Endeavour - end of steam in the U.K.

[Gloster]

Yebbut - isn't Endeavour as a youngish copper intended to portray John Thaw earlier in his career ?
Or am I living under an illusion ?

The original books by Colin Dexter were about the middle-aged, curmudgeonly Inspector Morse. These were later turned into a series of television programmes with John Thaw as Morse. With John Thaw dead it seems to have been decided, probably wisely, that John Thaw was Morse and vice-versa, so it was best not to try and continue the programmes with another actor as Morse. After a number of series with Morse’s former assistant Lewis as the main character, it was decided to reinvigorate the character/flog the idea to death by having a new prequel series about Morse as a young policeman. By being set well before the original Morse series, which was always primarily set in the contemporary, it also had the advantage of tapping into the nostalgia market.

 

[Spartacus]

I didn't realise it was throughout the series!

I'd be astonished if it was throughout the series, they quite freely showed the year for the first two or three series, (did Greengrass ever use the old Guinness label trick? Research would suggest '66 would be a good year for it, colour wise!) it probably just became that way when people started asking questions about the year, and surely it being out of the 60s by then.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Yebbut - isn't Endeavour as a youngish copper intended to portray John Thaw earlier in his career ?
Or am I living under an illusion ?

Yes, he is, but they seem to have dug themselves into a corner with the timescale of the current Endeavour episodes.

During the latest series (set in 1971), he's still only a Detective Constable or a Detective Sergeant. The first Inspector Morse book was written in 1981, by which time he's a Detective Chief Inspector - it'll be interesting to see how they explain such a rapid promotion!

 

[Gloster]

Yes, he is, but they seem to have dug themselves into a corner with the timescale of the current Endeavour episodes.

During the latest series (set in 1971), he's still only a Detective Constable or a Detective Sergeant. The first Inspector Morse book was written in 1981, by which time he's a Detective Chief Inspector - it'll be interesting to see how they explain such a rapid promotion!

But TV never sees anything outside its little box. The first Morse on TV was in 1987, so they have sixteen years to play with. That is still rather fast promotion, but not as much as Basil Thomson’s Richardson, who goes from inexperienced constable to Chief Constable in four years.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Yes, that's true.

 

[xotGD]

With John Thaw dead it seems to have been decided, probably wisely, that John Thaw was Morse and vice-versa, so it was best not to try and continue the programmes with another actor as Morse.

The Morse character died in the final episode of the show, with John Thaw still playing the role. Therefore switching to another actor was never an issue.

 

[Gloster]

The Morse character died in the final episode of the show, with John Thaw still playing the role. Therefore switching to another actor was never an issue.

TV will try anything. I could see them doing ‘Morse’s Fairly Recent Cases‘ or some such in order to keep the franchise going. Or pretend it was all a dream, like Dallas, or that he somehow survived, like Sherlock Holmes.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

TV will try anything. I could see them doing ‘Morse’s Fairly Recent Cases‘ or some such in order to keep the franchise going. Or pretend it was all a dream, like Dallas, or that he somehow survived, like Sherlock Holmes.

Ah, but don't forget that the decision to re-incarnate The Great Detective was Arthur Conan Doyle's, not television's, so it doesn't count. I remember the dream sequence in Dallas well ... it was all I could do to stop myself crying with laughter!

 

[MarlowDonkey]

For a series which prides itself on looking and feeling authentic (world cup chat etc), it's a pity they couldn't find a WR preserved line to film at (or LMR for the Bletchley route).

The Didcot centre is not that far away, but perhaps that's too GWR rather than BR(W). . In the original Morse series, a character went to visit it as an alibi, travelling in a 117 if i recall correctly.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

The Didcot centre is not that far away, but perhaps that's too GWR rather than BR(W). . In the original Morse series, a character went to visit it as an alibi, travelling in a 117 if i recall correctly.

Yes, in the episode called "The Wolvercote Tongue".

 

[yorksrob]

True - but one supposes in many cases Mk1 stock is much more common and not every line whilst they might have an appropriately liveried loco might struggle for coaching stock. However, I did watch something fairly recently which featured a Southern locomotive and the story was not set anywhere near Southern territory and neither was the train heading there.

The preserved 4 SUB turned up in an episode of Poirot once !

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Yes, he is, but they seem to have dug themselves into a corner with the timescale of the current Endeavour episodes.
During the latest series (set in 1971), he's still only a Detective Constable or a Detective Sergeant. The first Inspector Morse book was written in 1981, by which time he's a Detective Chief Inspector - it'll be interesting to see how they explain such a rapid promotion!

From what I read, Endeavour is due one more (short) series and they intend to finish it there, leaving a decent gap to the original Morse episodes.
It will also bring the series to 33 episodes, the same as Morse and Lewis.

Vera is another series with an occasional rail twist (in the north-east), mostly using Pacers.
So they'll have to find something else to film if they want an authentic contemporary rail scene now.
Rail tickets and station CCTV often form a crucial part of the evidence!

 

[John Luxton]

On subject of TV Crime drama and railways S4C's excellent Y Gwyllt / Hinterland featured Borth Station and the Station Museum. Quite a few scenes around the Cambrian Coast line at Ynyslas as well. The fictional curator chap was the murderer in the first series. The workshops / shed at Vale of Rheidol featured in series 3. Some filming also took place on Constitution Hill at Aberystwyth with the café appearing but the didn't feature the Constitution Hill Funicular Railway.

 

[46223]

I'd be astonished if it was throughout the series, they quite freely showed the year for the first two or three series, (did Greengrass ever use the old Guinness label trick? Research would suggest '66 would be a good year for it, colour wise!) it probably just became that way when people started asking questions about the year, and surely it being out of the 60s by then.

In the early episodes some of the tax discs are dated 1965 if you look carefully, and you have to be quick! Greengrass did use the 'Guinness Label trick', in the episode 'Man Hunt' in series 2.

 

[Spartacus]

In the early episodes some of the tax discs are dated 1965 if you look carefully, and you have to be quick! Greengrass did use the 'Guinness Label trick', in the episode 'Man Hunt' in series 2.

That makes sense, first series was set in 1964 so 1965 disks, second set in 1965, so the 1966 task disk/Guinness label would be perfect.

 

[Dr Hoo]

The preserved 4 SUB turned up in an episode of Poirot once !

Ah, yes. The Kidnapped Prime Minister, at Dover Western Docks, I seem to recall. Hardly the conveyance that one might have expected for a premier!