The young Inspector Morse series will draw to a close after 36 episodes. 

itv have announced that Endeavour, the series following the exploits of the young Inspector Morse, will finish in 2023.

After ten years, producers Mammoth Screen, with writer Russell Lewis and stars Shaun Evans and Roger Allam, have mutually decided to bring the drama to a close. The broadcaster says it “respectfully accepts this creative decision”, extending thanks to everyone associated with the show.

Endeavour originally began as a one-off film in 2012 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Inspector Morse on screen. The show has gone on to have 33 two-hour episodes, with a further three filming. With the first set in 1965, the show has followed the character though to the early 1970s. With 36 episodes, it exceeds the total of either Inspector Morse or its spin-off Lewis.

The Remorseful Day

To accompany the announcement, itv provided a little treat. It’s a visual trip down memory lane set to a performance of AE Houseman’s ‘The Remorseful Day‘ by Shaun Evans. The poem was where Morse’s creator Colin Dexter drew his title for the Inspector’s final story.

Executive Producer Damien Timmer on behalf of producers, Mammoth Screen, said:

“Endeavour has been a real labour of love for all of us, and we salute Russell Lewis for his extraordinary achievement in chronicling Endeavour Morse’s coming of age across 72 hours of tv. Russell always knew where he wanted the series to end, and that Remorseful Day is nearly upon us! We’d like to thank Shaun and Roger and all the other members of the Endeavour family on and off screen, and to the show’s fans both in the U.K. and abroad. Russell has many surprises up his sleeve for the final three films, with the return of some familiar faces and new challenges for Endeavour and Thursday to face before the final goodbye!”

Endeavour Series 9 will come to itv in 2023, presumably in the autumn. In the US, the show airs on Masterpiece PBS.