It’s 1965 and a teenage schoolgirl from Oxford has disappeared and is presumed dead. A very young Constable Endeavour Morse, who dropped out of Oxford, is temporarily assigned to the Oxford branch to support the investigation.
The story opens with Morse typing up is resignation letter, ready to leave law enforcement. But he soon discovers that police work is what he’s made for. Though he’s not readily accepted by the more experienced police officers on the case (he ends up working alone for the most part), they soon discover that he knows what he’s talking about. His superior, Detective Inspector Fred Thursday, recognizes Morse’s talents and takes Endeavour under his wing.
Unfortunately, I have yet to see any episodes of Inspector Morse, the series of feature-length TV shows produced from 1987 to 2000 starring John Thaw. Not that I don’t want to, it’s just that there are so many British TV shows to write about, I just haven’t gotten to it yet. But after watching this prequel, I’m certainly interested in checking them out.
This show apparently contains a lot of references to Endeavour’s future self, including his love of opera and passion for crossword puzzles, both of which help him solve this case.
Since I had no preconceived ideas about the character of Endeavour Morse, I was able to watch this without comparing Shaun Evans’ portrayal to John Thaw’s. Although, even if you are a fan, the early Morse would be and should be very different from his older self anyway.
MAIN CAST:
Shaun Evans – Endeavour Morse
Roger Allam – Fred Thursday
James Bradshaw – Max DeBryn
Abigail Thaw – Dorothea Frazil
Total Seasons: 1 episode (90 minutes)
Seasons Available on US Formatted DVD: 1
In Production: 2012
Viewer Discretion: Violence

Lovejoy, played by Ian McShane, is an exceptional forger, conniver and liar, but a totally likeable guy. He loves women and antiques, but not necessarily in that order. With the help of his friend, Lady Jane Felsham, his dim assistant Eric, and often intoxicated buddy Tinker, Lovejoy scours the countryside for hidden treasures.
seemed appropriate for his character.
Detective Inspector Edmund Reid is in charge of H Division. He’s a man with a troubled marriage, due to the disappearance, and possible death, of his young daughter. He blames himself for this situation and it has taken a toll on his wife, Emily, and their relationship. Reid is joined by Detective Sergeant Bennet Drake and an American, Homer Jackson. Jackson is a former US Army surgeon, a man who seems to know his way around dead bodies. Together they police the Whitechapel district, trying to keep some semblance of
law and order.
Each episode is a different story of an ordinary person awaiting trial for a crime. (The last two episodes are linked with the outcome of one story leading into the next.) Each episode opens with the main character being lead to the courtroom and portions of the trial are intercut with the backstory of how this person got there.
a crime? Would you go to such extreme measures?
William and Mary join a dating service. When William lays eyes on Mary, he’s immediately smitten and wants to meet her. Though their first date doesn’t go as well as planned, they end up getting together, falling in love, and dealing with all the complications and the challenges life throws at them. Their work lives are just a part of it. They’ve got even more to contend with when they blend their families. The Brady Bunch it isn’t.
despair.
Linda Nelson quit her job as a police officer to become a sex therapist. She shares a practice in Leeds with her brother-in-law, Greg. She’s desperate to have a child, but finds out that her husband, Richard, is infertile. She asks Richard’s brother, Greg, to be a sperm donor, much to the dismay of Greg’s wife, Penny, as well as Richard.
found and she’s one of Linda’s patients.
And unfortunately, rather than sympathize with Linda, I didn’t care much for her. She blames Richard for their inability to conceive, which is out of his control. This pushes her into the arms of her brother-in-law, whom she guiltlessly has an affair with.
Throughout the series, the family tries many schemes to raise money to make the estate turn a profit like making Glenbogle a bed and breakfast, marketing its spring water and making it a healing center. And I suppose it can get very tiresome in that every episode the family is looking for a new income stream to save the estate, but the characters are very likeable and you want them to succeed. And sometimes the show can be a wee bit corny, but it’s still one of my favorites for so many reasons, one of which is the gorgeous locations in
the Scottish Highlands.
Believing East London to have a Jack the Ripper copycat on its hands, Chandler and his team of detectives, accompanied by Ripperologist, Edward Buchan, seek out the killer using the clues from the original 1888 case, along with modern technology and investigative techniques. If this killer is copying Jack the Ripper, they should be able to predict his every move and stop him before he kills again. At first, newbie Chandler receives little or no support
from his squad of veteran coppers. But they soon learn that Chandler’s ideas seem to be spot on, leading them to the killer.
Janine and her team of homicide detectives investigate the most gruesome crimes in Manchester. But even though the stories are dark and gritty, the show still has a touch of humor in it. The characters really click with each other and Janine’s team seems like a second family to her. She’s sometimes like a mother hen, keeping everyone in line and on task, while averting
conflicts between the detectives.
