BBC Studios’ Scripted Formats, Documentaries Head Abroad
BBC Studios Global Entertainment has licensed the drama “Doctor Foster” and comedy series “Ghosts” in Greece. The former, a BAFTA-winning psychological drama about a doctor whose outwardly perfect life implodes after she discovers her husband has been unfaithful, will star Marilita Lambropoulou in the lead role and Nikos Kouris as her husband. The original series was written and created by Mike Bartlett and produced by Drama Republic. It has already been successfully adapted in France, Japan, the Philippines, Slovakia, South Korea, Mena and Turkey. ANT1 TV and Silverline Media Productions will produce the Greek version.
“Ghosts,” originally produced by Monumental Television in association with Them There for BBC One, turns on a young couple that inherit a haunted mansion. Celebrated Greek screenwriter Theodore Petropoulos is penning the local adaptation, which Tanweer Productions will produce. It will air on Star Channel in autumn 2025.
‘Solar System’
“Asia” and “Solar System,...
BBC Studios Global Entertainment has licensed the drama “Doctor Foster” and comedy series “Ghosts” in Greece. The former, a BAFTA-winning psychological drama about a doctor whose outwardly perfect life implodes after she discovers her husband has been unfaithful, will star Marilita Lambropoulou in the lead role and Nikos Kouris as her husband. The original series was written and created by Mike Bartlett and produced by Drama Republic. It has already been successfully adapted in France, Japan, the Philippines, Slovakia, South Korea, Mena and Turkey. ANT1 TV and Silverline Media Productions will produce the Greek version.
“Ghosts,” originally produced by Monumental Television in association with Them There for BBC One, turns on a young couple that inherit a haunted mansion. Celebrated Greek screenwriter Theodore Petropoulos is penning the local adaptation, which Tanweer Productions will produce. It will air on Star Channel in autumn 2025.
‘Solar System’
“Asia” and “Solar System,...
- 10/21/2024
- by Jamie Lang and K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
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NCIS: Origins is a military police procedural crime thriller drama series created by Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North. The CBS series serves as a prequel to the long-running hit series NCIS and it follows the origins of Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs as he joins the Nis after his wife and daughter were murdered. NCIS: Origins stars Austin Stowell, Mark Harmon, Kyle Schmid, and Diany Rodriguez. So, if you loved the thrilling drama, complex stories, and compelling characters in NCIS: Origins here are some similar shows you should check out next.
NCIS Credit – CBS
NCIS is a military police procedural action thriller drama series created by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill. The CBS series follows Naval Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs as he leads a team of investigators to investigate various criminal...
NCIS: Origins is a military police procedural crime thriller drama series created by Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North. The CBS series serves as a prequel to the long-running hit series NCIS and it follows the origins of Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs as he joins the Nis after his wife and daughter were murdered. NCIS: Origins stars Austin Stowell, Mark Harmon, Kyle Schmid, and Diany Rodriguez. So, if you loved the thrilling drama, complex stories, and compelling characters in NCIS: Origins here are some similar shows you should check out next.
NCIS Credit – CBS
NCIS is a military police procedural action thriller drama series created by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill. The CBS series follows Naval Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs as he leads a team of investigators to investigate various criminal...
- 10/17/2024
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
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Murder in a Small Town is a mystery crime drama series created by Ian Weir. Based on The Alberg and Cassandra Mysteries novel series by author L.R. Wright, the Fox series is set in the small idyllic town of Gibsons and it follows the story of the new police chief Karl Alberg after he leaves the city and comes to town to get some peace of mind and find a new partner, but he is soon confronted with various crimes that he has to solve with the help of his team. Murder in a Small Town stars Rossif Sutherland and Kristin Kreuk in the lead roles with James Cromwell, Stana Katic, Mya Lowe, and Aaron Douglas starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the murder mysteries, complex relationships, and compelling characters in Murder in a Small Town...
Murder in a Small Town is a mystery crime drama series created by Ian Weir. Based on The Alberg and Cassandra Mysteries novel series by author L.R. Wright, the Fox series is set in the small idyllic town of Gibsons and it follows the story of the new police chief Karl Alberg after he leaves the city and comes to town to get some peace of mind and find a new partner, but he is soon confronted with various crimes that he has to solve with the help of his team. Murder in a Small Town stars Rossif Sutherland and Kristin Kreuk in the lead roles with James Cromwell, Stana Katic, Mya Lowe, and Aaron Douglas starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the murder mysteries, complex relationships, and compelling characters in Murder in a Small Town...
- 9/25/2024
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Federation Appointment
Federation Stories U.K. has appointed Beth Warin as the new head of development for the company. Warin will work alongside Polly Williams, managing director, and will be responsible for the company’s international drama production slate.
Warin joins from the BBC where she was drama commissioning executive, supporting commissioning editors Jo McClellan and Gaynor Holmes editorially across their slates including “Lockerbie” and “The Night Manager” Season 2.
Federation Stories’s recent credits includes “I, Jack Wright,” a British family drama series created by Chris Lang and starring John Simmy. The banner also has projects in development with broadcasters in the U.K., the US and Europe.
Created three years ago, Federations Stories is the U.K. office of European production studio Federation Studios. The U.K. outpost was set up by two former eOne executives Arielle Gottlieb and Williams. Gottlieb exited the company in February as part of a restructure.
Federation Stories U.K. has appointed Beth Warin as the new head of development for the company. Warin will work alongside Polly Williams, managing director, and will be responsible for the company’s international drama production slate.
Warin joins from the BBC where she was drama commissioning executive, supporting commissioning editors Jo McClellan and Gaynor Holmes editorially across their slates including “Lockerbie” and “The Night Manager” Season 2.
Federation Stories’s recent credits includes “I, Jack Wright,” a British family drama series created by Chris Lang and starring John Simmy. The banner also has projects in development with broadcasters in the U.K., the US and Europe.
Created three years ago, Federations Stories is the U.K. office of European production studio Federation Studios. The U.K. outpost was set up by two former eOne executives Arielle Gottlieb and Williams. Gottlieb exited the company in February as part of a restructure.
- 9/25/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Which PBS TV shows have been cancelled? How many episodes are there this season? Has a series already been renewed for next season? Below, you'll find a list of PBS' recent/current/upcoming scripted TV shows and their current status.
TV shows like All Creatures Great and Small, Call the Midwife, Endeavour, D.I. Ray, The Forsyte Saga, Grantchester, Marie Antoinette, Miss Scarlet and the Duke, Moonflower Murders, Mr. Bates vs The Post Office, Ridley, Tom Jones, Unforgotten, Vienna Blood, Wolf Hall, World on Fire, ...
TV shows like All Creatures Great and Small, Call the Midwife, Endeavour, D.I. Ray, The Forsyte Saga, Grantchester, Marie Antoinette, Miss Scarlet and the Duke, Moonflower Murders, Mr. Bates vs The Post Office, Ridley, Tom Jones, Unforgotten, Vienna Blood, Wolf Hall, World on Fire, ...
- 9/20/2024
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Exclusive: ITV has greenlit an espionage thriller starring and produced by Vigil’s Shaun Evans from Mammoth Screen.
