Exclusive: David Hare, one of the UK’s foremost playwrights and a double Oscar nominee, is in an unsparing mood about the state of UK politics. This comes as leaders of the country’s two major parties parry in the cut and thrust of the July 4 general election.
Hare’s view, he tells Breaking Baz, is that there is in fact not enough cut and thrust, what with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak going to the polls “because he’s as fed up with this government as the rest of us.”
The dramatist, director,and screenwriter tells me that the Tories are coming up daily with “harebrained” election promises while Labour, its chief opponent, “is trying to be sober, say nothing and do nothing.”
He fears, though, that Labour is taking up “a defensive crouch“ when it should be thrusting.
“Something always goes disastrously wrong unless you are active and on...
Hare’s view, he tells Breaking Baz, is that there is in fact not enough cut and thrust, what with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak going to the polls “because he’s as fed up with this government as the rest of us.”
The dramatist, director,and screenwriter tells me that the Tories are coming up daily with “harebrained” election promises while Labour, its chief opponent, “is trying to be sober, say nothing and do nothing.”
He fears, though, that Labour is taking up “a defensive crouch“ when it should be thrusting.
“Something always goes disastrously wrong unless you are active and on...
- 6/3/2024
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Forgive us if we occasionally sound surprised or bemused in our coverage of the Suits streaming phenomenon. It’s just that an innocuous 2010s cable series suddenly becoming a monster hit on streaming is a fairly perplexing experience.
Streaming services like Netflix and Peacock, both of which host multiple seasons of Suits, spend untold millions trying to produce their own original hits only for a USA Network series from years ago to blow them all out of the water. People quite simply can’t get enough of the legal machinations of Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), Michael Ross (Patrick J. Adams), and the rest of the personnel a their constantly-changing law firm.
Why, exactly, has Suits in particular become such a hit? We’ll leave that one for the sociologists. But the show’s success this summer has made one undeniable fact of TV life clear: legal dramas are great! For decades,...
Streaming services like Netflix and Peacock, both of which host multiple seasons of Suits, spend untold millions trying to produce their own original hits only for a USA Network series from years ago to blow them all out of the water. People quite simply can’t get enough of the legal machinations of Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), Michael Ross (Patrick J. Adams), and the rest of the personnel a their constantly-changing law firm.
Why, exactly, has Suits in particular become such a hit? We’ll leave that one for the sociologists. But the show’s success this summer has made one undeniable fact of TV life clear: legal dramas are great! For decades,...
- 8/14/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Warning: contains spoilers for the Endeavour series nine finale ‘Exeunt’.
It’s almost a year since filming wrapped on Endeavour in August 2022, and longer than that since actor-director-producer Shaun Evans first read the script for his character’s exit. During that time, Evans has reflected on the show’s finale ‘Exeunt’, what his years as Morse have meant to him (spoiler: a great deal), and what the future may hold for his crossword-solving, bitter-drinking detective in the decades before Inspector Morse begins.
In an in-depth and poignant new interview with PBS Masterpiece (read it in full here), Evans says goodbye to the role for good, and explains why Joan and Fred’s endings struck exactly the right bittersweet note.
When the script for Endeavour’s finale arrived, Shaun Evans tells PBS Masterpiece, he thought “That’s it. That’s exactly what it should be.” Now that ‘Exeunt’ has aired in...
It’s almost a year since filming wrapped on Endeavour in August 2022, and longer than that since actor-director-producer Shaun Evans first read the script for his character’s exit. During that time, Evans has reflected on the show’s finale ‘Exeunt’, what his years as Morse have meant to him (spoiler: a great deal), and what the future may hold for his crossword-solving, bitter-drinking detective in the decades before Inspector Morse begins.
In an in-depth and poignant new interview with PBS Masterpiece (read it in full here), Evans says goodbye to the role for good, and explains why Joan and Fred’s endings struck exactly the right bittersweet note.
When the script for Endeavour’s finale arrived, Shaun Evans tells PBS Masterpiece, he thought “That’s it. That’s exactly what it should be.” Now that ‘Exeunt’ has aired in...
- 7/10/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Now that Endeavour has ended for good, there are a few obvious places for fans to go in search of more of the crossword-solving, bitter-drinking, classics-quoting Oxford detective. The first are Colin Dexter’s novels, which established the character. The second is the original ITV show Inspector Morse based on those books, which starred John Thaw in the title role for 33 feature-length episodes between 1987 and 2000. Thirdly, there’s sequel Lewis, which continued the story of Morse’s underling Robbie through his own inspector days, and which also ran for 33 episodes, up until 2015. Both are currently streamable on BritBox in the UK and US, as well as Itvx, and PBS Masterpiece.
The likelihood though, is that those three will have already been exhausted by Morse devotees, so here are some recommendations of detective shows with a touch of Endeavour about them, whether it’s a melancholic lead with a brilliant mind,...
The likelihood though, is that those three will have already been exhausted by Morse devotees, so here are some recommendations of detective shows with a touch of Endeavour about them, whether it’s a melancholic lead with a brilliant mind,...
- 7/4/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
[Warning: The below contains Major spoilers for the July 2 Endeavour series finale, “Exeunt.”] Many TV shows are well past their prime by the time they hit their final season. Not Endeavour. The magnificent British series, a prequel to another mystery drama classic, Inspector Morse (1987-2000), bid farewell to American viewers Sunday night, July 2, on PBS with shocking resolutions, heartbreaking goodbyes and even a bit of Shakespeare. Over nine seasons and 36 feature-length episodes, the Oxford-set show has treated viewers to richly drawn characters, cerebral mysteries and 1960s and ’70s nostalgia. We got new insight into the beleaguered and brilliant Endeavour Morse (Shaun Evans) by watching him evolve from a neophyte detective constable into someone more like the jaded loner played by John Thaw in the original series. In the last season’s third and final installment, appropriately titled “Exeunt,” Evans’ Detective Sergeant Morse and Roger Allam’s Chief Inspector Fred Thursday finally close the book on one of their most...
- 7/3/2023
- TV Insider
Fancy watching a no-nonsense Yorkshire cop on the brink of retirement finally taking down her nemesis? How about an Oxford scholar pitting his wits against a decades-long conspiracy? These are the premises for just two of the exciting British TV shows about to arrive in the US but that’s not all: there’s also globe-trotting sci-fi with big ideas, a fast-paced dark comedy, a remarkable depiction of marriage by two British acting stalwarts, and more besides.
From cosy crime to original comedy, here are the UK TV highlights coming to America:
Happy Valley Series 3
BBC America, Acorn TV, AMC+ – 22nd May at 10pm Et/Pt
Sally Wainwright’s excellent Yorkshire-based crime drama Happy Valley had been off UK screens since 2016, but returned for its highly-anticipated third and final series earlier this year.
The show centres on the straight-talking police sergeant Catherine Cawood, and her ongoing feud with the dangerous criminal Tommy Lee Royce.
From cosy crime to original comedy, here are the UK TV highlights coming to America:
Happy Valley Series 3
BBC America, Acorn TV, AMC+ – 22nd May at 10pm Et/Pt
Sally Wainwright’s excellent Yorkshire-based crime drama Happy Valley had been off UK screens since 2016, but returned for its highly-anticipated third and final series earlier this year.
The show centres on the straight-talking police sergeant Catherine Cawood, and her ongoing feud with the dangerous criminal Tommy Lee Royce.
- 5/16/2023
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
It’s almost time to bid farewell to young Endeavour Morse. PBS has set a release date for Endeavour Season 9, which will be the last for the period mystery drama.
‘Endeavour’ Season 9 premieres June 18 on PBS Shaun Evans as Morse in ‘Endeavour’ | Courtesy of Mammoth Screen and Masterpiece.
Endeavour Season 9 will premiere Sunday, June 18 at 9 p.m. Et on PBS. The final season of the Inspector Morse prequel series will have three, 90-minute episodes.
Shaun Evans returns in the title role, along with Roger Allam as Fred Thursday, Anton Lesser as Reginald Bright, and Sean Rigby as Jim Strange. Pennyworth’s Jack Bannon, who plays Thursday’s son Sam, will also return after being absent from the past several seasons. Other returning cast members include James Bradshaw, Abigail Thaw, Caroline O’Neil, and Sara Vickers. Endeavour creator Russell Lewis wrote all three episodes.
