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.
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.
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.
interviewing the lead detective on the case, George Bennett. Back in 1963, this was young Bennett’s first major case, a chance to prove himself and possibly launch his career. But at the time of Alison’s disappearance, did Bennett follow protocol or did he do whatever it took to find out what happened to Alison? Did Bennett’s obsession with the case lead him to make some tragic mistakes? And what secrets is Catherine uncovering as she researches her documentary? What is the village of Scardale hiding? There are many more questions than answers surrounding
the missing girl’s case.
Off-duty police officer, Laurie Franklin, is on a train taking her mother to the hospital. Suddenly, the train comes to a halt when it appears that a Muslim woman has jumped off a bridge in front of the oncoming train, apparently committing suicide.
mini-series from 2007 called Five Days which starred Hugh Bonneville (
I like to watch good crime dramas, not just British ones, American ones as well. And I tend to like to try and solve the crime along with the characters in the show. About a third of the time I’m spot on. But I tend to enjoy the shows more when I’m wrong, when the outcome is a complete surprise to me. That’s the case with several of the UK crime dramas I like, including Vera.
title character, Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope, is an obsessed investigator working in Northumberland, in Northern England, bordering Scotland. Vera is a feisty little woman who, as she says, sometimes “gets lost in the chase.” She doesn’t tiptoe around situations. She asks the hard questions to get the answers she needs to solve these crimes.
Vera is probably not the most likeable character. Some viewers might be put off by her unorthodox methods, bluntness and disheveled, frumpy appearance. She’s been compared to Columbo. But she’s a woman doing what’s considered a man’s job and her methods get results. Vera has no family. Her father just died. And she tends to spend her off hours, of which there are very few, with a whiskey bottle.