Evans plays John Hughes in Betrayal, which is set in the clandestine world of MI5. Hughes joined MI5 during the war on terror and was at the forefront of averting the biggest terrorist plots on UK soil. Now in his mid 40s and married with two children he’s struggling to adapt to the new MI5, where threats to national security have changed and he’s forced to adapt to the values of a progressive work environment.
The show is co-produced with Navarino Pictures, the nascent production outfit founded by Evans earlier this year. Evans plays Elliot Glover in BBC hit Vigil while other credits include Until I Kill You and Endeavour, in which he stars as Inspector Morse. He is the latest actor to get involved behind the camera with an ITV series,...
Evans plays John Hughes in Betrayal, which is set in the clandestine world of MI5. Hughes joined MI5 during the war on terror and was at the forefront of averting the biggest terrorist plots on UK soil. Now in his mid 40s and married with two children he’s struggling to adapt to the new MI5, where threats to national security have changed and he’s forced to adapt to the values of a progressive work environment.
The show is co-produced with Navarino Pictures, the nascent production outfit founded by Evans earlier this year. Evans plays Elliot Glover in BBC hit Vigil while other credits include Until I Kill You and Endeavour, in which he stars as Inspector Morse. He is the latest actor to get involved behind the camera with an ITV series,...
- 9/19/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
It was a prequel that took on a life of its own. Endeavour, the British crime drama that premiered in 2012 and became a staple of PBS’s Masterpiece lineup, ended last summer after 36 feature-length episodes, all written by executive producer Russell Lewis. The smashing conclusion resolved some storylines but left unanswered questions — and may have even changed the way some viewers look at parent series Inspector Morse (1987-2000), based on the novels of Colin Dexter. In the newer show, the younger Endeavour Morse (Shaun Evans) started out as a somewhat jaded detective constable in 1965 Oxford, and by 1972 had become a massively cynical detective sergeant. The darkness he faced on the job took its toll. So too did drink and heartbreak. The former Oxford University student watched the woman he loved, Joan Thursday (Sara Vickers), marry his colleague Jim Strange (Sean Rigby). Meanwhile, Morse’s mentor, Chief Inspector Fred Thursday (Roger Allam...
- 8/31/2024
- TV Insider
Exclusive: Narrative Pictures has wrapped production on Christmas at Plumhill Manor, a rom-com set in the heart of the UK countryside.
Maria Menounos leads the cast with Brian Herzlinger directing.
Menounos stars as Margot Stone, a powerhouse modern architect from New York City with a life as organized as a blueprint.
This all changes when she is informed in the lead-up to Christmas that a great-aunt has left her a centuries-old manor home in the quaint English town of Plumhill.
Margot soon realizes that alongside its rich history, the estate is ripe and legally eligible for commercial redevelopment.
Christmas at Plumhill Manor is produced by Mark Vennis, Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar, Adam Scott Epstein and Daniel Levin, whose previous UK projects include BAFTA-winning Lion. Menounos will Executive Produce along with her We Heart Holidays production company.
Maria Menounos leads the cast with Brian Herzlinger directing.
Menounos stars as Margot Stone, a powerhouse modern architect from New York City with a life as organized as a blueprint.
This all changes when she is informed in the lead-up to Christmas that a great-aunt has left her a centuries-old manor home in the quaint English town of Plumhill.
Margot soon realizes that alongside its rich history, the estate is ripe and legally eligible for commercial redevelopment.
Christmas at Plumhill Manor is produced by Mark Vennis, Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar, Adam Scott Epstein and Daniel Levin, whose previous UK projects include BAFTA-winning Lion. Menounos will Executive Produce along with her We Heart Holidays production company.
- 6/28/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow and Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Warning: this Inside No. 9 review contains spoilers.
The curse of the ninth. What could be a more fitting inspiration for one of these demonically clever stories? If it hadn’t already existed, they’d have had to invent it.
Inside No. 9’s creators Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith didn’t invent this superstition but they used it to make perhaps their most elegant story yet.
The plot was a trap, avoided. Composer Nathaniel Burnham (Eddie Marsan) had taken his own life after being haunted by a curse that struck artists upon reaching their ninth symphony. Years later, his cash-strapped widow Lillian (Natalie Dormer) ensnared piano tuner Jonah (Reece Shearsmith) to first grave-rob and then complete Nathaniel’s unfinished work, intending to sacrifice him to the fatal curse so that she could profit from the final product. Instead, Jonah turned the tables on Mrs Burnham and, in a sequence beautifully presented by director Guillem Morales,...
The curse of the ninth. What could be a more fitting inspiration for one of these demonically clever stories? If it hadn’t already existed, they’d have had to invent it.
Inside No. 9’s creators Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith didn’t invent this superstition but they used it to make perhaps their most elegant story yet.
The plot was a trap, avoided. Composer Nathaniel Burnham (Eddie Marsan) had taken his own life after being haunted by a curse that struck artists upon reaching their ninth symphony. Years later, his cash-strapped widow Lillian (Natalie Dormer) ensnared piano tuner Jonah (Reece Shearsmith) to first grave-rob and then complete Nathaniel’s unfinished work, intending to sacrifice him to the fatal curse so that she could profit from the final product. Instead, Jonah turned the tables on Mrs Burnham and, in a sequence beautifully presented by director Guillem Morales,...
- 6/5/2024
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
First-look photos of Malala Yousafzai’s cameo in the second season of We Are Lady Parts, launching on Peacock in the U.S. and on Channel 4 in the U.K. on Thursday, May 30, have been released and feature her in fringed western wear.
Early glimpses of her season 2 appearance also show the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner wearing a cowboy hat atop a horse. Produced by Working Title Television, part of Universal International Studios, the show is written, created, and executive-produced by Nida Manzoor.
The cast of ‘We Are Lady Parts’.
Yousafzai, a fierce advocate for girls’ education, joins We Are Lady Parts band members Anjana Vasan (Wicked Little Letters, Black Mirror), Sarah Kameela Impey (Vera, Halcyon Heights), Juliette Motamed (Halo, Magic Mike’s Last Dance), Faith Omole (An Ideal Husband, Endeavour) and Lucie Shorthouse (Rebus, Henpocalypse!).
Season two sees their band return with “a renewed artistic mission after the high of their first U.
Early glimpses of her season 2 appearance also show the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner wearing a cowboy hat atop a horse. Produced by Working Title Television, part of Universal International Studios, the show is written, created, and executive-produced by Nida Manzoor.
The cast of ‘We Are Lady Parts’.
Yousafzai, a fierce advocate for girls’ education, joins We Are Lady Parts band members Anjana Vasan (Wicked Little Letters, Black Mirror), Sarah Kameela Impey (Vera, Halcyon Heights), Juliette Motamed (Halo, Magic Mike’s Last Dance), Faith Omole (An Ideal Husband, Endeavour) and Lucie Shorthouse (Rebus, Henpocalypse!).
Season two sees their band return with “a renewed artistic mission after the high of their first U.
- 5/29/2024
- by Lily Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: A third season of Acorn TV and Channel 5 detective drama Dalgliesh has begun filming in Northern Ireland.