Ahead of the final season premiere, PBS will air a documentary,...
‘Endeavour’ Season 9 premieres June 18 on PBS Shaun Evans as Morse in ‘Endeavour’ | Courtesy of Mammoth Screen and Masterpiece.
Endeavour Season 9 will premiere Sunday, June 18 at 9 p.m. Et on PBS. The final season of the Inspector Morse prequel series will have three, 90-minute episodes.
Shaun Evans returns in the title role, along with Roger Allam as Fred Thursday, Anton Lesser as Reginald Bright, and Sean Rigby as Jim Strange. Pennyworth’s Jack Bannon, who plays Thursday’s son Sam, will also return after being absent from the past several seasons. Other returning cast members include James Bradshaw, Abigail Thaw, Caroline O’Neil, and Sara Vickers. Endeavour creator Russell Lewis wrote all three episodes.
Ahead of the final season premiere, PBS will air a documentary,...
- 3/25/2023
- by Megan Elliott
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
2023 is going to be a year of long-awaited drama treats on UK TV. There’s the Luther film finally arriving on Netflix in March, Unforgotten is back after that Series 4 finale in 2021, and we’re getting the second season of Good Omens that has had the shows’ many enthusiastic fans on the edge of their seats for two years.
There are even whispers of a Line of Duty return, although Martin Compston has said that nothing is confirmed, so we’re not exclaiming ‘Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the wee donkey!’ just yet.
It’s also a year of dramatic goodbyes: Happy Valley returned for its third and final series on New Year’s Day, Endeavour will wrap up after over a decade of detective work, and 2023 might also squeeze in the sixth and final season of The Crown.
This is our roundup of the British TV shows we’re...
There are even whispers of a Line of Duty return, although Martin Compston has said that nothing is confirmed, so we’re not exclaiming ‘Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the wee donkey!’ just yet.
It’s also a year of dramatic goodbyes: Happy Valley returned for its third and final series on New Year’s Day, Endeavour will wrap up after over a decade of detective work, and 2023 might also squeeze in the sixth and final season of The Crown.
This is our roundup of the British TV shows we’re...
- 3/22/2023
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
Warning: contains spoilers for Endeavour Series 9 Episode 3 ‘Exeunt’.
For the most part, the Endeavour finale kept its feet on the ground and provided answers to long-held fan questions. One scene however, set a new mystery. Why, between saying goodbye to Fred in Radcliffe Square and attending his choir’s Blenheim Palace rehearsal, does Endeavour go alone to a churchyard and fire a gun?
It’s not just any gun, but Fred Thursday’s Webley service revolver, a war memento that’s made various appearances in Endeavour since Series 1, and most recently used in a shoot-out with Di Lott’s goons. Fred didn’t pack it for the removal men with the rest of his belongings, and has it with him when he and Endeavour say an emotional goodbye. “Why don’t you take this,” he asks. “You might need it, if you’re staying.”
Endeavour nods and places the gun...
For the most part, the Endeavour finale kept its feet on the ground and provided answers to long-held fan questions. One scene however, set a new mystery. Why, between saying goodbye to Fred in Radcliffe Square and attending his choir’s Blenheim Palace rehearsal, does Endeavour go alone to a churchyard and fire a gun?
It’s not just any gun, but Fred Thursday’s Webley service revolver, a war memento that’s made various appearances in Endeavour since Series 1, and most recently used in a shoot-out with Di Lott’s goons. Fred didn’t pack it for the removal men with the rest of his belongings, and has it with him when he and Endeavour say an emotional goodbye. “Why don’t you take this,” he asks. “You might need it, if you’re staying.”
Endeavour nods and places the gun...
- 3/14/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Warning: contains spoilers for the Endeavour Series 9 finale and the Inspector Morse finale.
There have scarcely been more elegant TV endings. In its final episode ‘Exeunt’, Endeavour bid farewell much in the restrained and upright manner of its central characters. Like them, it said a great deal without saying too much, and paid purposeful tributes with a light touch.
The finale’s last moments played out dialogue-free with a meaningful passing of the baton. As young Morse drove his black Jaguar Mk 1 out of the Blenheim Palace grounds, he passed a red Jaguar Mk 2 travelling in the opposite direction. Each driver clocked the other in their rear view mirror – the eyes of Shaun Evans in one, and the eyes of Inspector Morse star John Thaw in the other.
That moment was a call-back to almost the very same at the end of the 2012 Endeavour pilot ‘Overture’ in which Thaw’s...
There have scarcely been more elegant TV endings. In its final episode ‘Exeunt’, Endeavour bid farewell much in the restrained and upright manner of its central characters. Like them, it said a great deal without saying too much, and paid purposeful tributes with a light touch.
The finale’s last moments played out dialogue-free with a meaningful passing of the baton. As young Morse drove his black Jaguar Mk 1 out of the Blenheim Palace grounds, he passed a red Jaguar Mk 2 travelling in the opposite direction. Each driver clocked the other in their rear view mirror – the eyes of Shaun Evans in one, and the eyes of Inspector Morse star John Thaw in the other.
That moment was a call-back to almost the very same at the end of the 2012 Endeavour pilot ‘Overture’ in which Thaw’s...
- 3/13/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Ray Jenkins, the British screenwriter behind shows including “The Woman in White” and “The Sweeney,” has died. He was 87.
Jenkins died on Jan. 16, his agent confirmed to Variety. No cause of death was given.
Jenkins was an accomplished dramatist who wrote for TV, radio and film. He was known especially for his work on British police and justice-related series throughout the 1960s and 80s, including “The Sweeney,” which starred John Thaw and Dennis Waterman, and “Juliet Bravo” in which Stephanie Turner played Inspector Jean Darblay.
Other shows Jenkins worked on included “Z Cars,” “The Brothers,” “This Man Craig,” “Callan,” “Special Branch” and “The Gentle Touch.”
He was also known for his 1980s adaptations of Wilkie Collins’ mystery novel “The Woman in White,” which aired on the BBC and starred Ian Richardson, Diana Quick and Jenny Seagrove, and Tom Hart’s novel “The Aura and The Kingfisher,” which was adapted as feature film “The Innocent,...
Jenkins died on Jan. 16, his agent confirmed to Variety. No cause of death was given.
Jenkins was an accomplished dramatist who wrote for TV, radio and film. He was known especially for his work on British police and justice-related series throughout the 1960s and 80s, including “The Sweeney,” which starred John Thaw and Dennis Waterman, and “Juliet Bravo” in which Stephanie Turner played Inspector Jean Darblay.
Other shows Jenkins worked on included “Z Cars,” “The Brothers,” “This Man Craig,” “Callan,” “Special Branch” and “The Gentle Touch.”
He was also known for his 1980s adaptations of Wilkie Collins’ mystery novel “The Woman in White,” which aired on the BBC and starred Ian Richardson, Diana Quick and Jenny Seagrove, and Tom Hart’s novel “The Aura and The Kingfisher,” which was adapted as feature film “The Innocent,...
- 2/27/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
The end is nigh. Filming on Endeavour’s final season wrapped in August 2022, meaning the last three episodes of the beloved Inspector Morse prequel are currently being readied and will likely air on ITV in the UK in early 2023, with the PBS Masterpiece US air date to follow.
While working on the final season, actor-director Shaun Evans spared some time to answer fan questions about his work on the crime drama, his character, Morse’s troubled romantic life, and of course, what’s promised in the final instalments. Over 500 viewer questions were submitted to PBS Masterpiece, whittled down to just eight. Evans’ thoughtful answers are available to read in full here.
Among queries on Endeavour and Joan Thursday’s doomed attraction, the character’s transition from bright young pup to misanthropic inspector, and what he’d say to Morse if he met him at a party, Evans was quizzed about...
While working on the final season, actor-director Shaun Evans spared some time to answer fan questions about his work on the crime drama, his character, Morse’s troubled romantic life, and of course, what’s promised in the final instalments. Over 500 viewer questions were submitted to PBS Masterpiece, whittled down to just eight. Evans’ thoughtful answers are available to read in full here.
