Last Updated on April 22, 2026
I often get a bit nostalgic for the old classic cozy crime tv series and knew that Inspector Morse was top of my list for a re-watch.
I also knew that every season of Endeavour was available, so I did what any normal (slightly obsessed) fan does and decided to go back to the beginning and watch them in chronological order – a sort of evolution of Morse if you will.
As you can imagine, the production value of shows filmed 25 years apart is vast, and it is quite a visual shock to go from an episode filmed in 2023 all the way back to one filmed in 1987.
Of course, that doesn’t detract from the overall quality of the crimes to be solved, though I have to say the level of acting in the original is more often than not a heady mix of woeful and hilarious in equal measure. Thankfully, it does get better as the seasons go on!
So, just how did Colin Dexter’s detective on paper become one of the most beloved and enduring figures in British crime fiction and television?
The Original Series
From his early days as a young detective constable in the 1960s to his later years as a curmudgeonly but brilliant Chief Inspector, Morse’s journey has captivated audiences for decades.
The television adaptation of Dexter’s novels, Inspector Morse, first aired on ITV in 1987 and ran until 2000.
The series consisted of 33 episodes spread across eight seasons, with each episode running for approximately two hours.
John Thaw brilliantly portrayed the titular character, bringing him to life with his distinctive blend of intellect, cynicism, and vulnerability.
He was an enigmatic figure known for his love of classical music, cryptic crosswords, and real ale. He was also a bachelor, never married and without children, which added to his complex and somewhat lonely persona.
His personal life was often tumultuous, with a string of failed relationships and a tendency to fall for women involved in his cases.
I had genuinely forgotten how he fell for at least one woman in almost every episode. I mean, he literally never learned that it wasn’t a good idea to get involved with somebody so deeply entrenched in the case he was trying to solve!
Working alongside Morse was his loyal sergeant, Robbie Lewis, played by Kevin Whately. Their relationship was central to the series, with Lewis often serving as a foil to Morse’s more cerebral approach to crime-solving.
The series was set in Oxford, with its picturesque colleges and streets providing a striking backdrop to the crimes. This setting allowed the show to explore the contrast between the city’s academic prestige and the darker undercurrents of human nature.
How Morse Ended
The series concluded in 2000 with The Remorseful Day, based on Dexter’s final Morse novel.
In this poignant episode, Morse, whose health had been declining due to his heavy drinking, suffers a heart attack while working on a case.
He solves his final mystery from his hospital bed before succumbing to his condition, dying with Lewis by his side.
The Prequel Series
In 2012, ITV launched Endeavour, a prequel series that explored Morse’s early career in the 1960s and 1970s. Shaun Evans took on the challenging role of the young Morse, capturing the essence of the character while making it his own.
Endeavour begins with Morse as a detective constable in 1965, having left Oxford University and a promising academic career to join the police force.
The series follows his development as a detective under the mentorship of DI Fred Thursday, played by Roger Allam.
The show’s attention to period detail is meticulous, recreating the atmosphere of 1960s Oxford with stunning accuracy.
It also delves deeper into Morse’s background, exploring his family relationships, his time at university, and the events that shaped him into the detective we know from the original series.
Interestingly, the journalist in the show, and Morse’s friend Ms Frazil, is played by Abigail Thaw, John Thaw’s daughter!
Key characters in Endeavour include:
Morse (Shaun Evans)
DI Fred Thursday (Roger Allam): Morse’s mentor and father figure
Chief Superintendent Reginald Bright (Anton Lesser): The often pompous but well-meaning head of the station
DS Jim Strange (Sean Rigby): Morse’s colleague and future superior
Joan Thursday (Sara Vickers): Fred’s daughter and a source of complicated feelings for Morse
Dr. Max DeBryn (James Bradshaw): The pathologist who always does his autopsies at 2pm (running joke).