Produced by New Pictures (The Long Shadow) for Acorn and C5 in association with All3Media International, the third run will include lead actor Bertie Carvel making his directorial debut.
Another three P.D. James novels will be adapted for the season over two hour-long episodes each, in which Commander Dalgliesh is seen with Margaret Thatcher on the cusp of power in the UK. In the first book, Death in Holy Orders, Dalgliesh travels to a remote seminary overlooking a windswept lake, where a body has been found gruesomely murdered. Nearly everyone in the seminary has reason to resent the victim, and Dalgliesh and DS Tarrant must unpick a complicated set of motives to find their killer.
In the second, Cover Her Face, Dalgliesh investigates a murder in the Essex home of the Mehtas,...
Produced by New Pictures (The Long Shadow) for Acorn and C5 in association with All3Media International, the third run will include lead actor Bertie Carvel making his directorial debut.
Another three P.D. James novels will be adapted for the season over two hour-long episodes each, in which Commander Dalgliesh is seen with Margaret Thatcher on the cusp of power in the UK. In the first book, Death in Holy Orders, Dalgliesh travels to a remote seminary overlooking a windswept lake, where a body has been found gruesomely murdered. Nearly everyone in the seminary has reason to resent the victim, and Dalgliesh and DS Tarrant must unpick a complicated set of motives to find their killer.
In the second, Cover Her Face, Dalgliesh investigates a murder in the Essex home of the Mehtas,...
- 5/16/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Prolific actor James Laurenson, who played Doctor Weir in the royal period drama The Crown, has died. He was 84. His passing was reported by multiple U.K. news outlets on Friday, May 10. A cause of death has not yet been provided. Born on February 17, 1940, in Marton, North Island, New Zealand, Laurenson made his acting career in the United Kingdom after moving there in the mid-1960s. He made his on-screen film debut in 1969 in Ken Russell’s romantic drama Women in Love. Throughout his career, Laurenson has had guest roles in numerous classic TV series such as Coronation Street, Z-Cars, The Professionals, Hammer House of Horror, Cagney and Lacey, Remington Steele, Bergerac, Midsomer Murders, Prime Suspect, Silent Witness, Hustle, Endeavour, Spooks, and many more. In more recent years, he played Earl of Westmoreland in the BBC adaptations of William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Parts I and II and starred in...
- 5/13/2024
- TV Insider
The prequel series to Starz’s Outlander has found its lead actors and is heading into production.
Filming has begun in Scotland on Outlander: Blood of My Blood, a show that will focus on the parents of the leads in the main series. Starz previously said the prequel would center on Jamie’s (Sam Heughan) mother and father; the premium cabler now confirms that Claire’s (Caitriona Balfe) parents will also be part of the story.
Harriet Slater (Pennyworth) and Jamie Roy (Lifetime’s Your Boyfriend Is Mine) will play Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser, who will eventually become Jamie’s parents in 18th century Scotland. Hermione Corfield (We Hunt Together) and Jeremy Irvine (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again) will play Julia Moriston and Henry Beauchamp, Claire’s parents, whose story unfolds in World War I-era England.
“We’re thrilled to be telling the stories of these two couples,...
Filming has begun in Scotland on Outlander: Blood of My Blood, a show that will focus on the parents of the leads in the main series. Starz previously said the prequel would center on Jamie’s (Sam Heughan) mother and father; the premium cabler now confirms that Claire’s (Caitriona Balfe) parents will also be part of the story.
Harriet Slater (Pennyworth) and Jamie Roy (Lifetime’s Your Boyfriend Is Mine) will play Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser, who will eventually become Jamie’s parents in 18th century Scotland. Hermione Corfield (We Hunt Together) and Jeremy Irvine (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again) will play Julia Moriston and Henry Beauchamp, Claire’s parents, whose story unfolds in World War I-era England.
“We’re thrilled to be telling the stories of these two couples,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Pulse, Netflix’s first original medical procedural, has added five to its cast. Pennyworth star Jack Bannon, The Boys’ Jessie T. Usher, Chelsea Muirhead (Warrior), Daniela Nieves (Vampire Academy) and Jessy Yates (Law & Order: Svu) join previously announced Willa Fitzgerald, Colin Woodell and Justina Machado in the drama series from first-time creator Zoe Robyn and veteran Carlton Cuse.
Created by Robyn, in Pulse, while the staff of Miami’s busiest Level 1 Trauma Center navigate medical emergencies, young ER doc Danny Simms (Fitzgerald) is unexpectedly promoted to Chief Resident amidst the fallout of her own provocative romantic relationship.
Bannon will play Tom Cole. A Surgical Resident, Tom is a witty and charming Brit who came to Miami for the excellent trauma program, but also for the lifestyle that Miami offers.
Usher portrays Sam Elijah, a third-year Emergency Medicine Resident. Born and raised in the Florida panhandle, Elijah is a thoughtful and altruistic doctor who,...
Created by Robyn, in Pulse, while the staff of Miami’s busiest Level 1 Trauma Center navigate medical emergencies, young ER doc Danny Simms (Fitzgerald) is unexpectedly promoted to Chief Resident amidst the fallout of her own provocative romantic relationship.
Bannon will play Tom Cole. A Surgical Resident, Tom is a witty and charming Brit who came to Miami for the excellent trauma program, but also for the lifestyle that Miami offers.
Usher portrays Sam Elijah, a third-year Emergency Medicine Resident. Born and raised in the Florida panhandle, Elijah is a thoughtful and altruistic doctor who,...
- 3/28/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Happy Valley and Endeavour may have ended for good last year, but there’s no shortage of top British TV crime drama coming to fill the gap they left behind. From complex true crime to cosy village-set murder mysteries and bonkers grisly thrillers, fans of British TV crime drama will eat well in 2024.
A few picks from the 30+ series below to get on your radar: spy thriller Black Doves, from the creator of The Lazarus Project and Giri/Haji, starring Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw, is coming to Netflix this year. Being Human creator Toby Whithouse has a new folk horror crime mystery staring Anjli Mohindra that’s on its way to Alibi. Stephen Butchard, the writer behind The Last Kingdom’s TV adaptation, is going back to the history books for a new Tudor-set murder mystery in Shardlake. And Andrew Scott will be taking on the title role in Netflix’s Ripley,...
A few picks from the 30+ series below to get on your radar: spy thriller Black Doves, from the creator of The Lazarus Project and Giri/Haji, starring Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw, is coming to Netflix this year. Being Human creator Toby Whithouse has a new folk horror crime mystery staring Anjli Mohindra that’s on its way to Alibi. Stephen Butchard, the writer behind The Last Kingdom’s TV adaptation, is going back to the history books for a new Tudor-set murder mystery in Shardlake. And Andrew Scott will be taking on the title role in Netflix’s Ripley,...
- 1/24/2024
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Fans of British TV ate well in 2023. The year said goodbye to some excellent British TV shows with the finales of extraordinary crime dramas Happy Valley, Top Boy, Guilt and Endeavour – four very different shows set in four very different places. We waved off comedies Sex Education and Ghosts, and welcomed back some exciting returns in the form of Black Mirror, Good Omens and of course, Doctor Who.