Among queries on Endeavour and Joan Thursday’s doomed attraction, the character’s transition from bright young pup to misanthropic inspector, and what he’d say to Morse if he met him at a party, Evans was quizzed about...
- 11/3/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
If you like engrossing murder mysteries, good detective work and a show that keeps you guessing, Inspector Morse is a must watch. The series stars John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. Morse is known for his brooding nature, snobbish temperament, fond of his tipple, love for classical music, poetry, […]
The post Deceit and Office Adultery Create Havoc Leading to a Double Murder in Oxford University, Morse Investigates appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Deceit and Office Adultery Create Havoc Leading to a Double Murder in Oxford University, Morse Investigates appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 7/28/2022
- by Akansha
- ShockYa
It’s finally been confirmed: ITV’s Endeavour will return for another three-episode series, which will be the Inspector Morse prequel’s final outing. It was announced this week that a mutual decision had been made between producers Mammoth Screen, creator Russell Lewis and stars Shaun Evans and Roger Allam to bring the crime drama to a close. The currently filming ninth series will be Endeavour’s last.
Mammoth Screen commented: “Russell always knew where he wanted the series to end, and that Remorseful Day is nearly upon us!” The latter quote was used by Inspector Morse creator Colin Dexter as the title of his final Morse novel, and originally comes from the A.E. Housman poem known as ‘How Clear, How Lovely Bright’. The series nine news from PBS Masterpiece was accompanied by a video of Shaun Evans reciting that poem, which was quoted by John Thaw’s iteration of...
Mammoth Screen commented: “Russell always knew where he wanted the series to end, and that Remorseful Day is nearly upon us!” The latter quote was used by Inspector Morse creator Colin Dexter as the title of his final Morse novel, and originally comes from the A.E. Housman poem known as ‘How Clear, How Lovely Bright’. The series nine news from PBS Masterpiece was accompanied by a video of Shaun Evans reciting that poem, which was quoted by John Thaw’s iteration of...
- 5/25/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
While fans await official confirmation from Mammoth Productions, the planets appear to be coming into alignment for filming to start on the ninth series of ITV crime drama Endeavour, starring Shaun Evans and Roger Allam.
Series eight concluded on ITV in September 2021 with a touching tribute to Inspector Morse actor John Thaw, and some uplifting words from Allam’s Fred Thursday. Having reached its 33rd episode (the same number of Morse stories filmed), many predicted eight would be Endeavour’s final series, though Allam suggested the drama would have “a few more to wrap things up”. Not least to wrap up the ongoing mystery of how and why his character has disappeared from Morse’s life by the time of the John Thaw incarnation.
Casting Call
The first sign that the long-running Inspector Morse prequel had been recommissioned came in February 2022, when the I Heart British TV website cannily spotted...
Series eight concluded on ITV in September 2021 with a touching tribute to Inspector Morse actor John Thaw, and some uplifting words from Allam’s Fred Thursday. Having reached its 33rd episode (the same number of Morse stories filmed), many predicted eight would be Endeavour’s final series, though Allam suggested the drama would have “a few more to wrap things up”. Not least to wrap up the ongoing mystery of how and why his character has disappeared from Morse’s life by the time of the John Thaw incarnation.
Casting Call
The first sign that the long-running Inspector Morse prequel had been recommissioned came in February 2022, when the I Heart British TV website cannily spotted...
- 5/19/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
If you like engrossing murder mysteries, good detective work and a show that keeps you guessing, Inspector Morse is a must watch. The series stars John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. Morse is known for his brooding nature, snobbish temperament, fond of his tipple, love for classical music, poetry, […]
The post Morse and Lewis mix Pleasure with Work and Head to Italy appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Morse and Lewis mix Pleasure with Work and Head to Italy appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 5/17/2022
- by Akansha
- ShockYa
Good detective work, a show that keeps you engrossed, Inspector Morse is a must watch. The series stars John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. Morse is known for his brooding nature, snobbish temperament, fond of his tipple, love for classical music, poetry, and cryptic crosswords. Set in Oxford in […]
The post Two Young Women Stabbed by the Same Killer, Morse Investigates appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Two Young Women Stabbed by the Same Killer, Morse Investigates appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 5/3/2022
- by Akansha
- ShockYa
Kavanagh QC is a popular British Legal Court room drama starring John Thaw as barrister James Kavanagh QC, who comes from a working-class background in Manchester. In court, Kavanagh is often seen defending a client who very well seems to be convicted until a twist in the case is revealed. Cases ranging from racism, sexism, prejudice all are taken […]
The post Young Vicar Accused of Seducing a Widow, Defends Her in Another Case in a Plot Twist on Kavanagh QC appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Young Vicar Accused of Seducing a Widow, Defends Her in Another Case in a Plot Twist on Kavanagh QC appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 4/5/2022
- by Akansha
- ShockYa
If you like engrossing murder mysteries, good detective work and a show that keeps you guessing, Inspector Morse is a must watch. The series stars John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. Morse is known for his brooding nature, snobbish temperament, fond of his tipple, love for classical music, poetry, […]
The post Attractive Woman Found Dead Disguised as Suicide, Morse Investigates appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Attractive Woman Found Dead Disguised as Suicide, Morse Investigates appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 4/4/2022
- by Akansha
- ShockYa
Denzel Washington has two Oscars, a SAG award and over 270 other accolades. One honor he doesn’t have yet over his 40-year career is a single nomination from the BAFTA Awards. With somewhat of a home-field advantage for taking on the words of the Brits’ greatest dramatist William Shakespeare, could Washington finally receive his first nom for “The Tragedy of Macbeth”?
BAFTA is continuing to make a conscious effort to widen their net for diversity, both within its own membership and the films it honors. However, with a new voting method introduced last year following the results of their diversity review, the group threw the awards season for a loop with surprise selections. Instituting a jury into the voting process, performances such as Radha Blank (“The Forty-Year-Old Version”) and Adarsh Gourav (“The White Tiger”) managed to make the cut in favor of “safer” picks like eventual Oscar nominees Carey Mulligan...
BAFTA is continuing to make a conscious effort to widen their net for diversity, both within its own membership and the films it honors. However, with a new voting method introduced last year following the results of their diversity review, the group threw the awards season for a loop with surprise selections. Instituting a jury into the voting process, performances such as Radha Blank (“The Forty-Year-Old Version”) and Adarsh Gourav (“The White Tiger”) managed to make the cut in favor of “safer” picks like eventual Oscar nominees Carey Mulligan...
- 1/3/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Inspector Morse is one of the most popular British Crime drama of all time. The series stars John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. Morse if known for his brooding nature, snobbish temperament, fond of his tipple, love for classical music, poetry, and cryptic crosswords. Set in Oxford in England, […]
The post Morse and Lewis head to Australia to track an ex-supergrass on Inspector Morse appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Morse and Lewis head to Australia to track an ex-supergrass on Inspector Morse appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 12/29/2021
- by Akansha
- ShockYa
Warning: contains spoilers for Endeavour series 1-8.
Love them as we do, a great episode of Endeavour isn’t only down to the central pillars of Morse, Thursday, DeBryn, Bright and Strange. It also takes memorable turns from the host of actors playing one-time characters who leave their own indelible mark on the detective drama. After ruthlessly whittling down the possible choices to a mere handful (there are so many to choose from that the true villains deserve a list all to themselves), here are some of Endeavour’s most memorable guest stars. Tell us who tops your list below.
Sheila Hancock as Dowsable Chattox in ‘Harvest’
To mark the thirtieth anniversary of John Thaw’s first television appearance as Inspector Morse, Endeavour paid wonderful tribute by inviting Thaw’s widow Dame Sheila Hancock into the cast of ‘Harvest’ (which of course also featured one of several appearances by Abigail Thaw...
Love them as we do, a great episode of Endeavour isn’t only down to the central pillars of Morse, Thursday, DeBryn, Bright and Strange. It also takes memorable turns from the host of actors playing one-time characters who leave their own indelible mark on the detective drama. After ruthlessly whittling down the possible choices to a mere handful (there are so many to choose from that the true villains deserve a list all to themselves), here are some of Endeavour’s most memorable guest stars. Tell us who tops your list below.