Win Thursday (Caroline O’Neill): Di Fred Thursday’s wife
Dorothea Frazil (Abigail Thaw): newspaper journalist and Morse’s friend
The show ran for nine seasons, concluding in 2023 with its 36th episode.
The series was widely acclaimed for its intelligent scripts, strong performances, and ability to both honour and expand upon the original Inspector Morse legacy.
Connecting the Two Series
Despite being created decades apart, Endeavour and Inspector Morse are intricately linked.
The prequel series took great care to maintain continuity with the original, planting seeds for Morse’s future characteristics and relationships.
The final season of Endeavour particularly focused on bridging the gap between the two series. It showed Morse’s increasing isolation and his developing cynicism, traits that would define him in later years.
It also answers the question as to what exactly Morse’s first name is…
His name is Endeavour Morse, and Fred even calls him Endeavour as they part ways for the last time.
The departure of key characters like Fred Thursday explained their absence in the original series, though that was largely because most of those characters never appeared in the Colin Dexter novels.
One of the most poignant connections, which I will admit made me shed a tear or two, was in the very last scene of Endeavour when Morse leaves Blenheim Palace in his jaguar only to pass the older version of himself coming the other way in his iconic red jaguar.
The cars pass each other, and both look into the rearview mirrors at each other and the credits roll.
Incidentally, this leads to the opening scene of Inspector Morse when John Thaw is still in the choir, which his younger version just left.
It is probably one of the most perfect cross over scenes of any show and the perfect way to end Endeavour.
The Morse Legacy
The impact of Morse on British crime television cannot be overstated. The character has become an iconic figure in British popular culture, inspiring not only Endeavour but also the spin-off series Inspector Lewis.
The Morse franchise has set a high standard for British crime dramas, influencing countless series that followed. Its blend of complex mysteries, character-driven storytelling, and exploration of social issues has become a template for quality television.
Even years after the conclusion of both shows, the character’s legacy continues. Reruns of both series remain popular, and the novels continue to find new readers.
From his early days as an idealistic young detective to his final case as a seasoned inspector, Morse was a brilliant yet flawed, solitary man out of time yet eternally relevant.
Frequently Asked Questions
I know that it is virtually impossible to whittle down the details of two TV shows across nearly four decades in one single article.
So, I figured the best way to hit the high points of the character was to answer some frequently asked questions.
Here goes…
Q. Who played Inspector Morse?
A. John Thaw, who passed away in February 2002 when he was just 60 years old.
Q. Who Wrote Inspector Morse?
A. That would be Colin Dexter. He wrote 13 books in total which are:
- Last Bus to Woodstock (1975)
- Last Seen Wearing (1976)
- The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn (1977)
- Service of All the Dead (1979)
- The Dead of Jericho (1981)
- The Riddle of the Third Mile (1983)
- The Secret of Annexe 3 (1986)
- The Wench is Dead (1989)
- The Jewel That Was Ours (1991)
- The Way Through the Woods (1992)
- The Daughters of Cain (1994)
- Death Is Now My Neighbour (1996)
- The Remorseful Day (1999)
Q. Who Does Inspector Morse Marry?
A. Morse never gets married. He was in love with Joan Thursday but never told her how he felt and she married his colleague DI Strange.
Q. How Did Inspector Morse Die?
A. Both the final novel and final episode were called The Remorseful Day when Morse suffers a heart attack while working on a case.
He manages to solve his final mystery from his hospital bed before succumbing to his condition.
Q. Where Was Morse Filmed?
A. The original show was largely filmed in Oxford though some scenes were also filmed in London.
Q. Was Morse an Alcoholic?
A. They touched on this in Endeavour when Morse’s drinking, in season 8, became a problem and he had to go away and sort himself out.
The series creator, Russell Lewis, explicitly states that Morse is a “functioning alcoholic” in his later years, though it comes across more as part of his personality and symptom of his loneliness more than anything else.
Q. Where Can I Watch Inspector Morse?
A. If you’re in the UK then you can watch every episode on ITVX and in the US you can watch it on Britbox.