And then there were the new additions – superhero comedy Extraordinary, police newbie drama Blue Lights, mind-bending comic book adaptation Bodies and chilling true crime series The Sixth Commandment.
It’s hard to separate the pack, but using a complex system of pulleys and levers, a gunge machine and – unfortunately necessary for the person who nominated The Idol – an oubliette, Den of Geek polled its writers and drew up two lists of the best TV of the year, one for American shows and...
And then there were the new additions – superhero comedy Extraordinary, police newbie drama Blue Lights, mind-bending comic book adaptation Bodies and chilling true crime series The Sixth Commandment.
It’s hard to separate the pack, but using a complex system of pulleys and levers, a gunge machine and – unfortunately necessary for the person who nominated The Idol – an oubliette, Den of Geek polled its writers and drew up two lists of the best TV of the year, one for American shows and...
- 12/14/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Exclusive: Crime star Dougray Scott and Buccaneer Media, the Scottish police drama’s producer, have hired a Creative Director for Buccaneer Scotland, as it seeks to supercharge the scale of its productions in the Celtic country.
The Lighthouse development chief Neil Duncan hired to run Buccaneer Scotland slate as Creative Director, focusing on showcasing Scottish literary, acting and behind the camera talent through its worldwide operations and partnerships.
Scott and Buccaneer teamed to launch Buccaneer Scotland in November 2021, with Mission Impossible 2 star Scott taking an equity stake in the business. He had moved back in Scotland after a long period living in the U.S. to film Crime and will be joint CEO of Buccaneer Scotland alongside Buccaneer Media bosses Richard Tulk-Hart and Tony Wood.
Wood, the veteran drama producer and co-creator of The Only Way is Essex, noted big budget U.S. productions such as Starz’s Outlander had...
The Lighthouse development chief Neil Duncan hired to run Buccaneer Scotland slate as Creative Director, focusing on showcasing Scottish literary, acting and behind the camera talent through its worldwide operations and partnerships.
Scott and Buccaneer teamed to launch Buccaneer Scotland in November 2021, with Mission Impossible 2 star Scott taking an equity stake in the business. He had moved back in Scotland after a long period living in the U.S. to film Crime and will be joint CEO of Buccaneer Scotland alongside Buccaneer Media bosses Richard Tulk-Hart and Tony Wood.
Wood, the veteran drama producer and co-creator of The Only Way is Essex, noted big budget U.S. productions such as Starz’s Outlander had...
- 10/15/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Rising British actress Leo Hatton has inked with Artists First for management.
The move comes ahead of the Season 2 premiere of No Man’s Land, the Hulu/Fremantle series examining the Syrian civil war, which she’s boarded as a season regular.
The thriller created by María Feldman and Eitan Mansuri looks at the war through the prism of a man searching for his missing sister. As he navigates through the chaos, he encounters a diverse group of characters, as well as a web of secrets and betrayals, coming to grips with moral complexities surrounding the ongoing conflict. Hatton’s part of an ensemble that also includes Mélanie Thierry, Souheila Yacoub, James Krishna Floyd and Zed Josef, among others.
Also coming up for the thesp is the Israeli-American indie The King of Sunflowers, directed by Emil Ben Shimon.
Described as a talent on the verge of her big break, the...
The move comes ahead of the Season 2 premiere of No Man’s Land, the Hulu/Fremantle series examining the Syrian civil war, which she’s boarded as a season regular.
The thriller created by María Feldman and Eitan Mansuri looks at the war through the prism of a man searching for his missing sister. As he navigates through the chaos, he encounters a diverse group of characters, as well as a web of secrets and betrayals, coming to grips with moral complexities surrounding the ongoing conflict. Hatton’s part of an ensemble that also includes Mélanie Thierry, Souheila Yacoub, James Krishna Floyd and Zed Josef, among others.
Also coming up for the thesp is the Israeli-American indie The King of Sunflowers, directed by Emil Ben Shimon.
Described as a talent on the verge of her big break, the...
- 10/6/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Ciara Charteris went to drama school with her eyes wide open. Born into a dynasty of talent agents, the Poldark actress-turned-safety advocate grew up steeped in stagecraft. “I entered drama school with a lot of privilege and knowledge of the industry,” she recalls. “It meant I was very aware of what was wrong immediately.”
Charteris left home to join the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 2013. A decade earlier, Queen Elizabeth II gave the school its royal status to mark her 50th year on the throne. Its hallowed halls were once home to Anthony Hopkins, marking the start of a career that would take The Silence of the Lambs star to double Oscar glory.
Related: Guildhall Racism Report Found Students At Drama School Attended By Michaela Coel Were Called N-Word & “Suppressed” By White Teachers
Like Hopkins who went before her, Charteris says drama school students are thrown into...
Charteris left home to join the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 2013. A decade earlier, Queen Elizabeth II gave the school its royal status to mark her 50th year on the throne. Its hallowed halls were once home to Anthony Hopkins, marking the start of a career that would take The Silence of the Lambs star to double Oscar glory.
Related: Guildhall Racism Report Found Students At Drama School Attended By Michaela Coel Were Called N-Word & “Suppressed” By White Teachers
Like Hopkins who went before her, Charteris says drama school students are thrown into...
- 8/11/2023
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
It can’t go on. Must-watch TV shows have been arriving at an unmanageable rate for so long that releasing an excellent new series is now essentially an act of violence. Nobody has the time to be this thoroughly entertained.
Curation is our only solution. Recommendations that cut through promotional budgets and PR hype, leaving behind just the good stuff. Below, we’ve collected the best of the best from this year of UK television so far. If you only have time to watch a handful of shows in 2023, make them these gems. We’ll add any others that make the grade as the year goes on, and do please make your own recommendations below.
Happy Valley Series 3
Stream on: BBC iPlayer (UK); AMC+/BBC America/Acorn TV from May 22nd (US)
Series three is when the word-of-mouth enthusiasm for Sally Wainwright’s Happy Valley started to break through even...
Curation is our only solution. Recommendations that cut through promotional budgets and PR hype, leaving behind just the good stuff. Below, we’ve collected the best of the best from this year of UK television so far. If you only have time to watch a handful of shows in 2023, make them these gems. We’ll add any others that make the grade as the year goes on, and do please make your own recommendations below.
Happy Valley Series 3
Stream on: BBC iPlayer (UK); AMC+/BBC America/Acorn TV from May 22nd (US)
Series three is when the word-of-mouth enthusiasm for Sally Wainwright’s Happy Valley started to break through even...
- 8/7/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Warning: contains spoilers for the Endeavour series nine finale ‘Exeunt’.
Relief! That was the main emotion felt by Endeavour fans as the credits rolled on the series finale. Not only had this excellent drama gone out on a high, but beloved character Dci Fred Thursday had survived. Fred wasn’t – as many fans had feared – carried out of Thames Valley Police Station feet first. He lived to ‘mind how you go’ another day.
What’s more, Fred’s daughter Joan survived too, as did Winn, and Sam. The whole Thursday lot lasted out the series, with barely a scratch on them. Phew. Breathe out. What a relief.