Sheila Hancock as Dowsable Chattox in ‘Harvest’
To mark the thirtieth anniversary of John Thaw’s first television appearance as Inspector Morse, Endeavour paid wonderful tribute by inviting Thaw’s widow Dame Sheila Hancock into the cast of ‘Harvest’ (which of course also featured one of several appearances by Abigail Thaw...
- 11/11/2021
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
All prequels head towards a predetermined endpoint, the question is how long they spend getting there. In the case of ITV’s Inspector Morse prequel Endeavour, that endpoint won’t be the moment that the baton passes from Shaun Evans’ incarnation of the detective as a younger man to John Thaw’s first appearance as the character. “We don’t plan to take it up to 1987 – that’s a fairly safe bet!” Endeavour creator Russell Lewis told Den of Geek in 2019. Considering that it took six series for the drama to cover just half of the 1960s, that comes as no surprise.
If Endeavour’s deadline isn’t calendar-based, it looks likely to be character-based. For almost a decade, fans have been watching the young detective’s gradual transformation from what Lewis describes as Morse’s “bright-eyed and bushy tailed” first appearance in the 1965-set 2012 special, to the lugubrious and...
If Endeavour’s deadline isn’t calendar-based, it looks likely to be character-based. For almost a decade, fans have been watching the young detective’s gradual transformation from what Lewis describes as Morse’s “bright-eyed and bushy tailed” first appearance in the 1965-set 2012 special, to the lugubrious and...
- 9/13/2021
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Endeavour Series 8 Episode 1 Review: ‘Striker’
Warning: this Endeavour review contains spoilers.
It’s 1971, and Oxford’s finest are, as ever, dealing with all of humanity’s worst impulses. Endeavour Morse (Shaun Evans) wakes up late from a hangover, leaving Di Thursday (Roger Allam) waiting in vain for his usual morning lift to work from his Detective Sergeant. It’s not behaviour we’d expect from our Morse…except, of course, it is, when you think about it.
John Thaw’s Inspector was a man who suffered silently, and it’s that version of the character that the sensitive, easily hurt young man we met back in Endeavour’s pilot episode nine years ago is growing into. It isn’t going to be fun to witness, but it’s what we signed up for. The shocking events of series seven’s finale, in which any last vestiges of Morse’s innocence were snuffed out forever,...
Warning: this Endeavour review contains spoilers.
It’s 1971, and Oxford’s finest are, as ever, dealing with all of humanity’s worst impulses. Endeavour Morse (Shaun Evans) wakes up late from a hangover, leaving Di Thursday (Roger Allam) waiting in vain for his usual morning lift to work from his Detective Sergeant. It’s not behaviour we’d expect from our Morse…except, of course, it is, when you think about it.
John Thaw’s Inspector was a man who suffered silently, and it’s that version of the character that the sensitive, easily hurt young man we met back in Endeavour’s pilot episode nine years ago is growing into. It isn’t going to be fun to witness, but it’s what we signed up for. The shocking events of series seven’s finale, in which any last vestiges of Morse’s innocence were snuffed out forever,...
- 9/12/2021
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Exclusive: Adrian Dunbar has become a household name in the UK thanks to his gruff performance as Superintendent Ted Hastings in hit BBC series Line Of Duty. Now, the Irish actor is turning his hand to another detective role — this time for ITV.
Dunbar will headline Ridley, a series in which he will play retiring Detective Inspector Alex Ridley, who is lured back into service as a consultant detective when his former protégée, Carol Farman, needs help cracking a complex murder case.
Penned by Vera and Father Brown writer Paul Matthew Thompson, ITV hopes Ridley can join the ranks of its detective icons, including Brenda Blethyn’s very own Vera Stanhope, David Jason’s A Touch of Frost, and John Thaw’s Inspector Morse.
Like some of these cherished dramas, Ridley’s episodes will play out over two-hour episodes, with All3Media-backed West Road Pictures making an initial season of four.
Dunbar will headline Ridley, a series in which he will play retiring Detective Inspector Alex Ridley, who is lured back into service as a consultant detective when his former protégée, Carol Farman, needs help cracking a complex murder case.
Penned by Vera and Father Brown writer Paul Matthew Thompson, ITV hopes Ridley can join the ranks of its detective icons, including Brenda Blethyn’s very own Vera Stanhope, David Jason’s A Touch of Frost, and John Thaw’s Inspector Morse.
Like some of these cherished dramas, Ridley’s episodes will play out over two-hour episodes, with All3Media-backed West Road Pictures making an initial season of four.
- 6/2/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Gem Wheeler Feb 18, 2018
Morse investigates a missing person in the latest solid Endeavour series 5 episode. Spoilers ahead...
This review contains spoilers.
See related 35 must-watch movies in 2017
5.3 Passenger
The disappearance of Frances Porter (Lydea Perkins) seems at first to be a run-of-the-mill missing persons case; as Morse reassures her concerned husband, Noel (Edwin Thomas) and sister, Jilly (Rosalie Craig), most such incidents are resolved quickly. Mrs Porter proves elusive, however, and Morse’s visit to the rather fabulous boutique she works at – Alice’s Marmalade Cat, which is the sort of thing Granny might have seen on her famous trip – turns up no clues apart from the identity of the vanished woman’s lover, a man named Don. Fellow sales assistant Anouska (Celeste Dodwell) also reveals that Frances borrowed some clothes from the shop to dress up for an assignation with the mystery man, a clue that will prove vital to solving this increasingly odd case.
Morse investigates a missing person in the latest solid Endeavour series 5 episode. Spoilers ahead...
This review contains spoilers.
See related 35 must-watch movies in 2017
5.3 Passenger
The disappearance of Frances Porter (Lydea Perkins) seems at first to be a run-of-the-mill missing persons case; as Morse reassures her concerned husband, Noel (Edwin Thomas) and sister, Jilly (Rosalie Craig), most such incidents are resolved quickly. Mrs Porter proves elusive, however, and Morse’s visit to the rather fabulous boutique she works at – Alice’s Marmalade Cat, which is the sort of thing Granny might have seen on her famous trip – turns up no clues apart from the identity of the vanished woman’s lover, a man named Don. Fellow sales assistant Anouska (Celeste Dodwell) also reveals that Frances borrowed some clothes from the shop to dress up for an assignation with the mystery man, a clue that will prove vital to solving this increasingly odd case.
- 2/18/2018
- Den of Geek
Gem Wheeler Jan 30, 2017
It's farewell to series 4 of Endeavour, offering a fitting tribute too to John Thaw's Inspector Morse...
This review contains spoilers.
See related 50 upcoming comic book TV shows, and when to expect them
4.4 Harvest
When a man’s skeleton is discovered at Bramford Mere, Thursday’s mind immediately turns to the unsolved disappearance of Matthew Laxman, an Oxford botanist who vanished in autumn 1962. Dr DeBryn soon reveals, however, that the bones belonged to a man who died in what appears to have been a ritual sacrifice two thousand years earlier; as Strange puts it, looking for next of kin won’t be too easy. Morse spots a pair of spectacles in the disturbed earth, which Laxman’s wife Alison (Natalie Burt) is able to identify as likely belonging to her husband. She points the detectives in the direction of Professor Donald Bagley (Michael Pennington), a physicist friend...
It's farewell to series 4 of Endeavour, offering a fitting tribute too to John Thaw's Inspector Morse...
This review contains spoilers.
See related 50 upcoming comic book TV shows, and when to expect them
4.4 Harvest
When a man’s skeleton is discovered at Bramford Mere, Thursday’s mind immediately turns to the unsolved disappearance of Matthew Laxman, an Oxford botanist who vanished in autumn 1962. Dr DeBryn soon reveals, however, that the bones belonged to a man who died in what appears to have been a ritual sacrifice two thousand years earlier; as Strange puts it, looking for next of kin won’t be too easy. Morse spots a pair of spectacles in the disturbed earth, which Laxman’s wife Alison (Natalie Burt) is able to identify as likely belonging to her husband. She points the detectives in the direction of Professor Donald Bagley (Michael Pennington), a physicist friend...
