more with the other comments. My husband and I are big Morse fans, as well as Mystery Masterpiece. The British series are always so well acted, and the mysteries are excellent!

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  5. Pattie @ Olla-PodridaAugust 17, 2011 at 8:02 AM

    I felt a huge loss when John Thaw passed away. I'll be anxious to see how his character is treated by this actor. I hope it comes out as well as Inspector Lewis has. Having lived for a short while in Oxford, I always enjoy the scenery as much as the story.

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  6. dhirajSeptember 26, 2011 at 7:59 AM

    Morse is strong material. Prequal is a good idea as contours are set and enough anticipation is generated by the past references in the series that ran for so long. Well educated law officer who always got good reviews from his fellow Oxonians. X-Man series and Batman series and Hannibal Lector series have used it very well.

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