In the general ‘thank goodness’ of it all, it was easy to miss that Fred Thursday’s exit from Endeavour was in fact bitterly cruel, and perhaps even worse than if he had been killed off. No, Fred didn’t die, but, boy,...
Relief! That was the main emotion felt by Endeavour fans as the credits rolled on the series finale. Not only had this excellent drama gone out on a high, but beloved character Dci Fred Thursday had survived. Fred wasn’t – as many fans had feared – carried out of Thames Valley Police Station feet first. He lived to ‘mind how you go’ another day.
What’s more, Fred’s daughter Joan survived too, as did Winn, and Sam. The whole Thursday lot lasted out the series, with barely a scratch on them. Phew. Breathe out. What a relief.
In the general ‘thank goodness’ of it all, it was easy to miss that Fred Thursday’s exit from Endeavour was in fact bitterly cruel, and perhaps even worse than if he had been killed off. No, Fred didn’t die, but, boy,...
- 7/18/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Warning: contains spoilers for Endeavour series nine episode three ‘Exeunt’.
Shaun Evans “didn’t want to leave anyone in any doubt” as to exactly how his character felt about Joan Thursday in the Endeavour finale. Speaking on the Masterpiece Studio podcast with host Jace Lacob, Evans explains, “It’s all well and good having sidelong glances in the mirror at someone, but it was important to me to leave the audience knowing this is where his heart is.”
After the finale’s brief but unforgettable daydream scene, Endeavour’s audience were left in zero doubt about where Morse’s heart was – unmendably broken, devoted to Joan Thursday but having left it too late to ever tell her.
Too late at least, in the show’s reality. In Endeavour’s mind, he imagined what it would be like to tell Joan the truth – that he’s loved her ever since she...
Shaun Evans “didn’t want to leave anyone in any doubt” as to exactly how his character felt about Joan Thursday in the Endeavour finale. Speaking on the Masterpiece Studio podcast with host Jace Lacob, Evans explains, “It’s all well and good having sidelong glances in the mirror at someone, but it was important to me to leave the audience knowing this is where his heart is.”
After the finale’s brief but unforgettable daydream scene, Endeavour’s audience were left in zero doubt about where Morse’s heart was – unmendably broken, devoted to Joan Thursday but having left it too late to ever tell her.
Too late at least, in the show’s reality. In Endeavour’s mind, he imagined what it would be like to tell Joan the truth – that he’s loved her ever since she...
- 7/12/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- 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
Emily Russell joins as director of production.
Cardiff-based production company Bad Wolf has poached New Pictures producer Emily Russell to take up a newly created senior management role.
Russell has joined as director of production, with responsibilities for all production and related activities at Sony Pictures Television-owned (Spt) label and its subsidiaries. In the new role she is overseeing all aspects of the projects on the slate, including those filmed at its Cardiff studio base, Wolf Studios Wales, and on location.
She will work closely with chief exec Jane Tranter, director of content Dan McCulloch, acting chief operating officer...
Cardiff-based production company Bad Wolf has poached New Pictures producer Emily Russell to take up a newly created senior management role.
Russell has joined as director of production, with responsibilities for all production and related activities at Sony Pictures Television-owned (Spt) label and its subsidiaries. In the new role she is overseeing all aspects of the projects on the slate, including those filmed at its Cardiff studio base, Wolf Studios Wales, and on location.
She will work closely with chief exec Jane Tranter, director of content Dan McCulloch, acting chief operating officer...
- 7/4/2023
- by John Elmes Broadcast
- ScreenDaily
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
Crime dramas can sit on a pretty broad spectrum: some are campy, cosy and even comfortingly formulaic, whereas others make you need to sleep with the light on. The one guarantee is that in the UK at least, there’s such an appetite for detectives and crime stories that TV will never run out of new cases to solve.
We’ve already had some top examples in 2023, from the Happy Valley and Endeavour finales to the excellent Belfast-based Blue Lights, but there are plenty more fresh crime dramas on the way, from police procedurals to true crime and murder mysteries. See what’s coming up below.
After The Flood
Very much what it says on the tin, After The Flood begins… after a flood, which devastates a town, but when the waters clear they leave behind an unidentified dead man in the lift of an underground car park. PC Joanna Marshall is on the case,...
We’ve already had some top examples in 2023, from the Happy Valley and Endeavour finales to the excellent Belfast-based Blue Lights, but there are plenty more fresh crime dramas on the way, from police procedurals to true crime and murder mysteries. See what’s coming up below.
After The Flood
Very much what it says on the tin, After The Flood begins… after a flood, which devastates a town, but when the waters clear they leave behind an unidentified dead man in the lift of an underground car park. PC Joanna Marshall is on the case,...
- 5/22/2023
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
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
In 1973, the killer of Welsh teenagers Sandra Newton, Pauline Flynn and Gwendoline Hughes was not caught, despite a high-profile and widespread investigation by South Wales Police. The girls’ families spent the next three decades not knowing who was responsible for brutally taking the lives of their loved ones, or whether he still lived alongside them in the local Neath and Port Talbot communities.
In 2002, a development in forensics changed everything. The cold case was reopened with much pared-down resources, and crime scene DNA was successfully used to identify Wales’ first recorded serial killer. Steeltown Murders is the story of the loss, guilt and suspicion that followed the 1970s murders, and of the perseverance of the officers who were eventually able to provide the victims’ families with the answers they’d been denied years before.
Here are the actors making up the cast behind Steeltown Murders‘ dramatisation of real-life figures and events.
In 2002, a development in forensics changed everything. The cold case was reopened with much pared-down resources, and crime scene DNA was successfully used to identify Wales’ first recorded serial killer. Steeltown Murders is the story of the loss, guilt and suspicion that followed the 1970s murders, and of the perseverance of the officers who were eventually able to provide the victims’ families with the answers they’d been denied years before.
Here are the actors making up the cast behind Steeltown Murders‘ dramatisation of real-life figures and events.
- 5/15/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
PBS’s summer schedule is shaping up, and it’s looking very mysterious. In addition to the final season of Endeavour (which premieres June 18), viewers can also look forward to the season 8 premiere of Grantchester in July 2023.
‘Grantchester’ Season premieres July 9
We’re pleased to announce that Will and Geordie will be back on your screens this summer! Return to #GrantchesterPBS on July 9th with Masterpiece Mystery! on @PBS. pic.twitter.com/mF7cStcJkr
— Masterpiece | PBS (@masterpiecepbs) April 13, 2023
Grantchester Season 8 premieres Sunday, July 9 at 9 p.m. Et on PBS. The new season will have six episodes, with the final two installments airing back-to-back on Sunday, August 6.
Each new episode of Grantchester will also be available to stream online at PBS.org for 14 days, beginning the night it airs. PBS Passport members will be able to binge the entire season starting July 9.
Tom Brittney, Robson Green return for the new episodes...
‘Grantchester’ Season premieres July 9
We’re pleased to announce that Will and Geordie will be back on your screens this summer! Return to #GrantchesterPBS on July 9th with Masterpiece Mystery! on @PBS. pic.twitter.com/mF7cStcJkr
— Masterpiece | PBS (@masterpiecepbs) April 13, 2023
Grantchester Season 8 premieres Sunday, July 9 at 9 p.m. Et on PBS. The new season will have six episodes, with the final two installments airing back-to-back on Sunday, August 6.