- 1/27/2017
- Den of Geek
Watch a sneak peek of the eighth and final season of the Inspector Lewis TV show on PBS. The Inspector Morse sequel series, which in UK is titled Lewis, will run for a total of 33 episodes in honor of John Thaw, star of the parent-series. PBS will rerun the seventh season of Inspector Lewis on Sundays, between July 17 and July 31, 2016.PBS teases Inspector Lewis season eight: "Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox return for one last time as Inspector Lewis and Cs Hathaway, investigating new cases of murder and other crimes in the seemingly perfect academic haven of Oxford." The final season of Inspector Lewis premieres Sunday, August 7, 2016 at 9:00pm Et/Pt.Read More…...
- 7/8/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
[caption id="attachment_48593" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Laurence Fox as Di Hathaway and Kevin Whately as Di Lewis. (C) ITV Studios/Masterpiece./caption]
The Inspector Lewis TV show on PBS announces the eighth and final season premieres Sunday, August 7, 2016 at 9:00pm Et. In the Us, the final season, starring Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox, consists of three 90-minute episodes. Since Inspector Lewis is a sequel series to Inspector Morse, Whately and Fox decided to retire from their roles after 33 episodes, as an homage to John Thaw, who played Chief Inspector Morse for 33 episodes.
In UK, the series is known simply as Lewis. Because PBS combined the second and third UK series into one season, the final season of Inspector Lewis on PBS is considered the eighth. In UK, Lewis, which has already concluded its ITV run, is considered a nine series (season) program. Through the years the...
The Inspector Lewis TV show on PBS announces the eighth and final season premieres Sunday, August 7, 2016 at 9:00pm Et. In the Us, the final season, starring Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox, consists of three 90-minute episodes. Since Inspector Lewis is a sequel series to Inspector Morse, Whately and Fox decided to retire from their roles after 33 episodes, as an homage to John Thaw, who played Chief Inspector Morse for 33 episodes.
In UK, the series is known simply as Lewis. Because PBS combined the second and third UK series into one season, the final season of Inspector Lewis on PBS is considered the eighth. In UK, Lewis, which has already concluded its ITV run, is considered a nine series (season) program. Through the years the...
- 5/7/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
[caption id="attachment_48561" align="aligncenter" width="421"] Roger Allam and Shaun Evans. (C) Mammoth Screen/Masterpiece/ITV Studios./caption]
We have spoilers for the third season of Masterpiece Mystery's Endeavour TV show, premiering on PBS, Sunday, June 19, 2016 at 9:00pm Et/Pt. The UK audience does not have have to worry about Endeavour being cancelled too soon, ITV renewed the drama for a fourth season. Will PBS follow suit and pick up Endeavour, season four? When we know, you will.
A prequel to the Inspector Morse series which starred John Thaw in the title role, Endeavour stars Shaun Evans as the young Endeavor Morse. Roger Allam also stars, as Di Thursday. The Endeavour cast also includes: Anton Lesser, Jack Laskey, Sean Rigby, James Bradshaw, Caroline O'Neill, and Abigail Thaw (daughter the Inspector Morse star).
Read More…...
We have spoilers for the third season of Masterpiece Mystery's Endeavour TV show, premiering on PBS, Sunday, June 19, 2016 at 9:00pm Et/Pt. The UK audience does not have have to worry about Endeavour being cancelled too soon, ITV renewed the drama for a fourth season. Will PBS follow suit and pick up Endeavour, season four? When we know, you will.
A prequel to the Inspector Morse series which starred John Thaw in the title role, Endeavour stars Shaun Evans as the young Endeavor Morse. Roger Allam also stars, as Di Thursday. The Endeavour cast also includes: Anton Lesser, Jack Laskey, Sean Rigby, James Bradshaw, Caroline O'Neill, and Abigail Thaw (daughter the Inspector Morse star).
Read More…...
- 5/6/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
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Inspector Morse prequel, Endeavour, will return to ITV for a fourth series, due to start filming in Spring 2016...
In the wake of its ratings-hit third run, sixties-set Inspector Morse prequel, Endeavour has been renewed for a fourth series.
ITV will welcome Shaun Evans back to the role of the young Endeavour Morse for series four, alongside co-star Roger Allam as Detective Inspector Fred Thursday, and more from the Cowley Police Station team.
The new series, set in 1967, is due to go into production on location in Oxford in late Spring of this year, with Endeavour creator and Inspector Morse writer, Russell Lewis, back on scripting duties. Morse novelist, Colin Dexter, will remain a consultant on the series.
Find our series two and three Endeavour reviews here, and see if you agree with our pick of the top ten episodes of the series that started it all, Inspector Morse,...
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Inspector Morse prequel, Endeavour, will return to ITV for a fourth series, due to start filming in Spring 2016...
In the wake of its ratings-hit third run, sixties-set Inspector Morse prequel, Endeavour has been renewed for a fourth series.
ITV will welcome Shaun Evans back to the role of the young Endeavour Morse for series four, alongside co-star Roger Allam as Detective Inspector Fred Thursday, and more from the Cowley Police Station team.
The new series, set in 1967, is due to go into production on location in Oxford in late Spring of this year, with Endeavour creator and Inspector Morse writer, Russell Lewis, back on scripting duties. Morse novelist, Colin Dexter, will remain a consultant on the series.
Find our series two and three Endeavour reviews here, and see if you agree with our pick of the top ten episodes of the series that started it all, Inspector Morse,...
- 2/9/2016
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Gem Wheeler Jan 10, 2017
To mark 30 years of Inspector Morse on television, here are 10 of his most complex, macabre and memorable cases...
Warning: contains spoilers.
See related Legion: Marvel shares cryptic logo for X-Men series What can Fox learn from the previous X-Men TV series? 50 upcoming comic book TV shows, and when to expect them New TV 2016: 28 Us shows for this autumn
Beer, Wagner, a red Jaguar, and Barrington Pheloung’s haunting theme. Those images conjure up one of the most memorable characters in British television. Inspector Morse’s final episode aired in the UK over fifteen years ago, yet the impression left by the hugely popular drama remains indelible. Its popular spinoff, Lewis, finished only two years ago after nine successful series, while a prequel, Endeavour, has just started to air its fourth run. The appeal of Morse and his Oxford is clearly as strong as ever.
Inspector Morse...
To mark 30 years of Inspector Morse on television, here are 10 of his most complex, macabre and memorable cases...
Warning: contains spoilers.
See related Legion: Marvel shares cryptic logo for X-Men series What can Fox learn from the previous X-Men TV series? 50 upcoming comic book TV shows, and when to expect them New TV 2016: 28 Us shows for this autumn
Beer, Wagner, a red Jaguar, and Barrington Pheloung’s haunting theme. Those images conjure up one of the most memorable characters in British television. Inspector Morse’s final episode aired in the UK over fifteen years ago, yet the impression left by the hugely popular drama remains indelible. Its popular spinoff, Lewis, finished only two years ago after nine successful series, while a prequel, Endeavour, has just started to air its fourth run. The appeal of Morse and his Oxford is clearly as strong as ever.
Inspector Morse...
- 2/8/2016
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
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Endeavour delivers its most unusual case yet, in an emotionally satisfying episode that's rewarding for long-time Morse viewers...
This review contains spoilers.
3.3 Prey
When Ingrid Hjort (Eleanor Williams) goes missing after an evening out, the police can find no trace of the Danish au pair. Her employer, widowed scientist Dr Hector Lorenz (Milo Twomey) claims to know nothing about her disappearance, while her fellow students at the night school she attended are similarly clueless. Thursday’s convinced that the presumed murder is linked to the vicious attack in 1963 that left another young woman in a coma, but in the absence of Ingrid’s body, nothing can be proved.
The investigation soon takes a turn for the macabre when a man’s severed arm is retrieved from the river. The victim, Ricky Parker (David Burnett) was having fun on the riverbank at night with friends when he disappeared without a trace.
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Endeavour delivers its most unusual case yet, in an emotionally satisfying episode that's rewarding for long-time Morse viewers...
This review contains spoilers.
3.3 Prey
When Ingrid Hjort (Eleanor Williams) goes missing after an evening out, the police can find no trace of the Danish au pair. Her employer, widowed scientist Dr Hector Lorenz (Milo Twomey) claims to know nothing about her disappearance, while her fellow students at the night school she attended are similarly clueless. Thursday’s convinced that the presumed murder is linked to the vicious attack in 1963 that left another young woman in a coma, but in the absence of Ingrid’s body, nothing can be proved.
