Endeavour/Morse/Lewis

[kitkat1971]

I thought I'd start a thread for Endeavour since it appears we have a few fans on here.

I've also included Morse and Lewis in the title as they are all so linked with recurring characters and echoes of situations.

Absolutely love all 3 shows and i really admire how they are keeping Endeavour true to what we know of Morse's history, without making it too knowing or obvious so viewers that didn't watch (or remember Morse) don't feel excluded which can often happen.

Even tonight, one of the young villains turns up in Morse - well at least his funeral is featured which triggers another investigation 'Promised Land' the one set in Australia. It's great seeing how people like Strange evolved into the characters we saw in Morse.

Lotty, I've got all of Morse on DVD and the Complete Set is quite reasonably priced at about 30 quid in places like HMV. Other than that, ITV3 tend to repeat them quite frequently.

[Deleted]

I absolutely loved Morse and always watch them again when they are shown on ITV3. I also enjoyed Lewis and how the fresh faced amenable Geordie ended up turning into the rather grumpy older man, just like Morse. I adored Hathaway. But I am not so keen on Endeavour, I think the actor playing him could at least have tried to sound more like Morse who was quite well spoken. I also thought that story last week about the big cats absolutely far fetched and daft.

[Deleted]

I must admit that I still watch the re-runs of Morse and very occasionally I get to see Lewis (when its not interrupting something "facinating" like endless repeats of Pawn Stars or Baggage Battles), however I have never sat through an Endeavour as yet.

It is rather odd how Lewis has evolved into a Morse-a-like though, even down to going to the opera and listening to operatics and german classicals when moping about at home. Old Lewis was more likely to have been found head-banging to AC/DC rather than some fusty old stuff The Boss liked

I still watch Frost though

[Holey]

For some reason I never watched Morse, not sure why, I did like John Thaw especially in the Sweeney. I did off and on watch Lewis and found that good, but I absolutely love Endeavour and is one of my favorite Drama's on itv. The cast Shaun Evans, Roger Allam, Anton Lesser are first rate. I am a fan of Shaun Evans, he is a very good actor. Last nights final episode of the series was quality all the way. Alot going on, I presume now DI Fred Thursday has coughed up the bullet he will be ok? Had to smile at Morse when he took his Sergeant's exam, he finished early and sat there reading the paper. I like the fact that John Thaw's daughter Abigail is in this series. I always used to like to guess what Fred Thursday had in his sandwich's.  Morse always guessed right. (I'm a sad t**t aren't I?)  I will have to start watching re runs of Morse.

[wallis]

I have only really watched Morse religiously which I loved and I have read all the books by Colin Dexter.

Never really got into Lewis as I thought it a bit of a poor extension of Morse. I have caught a few on ITV3 when there has never been anything better to watch but can't really say that I thought it on the same level of Morse. Maybe it was that I missed John Thaw too much.

Probably because of that I have never watched Endeavour plus it has been clashing with War & Peace which is truly magnificent in my eyes and CBB.

[kitkat1971]

I've been recording both War and Peace and Endeavour. I've decided to save War and Peace up to watch in a burst, possibly when there is a lack of decent stuff on tele - the Oly$pics might be a prime time later this year.

I do like the way they reversed things with Lewis so it would seem different to Morse but almost like a reflection. Having the young Sergeant being very theological, clever, sarcastic and 'in the know' about 'gown' versus 'town' - even though he is still an outsider due to being Cambridge rather than Oxford and Morse was an outsider because he didn't finish his degree and somewhat rejected academia.

I guess they had to make Lewis more sedate as the leading man but i think they did it in a fairly believable way. Losing his wife suddenly and tragically after so many years of marriage, at the same sort of time as the kids were flying the nest and only a couple of years after his close friend and mentor, Morse, died would sober and sadden him somewhat. I guess all that time with Morse exposing him to the 'finer things just rubbed off and to be fair, he's not a Culture snob in the way Morse was. His love for Progressive Rock is still there, as witnessed with the episode where one of his favourite old bands reformed - and we're killed one by one!

I had serious doubts when i heard they were doing the prequel, especially that Evans had deliberately not watched Thaw but I think it is pretty much perfect.

Respectful of the characters and established history, introducing new elements and whilst they aren't mimicking the accents (either Morse or Strange), both actors somehow capture the 'essence' of the characters - especially Evans who i think has young Morse spot on.

[CAEF]

Endeavour is now into the ealry 1970s, edging closer to 1987 when Morse begun. Sooner or later they will have to have a head transplant episode.