Each new episode of Grantchester will also be available to stream online at PBS.org for 14 days, beginning the night it airs. PBS Passport members will be able to binge the entire season starting July 9.
Tom Brittney, Robson Green return for the new episodes...
- 4/15/2023
- by Megan Elliott
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
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
The end is nigh for young Endeavour Morse.
PBS Masterpiece announced Wednesday that Endeavour‘s ninth and final season will arrive Stateside on Sunday, June 18, at 9/8c. The premiere date is accompanied by a new teaser trailer, which you can watch above.
More from TVLineThe Final Sanditon Trailer Is About Love and Destiny (Grab a Handkerchief!)Sanditon to End With Season 3TVLine Items: Miss Scarlet & The Duke Renewed, Pll Promotion and More
“Endeavour has been a real labour of love for all of us, and we salute [screenwriter] Russell Lewis for his extraordinary achievement in chronicling Endeavour Morse’s coming of age across 72 hours of TV,...
PBS Masterpiece announced Wednesday that Endeavour‘s ninth and final season will arrive Stateside on Sunday, June 18, at 9/8c. The premiere date is accompanied by a new teaser trailer, which you can watch above.
More from TVLineThe Final Sanditon Trailer Is About Love and Destiny (Grab a Handkerchief!)Sanditon to End With Season 3TVLine Items: Miss Scarlet & The Duke Renewed, Pll Promotion and More
“Endeavour has been a real labour of love for all of us, and we salute [screenwriter] Russell Lewis for his extraordinary achievement in chronicling Endeavour Morse’s coming of age across 72 hours of TV,...
- 3/22/2023
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
Endeavour, the PBS Masterpiece detective drama that stars Shaun Evans and Roger Allam, will return for its ninth and final season June 18.
Inspired by Inspector Morse, the spinoff set in the ’70s will wrap with Endeavour Morse (Evans) and his superior officer Fred Thursday (Allam) facing new crimes and an unsolved case from the past. Jack Bannon (Pennyworth) will return as Sam, while other characters from former seasons are expected to appear in the finale.
The ensemble cast includes Anton Lesser as Cs Reginald Bright, Sean Rigby as Jim Strange and James Bradshaw as Dr. Max DeBryn.
The final season was written by Endeavour creator Russell Lewis, who was also responsible for the 36 episodes over the past decade.
An hourlong documentary titled Morse and The Last Endeavour is planned for June 11.
Inspired by Inspector Morse, the spinoff set in the ’70s will wrap with Endeavour Morse (Evans) and his superior officer Fred Thursday (Allam) facing new crimes and an unsolved case from the past. Jack Bannon (Pennyworth) will return as Sam, while other characters from former seasons are expected to appear in the finale.
The ensemble cast includes Anton Lesser as Cs Reginald Bright, Sean Rigby as Jim Strange and James Bradshaw as Dr. Max DeBryn.
The final season was written by Endeavour creator Russell Lewis, who was also responsible for the 36 episodes over the past decade.
An hourlong documentary titled Morse and The Last Endeavour is planned for June 11.
- 3/22/2023
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s tough to say goodbye. Endeavour’s ninth series concluded over a decade spent with the Cowley Station (later Thames Valley) gang, so it’s only natural for fans feeling bereft to seek out their favourites’ next steps. Having hung up his Fred Thursday hat, Roger Allam can be seen this year on screen and stage, while Shaun Evans is taking on a very different kind of crime drama role.
From Endeavour production company Mammoth Screen, there’s a new period drama co-production, plus the return of series creator Russell Lewis’ next ITV detective drama, starring John Simm. Find all the info below.
Shaun Evans – True Crime Serial Killer Drama Delia Balmer (w/t)
Actor-director Shaun Evans is currently filming the role of real-life serial killer John Sweeney in a new ITV true crime drama. Evans will star opposite Anna Maxwell-Martin, who plays Sweeney’s former girlfriend Delia Balmer in the four-part series,...
From Endeavour production company Mammoth Screen, there’s a new period drama co-production, plus the return of series creator Russell Lewis’ next ITV detective drama, starring John Simm. Find all the info below.
Shaun Evans – True Crime Serial Killer Drama Delia Balmer (w/t)
Actor-director Shaun Evans is currently filming the role of real-life serial killer John Sweeney in a new ITV true crime drama. Evans will star opposite Anna Maxwell-Martin, who plays Sweeney’s former girlfriend Delia Balmer in the four-part series,...
- 3/22/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
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 1 – 9.
Endeavour’s blend of long-form storytelling and case-of-the-week thrills means that rewarding character moments are dotted throughout its ingenious murder mysteries. Its very best episodes strike a fine balance between the two. Satisfying puzzles, diverting investigations that make the most of the period setting, and enjoyable guest stars are one thing, but Endeavour’s success also lies in the simultaneous development of characters and relationships that have come to mean a great deal to fans over the years.
The 10 episodes below, listed in (an entirely subjective) order of greatness, achieve all of that. They could easily have been joined by half a dozen more – cases could certainly be made for ‘Sway’, ‘Harvest’, ‘Fugue’ and pilot episode ‘Overture’, to name just a few – from the 36 films totalling over 50 hours of drama from creator Russell Lewis and Mammoth Screen. If you find this selection wide of the mark,...
Endeavour’s blend of long-form storytelling and case-of-the-week thrills means that rewarding character moments are dotted throughout its ingenious murder mysteries. Its very best episodes strike a fine balance between the two. Satisfying puzzles, diverting investigations that make the most of the period setting, and enjoyable guest stars are one thing, but Endeavour’s success also lies in the simultaneous development of characters and relationships that have come to mean a great deal to fans over the years.
The 10 episodes below, listed in (an entirely subjective) order of greatness, achieve all of that. They could easily have been joined by half a dozen more – cases could certainly be made for ‘Sway’, ‘Harvest’, ‘Fugue’ and pilot episode ‘Overture’, to name just a few – from the 36 films totalling over 50 hours of drama from creator Russell Lewis and Mammoth Screen. If you find this selection wide of the mark,...
- 3/21/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Reaching into Inspector Morse’s past for a prequel series was a gamble that paid off handsomely. Endeavour, which followed the young detective over a seven-year period from constable to detective sergeant in the 1960s and early 1970s, just concluded after nine series. It was an exemplary prequel, beloved by newcomers and by fans of the original Inspector Morse, which it referenced playfully and with imagination.
Endeavour’s success was not a given, nor should it be laid at the feet of simple IP recognition. Prime Suspect 1973, which attempted the same trick by following a younger version of Helen Mirren’s celebrated Dci Jane Tennison, lasted only one series. Young Wallander on Netflix made it to two, but the response has been lukewarm. The 1930s-set Perry Mason starring Matthew Rhys in the lead role is faring better on HBO, but it’s clear that it’s not enough simply to...
Endeavour’s success was not a given, nor should it be laid at the feet of simple IP recognition. Prime Suspect 1973, which attempted the same trick by following a younger version of Helen Mirren’s celebrated Dci Jane Tennison, lasted only one series. Young Wallander on Netflix made it to two, but the response has been lukewarm. The 1930s-set Perry Mason starring Matthew Rhys in the lead role is faring better on HBO, but it’s clear that it’s not enough simply to...