The investigation soon takes a turn for the macabre when a man’s severed arm is retrieved from the river. The victim, Ricky Parker (David Burnett) was having fun on the riverbank at night with friends when he disappeared without a trace.
- 1/18/2016
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Lewis, ITV's long-running Morse spin-off, is effectively cancelled after UK series nine. Kevin Whately was first cast as Robbie Lewis opposite the late John Thaw's Morse, on the forerunning British drama of the same name. Reportedly, Whately and Lewis co-star Laurence Fox, who plays Detective Sergeant James Hathaway, have decided to retire from their roles, after 33 episodes, so as not to outdo Thaw's Morse, which also ran for 33 episodes. ITV will air part one of the two-part series finale, "What Lies Tangled," today, November 3, 2015. Lewis will conclude its UK run on November 10.
In the Us, the series, which airs on PBS under the Masterpiece! banner, is titled Inspector Lewis (and its predecessor: Inspector Morse). The final season has yet to air. Because PBS combined the second and third UK series into one season, the final season of Inspector Lewis...
In the Us, the series, which airs on PBS under the Masterpiece! banner, is titled Inspector Lewis (and its predecessor: Inspector Morse). The final season has yet to air. Because PBS combined the second and third UK series into one season, the final season of Inspector Lewis...
- 11/4/2015
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Exclusive: French remake of The Sweeney, starring Jean Reno, is currently shooting in Paris.
Paris-based sales company Snd has been rounding up sales for The Squad starring Jean Reno, the French remake of the UK’s cult detective tale.
Following its launch at Toronto, the picture has sold to Japan (Klockworx), Germany (SquareOne Entertainment), Spain (Second Gen Picture), the Czech Republic (Aqs) and Freeman Distribution has acquired the film for Poland, Romania, Hungary and the ex-Yugoslavia.
Principal photography began in Paris on October 27 and will continue until mid-December.
Reno plays the lead role of Buren – a tough, old-time Paris detective who is not scared to break rules to solve a case – with support from Caterina Murino, Alban Lenoir and Thierry Neuvic.
The Squad is produced by Snd, the production, distribution and sales arm of French broadcaster M6, French Capture [The Flag] Films and the UK’s Vertigo Films.
As well as handling world sales, Snd will distribute...
Paris-based sales company Snd has been rounding up sales for The Squad starring Jean Reno, the French remake of the UK’s cult detective tale.
Following its launch at Toronto, the picture has sold to Japan (Klockworx), Germany (SquareOne Entertainment), Spain (Second Gen Picture), the Czech Republic (Aqs) and Freeman Distribution has acquired the film for Poland, Romania, Hungary and the ex-Yugoslavia.
Principal photography began in Paris on October 27 and will continue until mid-December.
Reno plays the lead role of Buren – a tough, old-time Paris detective who is not scared to break rules to solve a case – with support from Caterina Murino, Alban Lenoir and Thierry Neuvic.
The Squad is produced by Snd, the production, distribution and sales arm of French broadcaster M6, French Capture [The Flag] Films and the UK’s Vertigo Films.
As well as handling world sales, Snd will distribute...
- 11/6/2014
- ScreenDaily
French star takes on Ray Winstone role in Paris-set remake, The Squad.
France’s Snd and Capture [The Flag] Films are joining forces with the UK’s Vertigo Films on The Squad, an upcoming Paris-set remake of The Sweeney.
The feature, to be directed by Benjamin Rocher, is due to shoot in Paris this October with French star Jean Reno in the lead role of Buren, a tough, old-time Paris police cop who does not play by the rules.
“Director Benjamin Rocher and producers Snd and Capture [The Flag] Films have an incredible vision for this action packed movie set on the streets of Paris,” said Vertigo Films co-founder James Richardson.
“We are tremendously excited to be turning The Sweeney into this brilliant French version with the privilege of being able to work with one of our favorite actors, Jean Reno.
The film is a remake of British director Nick Love’s 2012 feature The Sweeney, starring [link=nm...
France’s Snd and Capture [The Flag] Films are joining forces with the UK’s Vertigo Films on The Squad, an upcoming Paris-set remake of The Sweeney.
The feature, to be directed by Benjamin Rocher, is due to shoot in Paris this October with French star Jean Reno in the lead role of Buren, a tough, old-time Paris police cop who does not play by the rules.
“Director Benjamin Rocher and producers Snd and Capture [The Flag] Films have an incredible vision for this action packed movie set on the streets of Paris,” said Vertigo Films co-founder James Richardson.
“We are tremendously excited to be turning The Sweeney into this brilliant French version with the privilege of being able to work with one of our favorite actors, Jean Reno.
The film is a remake of British director Nick Love’s 2012 feature The Sweeney, starring [link=nm...
- 8/26/2014
- ScreenDaily
French star takes on Ray Winstone role in Paris-set remake, The Squad.
France’s Snd and Capture [The Flag] Films are joining forces with the UK’s Vertigo Films on The Squad, an upcoming Paris-set remake of The Sweeney.
The feature, to be directed by Benjamin Rocher, is due to shoot in Paris this October with French star Jean Reno in the lead role of Buren, a tough, old-time Paris police cop who does not play by the rules.
“Director Benjamin Rocher and producers Snd and Capture [The Flag] Films have an incredible vision for this action packed movie set on the streets of Paris,” said Vertigo Films co-founder James Richardson.
“We are tremendously excited to be turning The Sweeney into this brilliant French version with the privilege of being able to work with one of our favorite actors, Jean Reno.
The film is a remake of British director Nick Love’s 2012 feature The Sweeney, starring [link=nm...
France’s Snd and Capture [The Flag] Films are joining forces with the UK’s Vertigo Films on The Squad, an upcoming Paris-set remake of The Sweeney.
The feature, to be directed by Benjamin Rocher, is due to shoot in Paris this October with French star Jean Reno in the lead role of Buren, a tough, old-time Paris police cop who does not play by the rules.
“Director Benjamin Rocher and producers Snd and Capture [The Flag] Films have an incredible vision for this action packed movie set on the streets of Paris,” said Vertigo Films co-founder James Richardson.
“We are tremendously excited to be turning The Sweeney into this brilliant French version with the privilege of being able to work with one of our favorite actors, Jean Reno.
The film is a remake of British director Nick Love’s 2012 feature The Sweeney, starring [link=nm...
- 8/26/2014
- ScreenDaily
So apparently summer's over for another year - but there's no need to stand outside brooding in the wet weather like a moody, mercurial TV anti-hero!
Come indoors, settle down in front of the telly and watch some cracking shows - the Tube Talk Q&A is back with all the latest scoop on when and where you can expect to see your favourite TV programmes.
Have any of the new season shows been picked up yet? Digital Spy used to have a planner which highlighted what had been picked up and by whom.
...and now we do again!
Yes, the Us TV Acquisitions scorecard is back and revamped for the 2014-15 television season. It's early days, so the whole thing's pretty much a sea of red right now, but that'll change as more and more UK channels announce which fresh Yank hits they'll be airing.
For the record, right...
Come indoors, settle down in front of the telly and watch some cracking shows - the Tube Talk Q&A is back with all the latest scoop on when and where you can expect to see your favourite TV programmes.
Have any of the new season shows been picked up yet? Digital Spy used to have a planner which highlighted what had been picked up and by whom.
...and now we do again!
Yes, the Us TV Acquisitions scorecard is back and revamped for the 2014-15 television season. It's early days, so the whole thing's pretty much a sea of red right now, but that'll change as more and more UK channels announce which fresh Yank hits they'll be airing.
For the record, right...
- 8/14/2014
- Digital Spy
Screening at Edinburgh International Film Festival as part of a retrospective on writer John McGrath, Jack Gold’s first two features, The Bofors Gun (1968) and The Reckoning (1969), made for punchy, exciting viewing.
Both films were made fairly fast and cheap—Gold, experienced in TV, keeps them moving with stabs of the zoom lens, an active camera and choppy, rough-hewn cutting. They’re not things of beauty, visually, but take their energy and spleen from Nicol Williamson’s manic performances.
