TV News: Endeavour returns on Sunday

The second series of Endeavour begins on Sunday 30 March at 8pm on ITV. The first of the four episodes, Trove, is directed by Kristoffer Nyholm, who directed The Killing.

From the ITV website:

May 1966. DC Endeavour Morse returns to Oxford City Police after a four-month absence from duty. Reunited with DI Fred Thursday, still reeling from the final moments of Series 1, the young detective's involuntary furlough has left him wounded - in mind, more than body.

Another dazzlingly complex mystery is set in motion during a Broad Street parade, celebrating the might of Britain's military accomplishments. The festivities, soured by a rash student stunt, are thrown into sharp relief when a John Doe plummets to his death from a nearby council building. A clutch of business cards bearing multiple identities suggest the death was more than just a routine suicide. Endeavour flexes his gumshoe muscles to uncover the corpse's identity - a solitary pursuit that builds to a trip to London with troubling consequences. Whilst a concerned Thursday looks on, the fractured pieces of the kaleidoscope mirror the young detective's state of mind, as he pulls two seemingly unrelated cases into the fray - an anguished father searching for a missing daughter, and a smash-and-grab robbery of medieval artifacts at Oxford's Beaufort College.

All strands coalesce around the victim's final message, scrawled on a motel notepad: D-DAY, FRIDAY, 98018. As Oxonians go to the polls in a closely fought by-election and a beauty contest builds to its conclusion, Endeavour must navigate the choppy waters of both worlds, as his investigation shakes the highest pillars of Oxford society. With the body count rising and his fierce intellect slowly drawing back into focus, the young detective risks all to bring those responsible to justice. It is a decision that will send shockwaves across the course of the series.

TV News: Endeavour & Lewis to return

The Radio Times is reporting that ITV have commissioned four two-hour episodes of Endeavour and a new series of Lewis will be shown in May:

Shaun Evans will return to the role of Endeavour Morse for four 120-minute episodes, to be filmed on location in Oxford later this year. Joining him will be Roger Allam as senior partner Inspector Fred Thursday and James Bradshaw as Dr Max Debryn, while John Thaw's daughter will make further guest appearances.

The new series will be produced by Dan McCulloch and executive produced by Mammoth Screen’s joint managing directors, Michele Buck and Damien Timmer.

“We’re delighted to be making a series of Endeavour and have been overwhelmed by the reaction to the first film,” said McCulloch. “Russell Lewis has some bold plans to further enrich the mythology of Morse, introducing some significant new characters, and re-establishing some old favourites, all of whom are destined to have a massive impact on the future inspector's life.”

Novelist Colin Dextor, whose first Morse story Last Bus to Woodstock was published in 1975, will act as consultant for the series.

Michele Buck and Damien Timmer also oversee Lewis in conjunction with ITV Studios and the broadcaster also reports that new episodes of the drama are set to air in May.

Four x 120-minute films have been produced with Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox in the lead roles of Inspector Robbie Lewis and DS James Hathaway with Clare Holman also returns as Dr Laura Hobson and Rebecca Front as Chief Superintendent Innocent.

Inspector Morse Prequel (tv show)

From BBC News:

Inspector Morse is to return to TV screens in a one-off show about the detective's early career.

Endeavour, which will be filmed in Oxford, will feature The Take star Shaun Evans in the role made famous by John Thaw.

Set in 1965, the story revolves around a hunt for a missing schoolgirl and will give viewers the chance to see where the detective's love for crosswords and classic cars came from.

It is expected to air on ITV next year.

"Morse as a young man is a wonderful character that I'm very excited to be playing," said Evans.

"My hope is that we can complement what's come before, by telling a great story and telling it well."

ITV drama commissioner Laura Mackie said the drama, titled after Morse's first name, was "a beautifully written story".

In the Daily Mail's article, it states that "The programme has been written by Russell Lewis, but Colin Dexter, the creator of Inspector Morse, has been involved as an adviser."