- 3/16/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
The gun rings out, the character drops to the floor – another mystery procedural has begun! TV sleuths have 60 minutes (at least!) to figure out whodunnit. To Jacob Coakley and Jessica Hird, co-hosts of the Cluedunnit podcast, that seems like entirely too much time. On each episode of their comedy TV rewatch podcast Cluedunnit, they immediately guess the perp before there are any commercials – or clues.
“Every mystery starts a new game,” says Hird. “Of all the various suspects, who do you bet on? Guy-With-a-Mustache? Lady Germaphobe? Or Sexy-Stranger-With-The-Menacing-Stare?”
“Mystery novels were originally called ‘The Grandest Game’ by mystery author John Dickson Carr,” adds Coakley. “He argued that a good detective story was a hoodwinking contest, a duel between author and reader. Well, in any duel it’s always best to shoot first. So we go off half-cocked, making the best guesses we can, as soon as we can. Of course,...
“Every mystery starts a new game,” says Hird. “Of all the various suspects, who do you bet on? Guy-With-a-Mustache? Lady Germaphobe? Or Sexy-Stranger-With-The-Menacing-Stare?”
“Mystery novels were originally called ‘The Grandest Game’ by mystery author John Dickson Carr,” adds Coakley. “He argued that a good detective story was a hoodwinking contest, a duel between author and reader. Well, in any duel it’s always best to shoot first. So we go off half-cocked, making the best guesses we can, as soon as we can. Of course,...
- 3/15/2023
- Podnews.net
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
Warning: contains spoilers for Endeavour Series 9 Episode 3 ‘Exeunt’.
That was one for the Morse faithful. The last time fans had seen Arthur Lott was in Endeavour’s 2012 pilot episode. Then a detective sergeant, Lott had been run out of Oxford by Fred Thursday for having corrupt connections to local criminals. His departure left Thursday short of a bagman, which opened up a position for a certain bright young constable from Carshall Newtown, and the rest, as they say, is history.
In the Endeavour finale, Lott (Danny Webb) returned to Oxford and stepped out from the shadows to reveal himself as the string-pulling enforcer behind the Blenheim Vale cover-up. Lott and a cabal of corrupt London officers were the ones issuing threats, bullets and hotshots to keep the child abuse scandal quiet. Lott was even behind the Series 5 loss of Fred Thursday’s life savings. Here’s his story on the show.
That was one for the Morse faithful. The last time fans had seen Arthur Lott was in Endeavour’s 2012 pilot episode. Then a detective sergeant, Lott had been run out of Oxford by Fred Thursday for having corrupt connections to local criminals. His departure left Thursday short of a bagman, which opened up a position for a certain bright young constable from Carshall Newtown, and the rest, as they say, is history.
In the Endeavour finale, Lott (Danny Webb) returned to Oxford and stepped out from the shadows to reveal himself as the string-pulling enforcer behind the Blenheim Vale cover-up. Lott and a cabal of corrupt London officers were the ones issuing threats, bullets and hotshots to keep the child abuse scandal quiet. Lott was even behind the Series 5 loss of Fred Thursday’s life savings. Here’s his story on the show.
- 3/12/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Warning: contains spoilers for the Endeavour Series 9 finale ‘Exeunt’.
With funereal imagery and talk of death, the Endeavour finale presaged tragedy, but then took its leave with merciful care. Its characters were dispatched like a fond parent putting to bed a favourite child. All survived, and went away with assurances to us about their futures. Bright, DeBryn, Miss Frazil, Jim, Jakes, and the Thursdays were generously waved off into the sunshine in an emotional ending.
All survived. But did they? The one character we knew had to live past the finale’s credits was, in a cryptic way that befits this playful series, perhaps its sole victim. This whole time, we’ve been clocking up the many and frequent portents of Fred’s death, forgetting that this ending was always destined to symbolically kill off somebody else – Endeavour, to leave behind Morse. Just Morse. That was perhaps the significance of the gunshot in the churchyard,...
With funereal imagery and talk of death, the Endeavour finale presaged tragedy, but then took its leave with merciful care. Its characters were dispatched like a fond parent putting to bed a favourite child. All survived, and went away with assurances to us about their futures. Bright, DeBryn, Miss Frazil, Jim, Jakes, and the Thursdays were generously waved off into the sunshine in an emotional ending.
All survived. But did they? The one character we knew had to live past the finale’s credits was, in a cryptic way that befits this playful series, perhaps its sole victim. This whole time, we’ve been clocking up the many and frequent portents of Fred’s death, forgetting that this ending was always destined to symbolically kill off somebody else – Endeavour, to leave behind Morse. Just Morse. That was perhaps the significance of the gunshot in the churchyard,...
- 3/12/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Luther’s back. Being banged up at the end of Series 5 didn’t stop that growly genius from taking on a new case and a new villain in Bond-inspired Netflix movie The Fallen Sun. And, since most of his former colleagues were spectacularly killed in the line of duty, the man’s being joined by a fresh cast.
Dermot Crowley returns as John Luther’s former boss Dsu Martin Schenk, who’s joined by Cynthia Erivo as Luther’s replacement on the team, and far from his biggest fan. Going toe-to-toe with Idris Elba’s John will be Andy Serkis as surveillance tech billionaire David Robey, possibly the detective’s darkest foe yet.
And what of Ruth Wilson’s Alice, last seen taking a short drop off a tall tower? She’s not listed among the cast this time, but there’s no saying that wily brainbox won’t find...
Dermot Crowley returns as John Luther’s former boss Dsu Martin Schenk, who’s joined by Cynthia Erivo as Luther’s replacement on the team, and far from his biggest fan. Going toe-to-toe with Idris Elba’s John will be Andy Serkis as surveillance tech billionaire David Robey, possibly the detective’s darkest foe yet.
And what of Ruth Wilson’s Alice, last seen taking a short drop off a tall tower? She’s not listed among the cast this time, but there’s no saying that wily brainbox won’t find...
- 3/10/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Warning: contains spoilers for Endeavour Series 1 – 9, Episode 2.
Few would have foreseen the poignant turn DS Jakes’ story took in Endeavour. Jack Laskey’s Detective Sergeant character started out in Series 1 as a foil to Morse – the cynical, streetwise cad to Endeavour’s principled and bright-eyed scholar. He wasn’t an antagonist, more a buzzing fly in Morse’s periphery, and not a man to trust. By the time Jakes exited the drama in Series 3 though, everybody was rightly rooting for him, Morse included.
The turning point came in the Series 2 finale, when DS Peter Jakes was revealed to have once been Little Pete, the youngest of a group of “wayward” boys raised at Blenheim Vale residential home. In the 1940s and 1950s, Blenheim Vale was the site of a brutal paedophilia ring. So-called pillars of the community including a police officer, a local politician, a philanthropic business owner and the home’s doctor,...