The Bofors Gun takes place at a British army base in Germany, where David Warner has to command the night’s guard of the titular cannon without incident in order to get returned to Blighty the following day. His reluctance to discipline his men leads to horrific consequences, mostly caused by a drunken Irishman played by drunken Scottish actor Williamson (Merlin in Excalibur). Williamson’s capacity for loquacious, frenzied and diabolic grandstanding is exercised thoroughly.
Both films were made fairly fast and cheap—Gold, experienced in TV, keeps them moving with stabs of the zoom lens, an active camera and choppy, rough-hewn cutting. They’re not things of beauty, visually, but take their energy and spleen from Nicol Williamson’s manic performances.
The Bofors Gun takes place at a British army base in Germany, where David Warner has to command the night’s guard of the titular cannon without incident in order to get returned to Blighty the following day. His reluctance to discipline his men leads to horrific consequences, mostly caused by a drunken Irishman played by drunken Scottish actor Williamson (Merlin in Excalibur). Williamson’s capacity for loquacious, frenzied and diabolic grandstanding is exercised thoroughly.
- 7/11/2014
- by David Cairns
- MUBI
Endeavour
Returns June 29th, 2014
Masterpiece Mystery
On the surface, Endeavour may sound like it’s full of tired clichés. Inspector Endeavour Morse (a brilliant Shaun Evans) is an emotionally damaged young detective who investigates complex murders in 1960s London. But Endeavour remains one of the most endlessly fascinating characters on television.
Created as a prequel series to Inspector Morse, which ran for thirteen years and starred John Thaw as the detective in his later years, Endeavour begins in 1965 as the young detective is writing his resignation letter. He’s never been one for dead bodies; he actually gets sick around them and doesn’t care much about attention and flashy cases. He simply likes the puzzle that cases represent and he often attacks them with a zeal that’s made him an outcast with other police officers. They feel he’s been given too much too young and is just plain weird.
Returns June 29th, 2014
Masterpiece Mystery
On the surface, Endeavour may sound like it’s full of tired clichés. Inspector Endeavour Morse (a brilliant Shaun Evans) is an emotionally damaged young detective who investigates complex murders in 1960s London. But Endeavour remains one of the most endlessly fascinating characters on television.
Created as a prequel series to Inspector Morse, which ran for thirteen years and starred John Thaw as the detective in his later years, Endeavour begins in 1965 as the young detective is writing his resignation letter. He’s never been one for dead bodies; he actually gets sick around them and doesn’t care much about attention and flashy cases. He simply likes the puzzle that cases represent and he often attacks them with a zeal that’s made him an outcast with other police officers. They feel he’s been given too much too young and is just plain weird.
- 5/7/2014
- by Tressa
- SoundOnSight
Review Gem Wheeler 1 Apr 2014 - 07:00
The new series of Endeavour maintains the tricky balance between satisfying Morse fans and drawing in new viewers...
This review contains spoilers.
2.1 Trove
Behind each of the cases solved by the young Endeavour Morse in 1960s Oxford lies a bigger mystery, one that taxes the audience’s puzzle-solving skills even as the detective remains blissfully unaware of the need to crack it. It is, of course, the enigma of Morse himself. John Thaw’s iconic portrayal of Colin Dexter’s dour, embittered yet thoroughly decent detective needs no real introduction, but Morse’s past exists for us only in outline: a broken engagement, a difficult Oxford career, an abiding resentment of the top brass who obstructed him at every turn.
Endeavour’s first series established Shaun Evans as a fine Morse, well able to capture the character’s established idiosyncrasies while making the role his own.
The new series of Endeavour maintains the tricky balance between satisfying Morse fans and drawing in new viewers...
This review contains spoilers.
2.1 Trove
Behind each of the cases solved by the young Endeavour Morse in 1960s Oxford lies a bigger mystery, one that taxes the audience’s puzzle-solving skills even as the detective remains blissfully unaware of the need to crack it. It is, of course, the enigma of Morse himself. John Thaw’s iconic portrayal of Colin Dexter’s dour, embittered yet thoroughly decent detective needs no real introduction, but Morse’s past exists for us only in outline: a broken engagement, a difficult Oxford career, an abiding resentment of the top brass who obstructed him at every turn.
Endeavour’s first series established Shaun Evans as a fine Morse, well able to capture the character’s established idiosyncrasies while making the role his own.
- 4/15/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Before British cop drama Harrigan hits our cinema screens on September 20, we had the great pleasure of speaking to the lead role, Detective Harrigan himself, Stephen Tompkinson.
Harrigan – which is director Vince Woods debut feature film, is set in a bleak, 1970s North East, where a close-to-retirement cop Barry Harrigan returns to his hometown with a score to settle. Tompkinson, who has made a name for himself in films such as Brassed Off and TV shows such as In Deep, speaks of his own experience in Britain from the time this film is set, and what attracted him to the role – while he reflects on what has been a triumphant, and certainly expansive career.
So what first attracted you to the role of Harrigan?
Vincent Woods, the film’s director, came to see me the year before we started shooting. I was doing live theatre in Newcastle in a play by my friend Shaun Prendergast,...
Harrigan – which is director Vince Woods debut feature film, is set in a bleak, 1970s North East, where a close-to-retirement cop Barry Harrigan returns to his hometown with a score to settle. Tompkinson, who has made a name for himself in films such as Brassed Off and TV shows such as In Deep, speaks of his own experience in Britain from the time this film is set, and what attracted him to the role – while he reflects on what has been a triumphant, and certainly expansive career.
So what first attracted you to the role of Harrigan?
Vincent Woods, the film’s director, came to see me the year before we started shooting. I was doing live theatre in Newcastle in a play by my friend Shaun Prendergast,...
- 9/16/2013
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
ITV
UK broadcaster has released a specially made advert which mixes characters from its various Fall drama series in one location. Actors from "Downton Abbey," "Whitechapel," "Vera," "The Bletchley Circle," "Doc Martin," "Endeavour," "Mr. Selfridge" and "The Suspicions of Mr Whicher" all appear in character.
Added to that is a couple of old classic characters who have been digitally added into the mix such as Helen Mirren's Dci Jane Tennison from "Prime Suspect," John Thaw's "Inspector Morse," Anthony Andrews' Sebastian Flyte from "Brideshead Revisited" and David Suchet's Hercule Poirot from "Agatha Christie's Poirot" (the final episodes of which go to air later this year). Check it out below:
Arrow
The CW have unveiled a new one-minute trailer for the second season of "Arrow" which begins on the network on October 9th.
Treme
HBO has posted the teaser trailer for the shortened, five episode final season of...
UK broadcaster has released a specially made advert which mixes characters from its various Fall drama series in one location. Actors from "Downton Abbey," "Whitechapel," "Vera," "The Bletchley Circle," "Doc Martin," "Endeavour," "Mr. Selfridge" and "The Suspicions of Mr Whicher" all appear in character.
Added to that is a couple of old classic characters who have been digitally added into the mix such as Helen Mirren's Dci Jane Tennison from "Prime Suspect," John Thaw's "Inspector Morse," Anthony Andrews' Sebastian Flyte from "Brideshead Revisited" and David Suchet's Hercule Poirot from "Agatha Christie's Poirot" (the final episodes of which go to air later this year). Check it out below:
Arrow
The CW have unveiled a new one-minute trailer for the second season of "Arrow" which begins on the network on October 9th.
Treme
HBO has posted the teaser trailer for the shortened, five episode final season of...
- 9/11/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
ITV has launched its autumn drama season with a new trailer featuring the stars of its biggest shows, such as Downton Abbey, Doc Martin and Mr Selfridge.
Watch the Where Drama Lives trailer below:
Martin Clunes, Hugh Bonneville, Paddy Considine, Katherine Kelly, Jim Carter, Brenda Blethyn and Jeremy Piven are among the talent who appear in the preview.
Iconic ITV drama characters Morse (John Thaw), Dci Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren), Poirot (David Suchet) and Sebastian Flyte (Brideshead Revisited) also pop up in the new trailer.
ITV director of drama Steve November said: "I'm incredibly proud of ITV's drama output, and we have a strong autumn of returning brands, from Doc Martin to Downton Abbey. The new Where Drama Lives trail celebrates not only our brilliant forthcoming series, but our rich heritage throughout the decades.
"We're pleased to work, and to have worked, with some of the best on and off screen talent in the industry,...
Watch the Where Drama Lives trailer below:
Martin Clunes, Hugh Bonneville, Paddy Considine, Katherine Kelly, Jim Carter, Brenda Blethyn and Jeremy Piven are among the talent who appear in the preview.
Iconic ITV drama characters Morse (John Thaw), Dci Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren), Poirot (David Suchet) and Sebastian Flyte (Brideshead Revisited) also pop up in the new trailer.
ITV director of drama Steve November said: "I'm incredibly proud of ITV's drama output, and we have a strong autumn of returning brands, from Doc Martin to Downton Abbey. The new Where Drama Lives trail celebrates not only our brilliant forthcoming series, but our rich heritage throughout the decades.
"We're pleased to work, and to have worked, with some of the best on and off screen talent in the industry,...
- 9/9/2013
- Digital Spy
Endeavour. PBS Masterpiece Mystery
N Conrad
Endeavour – Fugue began with our hero having been unceremoniously assigned to “general duty” by the dimwitted and ironically named Chief Supt Bright. However, it wasn’t long before Morse saw something deeper in an apparent case of “How’s your father?” gone wrong. The killing had nothing to do with adultery or revenge, it was a simple case of a lunatic reenacting the opera Otello. More murders were to follow as an all-too-clever musical killer put Morse’s knowledge of the genre to the test. Endeavour managed to unravel the mystery just in time to stop Fred Thursday being thrown off the roof. We even got to see Shaun Evans doing his Harold Lloyd impression as he allowed his gangly frame to dangle off that clock tower. I think most of us had long since realized that the surprisingly well informed shrink knew rather...
N Conrad
Endeavour – Fugue began with our hero having been unceremoniously assigned to “general duty” by the dimwitted and ironically named Chief Supt Bright. However, it wasn’t long before Morse saw something deeper in an apparent case of “How’s your father?” gone wrong. The killing had nothing to do with adultery or revenge, it was a simple case of a lunatic reenacting the opera Otello. More murders were to follow as an all-too-clever musical killer put Morse’s knowledge of the genre to the test. Endeavour managed to unravel the mystery just in time to stop Fred Thursday being thrown off the roof. We even got to see Shaun Evans doing his Harold Lloyd impression as he allowed his gangly frame to dangle off that clock tower. I think most of us had long since realized that the surprisingly well informed shrink knew rather...
- 7/14/2013
- by Edited by K Kinsella
The final episode of "Inspector Lewis" aired on PBS' "Masterpiece Mystery" Sunday night (June 30), with the spinoff of "Inspector Morse" calling back to its predecessor in a lot of ways.
Sunday's episode closed with Lewis (Kevin Whately) and his partner, James Hathaway (Laurence Fox), share a pint on the bank of the Thames -- echoing a shot near the end of "Morse" with Whately and John Thaw. And with both Lewis and Hathaway leaving the police force at episode's end, it seems like a pretty definitive end to the series.
But maybe not entirely definitive. Whately has been candid about wanting to step away from the character he's played since 1987, but he told The Daily Beast in June that an occasional special could be in the offing for the future.
"I think we might, as we did with 'Morse,' do the odd one or two [specials], but I don't want...
Sunday's episode closed with Lewis (Kevin Whately) and his partner, James Hathaway (Laurence Fox), share a pint on the bank of the Thames -- echoing a shot near the end of "Morse" with Whately and John Thaw. And with both Lewis and Hathaway leaving the police force at episode's end, it seems like a pretty definitive end to the series.
But maybe not entirely definitive. Whately has been candid about wanting to step away from the character he's played since 1987, but he told The Daily Beast in June that an occasional special could be in the offing for the future.
"I think we might, as we did with 'Morse,' do the odd one or two [specials], but I don't want...
- 7/2/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
My mother Pat Ashton, who has died aged 82, was an actor for over four decades. Probably her most important TV role was that of Annie, wife of a burglar (Bob Hoskins) who comes out of prison to find that his old friend (John Thaw) has moved in, in Thick As Thieves (1974). When Yorkshire TV declined a second series, the writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais took the idea to the BBC, where it was developed into the much-loved series Porridge.
Pat was born and raised in Wood Green, north London. During her early years, the piano was the focus of entertainment at home, with her brother Richard playing all the popular songs of the day. Her grandmother had been a trapeze artist, performing in front of the tsar in Russia, and Pat quickly became fascinated with music hall, learned to tap-dance from an early age and went on to...
Pat was born and raised in Wood Green, north London. During her early years, the piano was the focus of entertainment at home, with her brother Richard playing all the popular songs of the day. Her grandmother had been a trapeze artist, performing in front of the tsar in Russia, and Pat quickly became fascinated with music hall, learned to tap-dance from an early age and went on to...
- 6/23/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Kevin Whately has been playing gruff, sensible detective Robbie Lewis on Morse and Lewis for 26 years. I speak to him about the possible end of the Oxford copper. At The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, "Oxford's No. 1 Sleuth: Inspector Lewis's Kevin Whately on Morse, John Thaw, and the End of the Series," in which I speak with Kevin Whately, star of Inspector Morse and Lewis (which returns to PBS' Masterpiece Mystery on Sunday) about playing Robbie Lewis for 26 years, whether this is the end for the Oxford-set drama, and what's next. Inspector Lewis is due for a vacation. After more than 20 years playing Detective Inspector Robert “Robbie” Lewis, actor Kevin Whately has earned a well-deserved break from investigating murders beneath the Oxford spires. Introduced in Inspector Morse’s first episode (“The Dead of Jericho”), Whately’s Robbie Lewis was the Geordie sidekick of the late John Thaw...
- 6/14/2013
- by Jace Lacob
- Televisionary
You have to wonder just how far the senior execs at ITV’s drama department got into the first episode of Sherlock before decided to rip it off. My guess would be not very. It must have been utterly galling, for a network whose dramatic output had thrived on shows about brilliant detectives like Poirot, Marple and Frost to suddenly find themselves soundly beaten at their own game.
And to really rub salt in the wound, not only was Sherlock very, very good, it was also popular, particularly so with the kind of young viewer who wouldn’t dream of settling in on a Sunday night with an episode of Lewis.
To describe Endeavour as a cynical rip off of Sherlock might not be very charitable, but it is accurate. Like Sherlock, the series is about a brilliant detective who is always the smartest guy in the room, and is...
And to really rub salt in the wound, not only was Sherlock very, very good, it was also popular, particularly so with the kind of young viewer who wouldn’t dream of settling in on a Sunday night with an episode of Lewis.
To describe Endeavour as a cynical rip off of Sherlock might not be very charitable, but it is accurate. Like Sherlock, the series is about a brilliant detective who is always the smartest guy in the room, and is...
- 5/9/2013
- by Ben Mortimer
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Shaun Evans in Endeavour. co. ITV
N Conrad
Endeavour – Fugue began with our hero having been unceremoniously assigned to “general duty” by the dimwitted and ironically named Chief Supt Bright. However, it wasn’t long before Morse saw something deeper in an apparent case of “How’s your father?” gone wrong. The killing had nothing to do with adultery or revenge, it was a simple case of a lunatic reenacting the opera Otello. More murders were to follow as an all-too-clever musical killer put Morse’s knowledge of the genre to the test. Endeavour managed to unravel the mystery just in time to stop Fred Thursday being thrown off the roof. We even got to see Shaun Evans doing his Harold Lloyd impression as he allowed his gangly frame to dangle off that clock tower. I think most of us had long since realized that the surprisingly well informed shrink...
N Conrad
Endeavour – Fugue began with our hero having been unceremoniously assigned to “general duty” by the dimwitted and ironically named Chief Supt Bright. However, it wasn’t long before Morse saw something deeper in an apparent case of “How’s your father?” gone wrong. The killing had nothing to do with adultery or revenge, it was a simple case of a lunatic reenacting the opera Otello. More murders were to follow as an all-too-clever musical killer put Morse’s knowledge of the genre to the test. Endeavour managed to unravel the mystery just in time to stop Fred Thursday being thrown off the roof. We even got to see Shaun Evans doing his Harold Lloyd impression as he allowed his gangly frame to dangle off that clock tower. I think most of us had long since realized that the surprisingly well informed shrink...
- 4/22/2013
- by Edited by K Kinsella
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