Few would have foreseen the poignant turn DS Jakes’ story took in Endeavour. Jack Laskey’s Detective Sergeant character started out in Series 1 as a foil to Morse – the cynical, streetwise cad to Endeavour’s principled and bright-eyed scholar. He wasn’t an antagonist, more a buzzing fly in Morse’s periphery, and not a man to trust. By the time Jakes exited the drama in Series 3 though, everybody was rightly rooting for him, Morse included.
The turning point came in the Series 2 finale, when DS Peter Jakes was revealed to have once been Little Pete, the youngest of a group of “wayward” boys raised at Blenheim Vale residential home. In the 1940s and 1950s, Blenheim Vale was the site of a brutal paedophilia ring. So-called pillars of the community including a police officer, a local politician, a philanthropic business owner and the home’s doctor,...
- 3/6/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Warning: contains spoilers for Endeavour Series 9 Episode 2 ‘Uniform’
“But they’re not here, and I am,” should be the words stamped beneath Acc Bright’s face on a range of Endeavour merchandise. With them, Bright went from upright company man to heroic leader of this band of brothers. A band now one brother bigger following the surprise return of DS Jakes – last seen in Series 3 – at the episode’s cliffhanger ending. With a “Wotcha”, Little Pete was back, this time hopefully ready to face his demons.
There was a stirring sense of heroism in ‘Uniform’ as one by one, our men chose good over self-interest. Morse led the charge by offering to draw enemy fire so Thursday could protect his promotion, but when it came to it, Fred stood shoulder to shoulder with his bagman. It took Bright’s direct defiance of Division orders, and DeBryn’s identification of the...
“But they’re not here, and I am,” should be the words stamped beneath Acc Bright’s face on a range of Endeavour merchandise. With them, Bright went from upright company man to heroic leader of this band of brothers. A band now one brother bigger following the surprise return of DS Jakes – last seen in Series 3 – at the episode’s cliffhanger ending. With a “Wotcha”, Little Pete was back, this time hopefully ready to face his demons.
There was a stirring sense of heroism in ‘Uniform’ as one by one, our men chose good over self-interest. Morse led the charge by offering to draw enemy fire so Thursday could protect his promotion, but when it came to it, Fred stood shoulder to shoulder with his bagman. It took Bright’s direct defiance of Division orders, and DeBryn’s identification of the...
- 3/5/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Warning: contains spoilers for Endeavour Series 9 Episode 1 ‘Prelude’.
It’s May 1972, six months after Morse finally accepted that he needed to seek help with his drink problem. He’s back at Castle Gate after taking the cure – sober, dapper and in control… until his offer to escort Miss Thursday to the next wedding in her diary meets the news that Joan’s next wedding will be her own. Our detective had spent the last series so lost in booze that he’d failed to detect Joan’s emerging romance with Jim Strange. Now, he faces being the best man at a ceremony where he may once have hoped to be the groom.
Coming in second was revealed as the – somewhat unsatisfactory – motive for the episode’s main murder: an orchestra leader poisoned by the best friend who’d lived in her shadow since they were teenagers. Whether it was the...
It’s May 1972, six months after Morse finally accepted that he needed to seek help with his drink problem. He’s back at Castle Gate after taking the cure – sober, dapper and in control… until his offer to escort Miss Thursday to the next wedding in her diary meets the news that Joan’s next wedding will be her own. Our detective had spent the last series so lost in booze that he’d failed to detect Joan’s emerging romance with Jim Strange. Now, he faces being the best man at a ceremony where he may once have hoped to be the groom.
Coming in second was revealed as the – somewhat unsatisfactory – motive for the episode’s main murder: an orchestra leader poisoned by the best friend who’d lived in her shadow since they were teenagers. Whether it was the...
- 2/26/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Warning: contains spoilers for Endeavour Series 9 episode ‘Prelude’.
Anyone who thinks the MCU goes deep with Easter Eggs needs to look to the other MCU: the Morse Cinematic Universe. From Colin Dexter’s novels to the Inspector Morse TV adaptation to spin-offs Lewis and Endeavour, everything really is connected. Characters, place names, and in-jokes for vigilant viewers criss-cross them all, and nowhere more than in Russell Lewis’ reference-packed prequel.
In its ninth and final series, Endeavour is calling back to one of its earliest and most dramatic unresolved cases – the Blenheim Vale child abuse scandal cover-up explored in Series 2 episode ‘Neverland’, and a property conspiracy seeded as far back as Series 1.
Landesman Construction
In the opening episode of Series 9, a murdered body leads Morse and Thursday to a private investigator hired by the dead man. The Pi – former Detective Inspector Ronnie Box played by Simon Harrison – is himself a surprise...
Anyone who thinks the MCU goes deep with Easter Eggs needs to look to the other MCU: the Morse Cinematic Universe. From Colin Dexter’s novels to the Inspector Morse TV adaptation to spin-offs Lewis and Endeavour, everything really is connected. Characters, place names, and in-jokes for vigilant viewers criss-cross them all, and nowhere more than in Russell Lewis’ reference-packed prequel.
In its ninth and final series, Endeavour is calling back to one of its earliest and most dramatic unresolved cases – the Blenheim Vale child abuse scandal cover-up explored in Series 2 episode ‘Neverland’, and a property conspiracy seeded as far back as Series 1.
Landesman Construction
In the opening episode of Series 9, a murdered body leads Morse and Thursday to a private investigator hired by the dead man. The Pi – former Detective Inspector Ronnie Box played by Simon Harrison – is himself a surprise...
- 2/26/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Warning: contains spoilers for Endeavour Series 8
It’s been happening gradually for years; the bright-eyed, teetotal young constable we met in Endeavour’s 1965-set pilot has been turning into the cynical misanthrope drinker we recognise as Inspector Morse. In Series 8, that transformation leapt ahead, taking Endeavour to the brink.
The previous year’s operatic love tragedy had left Endeavour grieving, bitter and alone. In Venice in December 1970, his lover Violetta had died in his arms after taking a bullet her husband Ludo intended for him. If it wasn’t for Fred Thursday, who’d rushed to Italy to save his bagman and shot Ludo, Morse would have died too. Back in Oxford, Endeavour drank to cope with the guilt. He drank alone, neglecting his work and disguising his hangovers by calling in sick.
Dci Thursday and Ch. Supt Bright saw through the lies and worried about their man. Fred told...
It’s been happening gradually for years; the bright-eyed, teetotal young constable we met in Endeavour’s 1965-set pilot has been turning into the cynical misanthrope drinker we recognise as Inspector Morse. In Series 8, that transformation leapt ahead, taking Endeavour to the brink.
The previous year’s operatic love tragedy had left Endeavour grieving, bitter and alone. In Venice in December 1970, his lover Violetta had died in his arms after taking a bullet her husband Ludo intended for him. If it wasn’t for Fred Thursday, who’d rushed to Italy to save his bagman and shot Ludo, Morse would have died too. Back in Oxford, Endeavour drank to cope with the guilt. He drank alone, neglecting his work and disguising his hangovers by calling in sick.
Dci Thursday and Ch. Supt Bright saw through the lies and worried about their man. Fred told...
- 2/26/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Warning: contains spoilers for Endeavour Series 1-8.
What happens to Fred? That question has preoccupied Endeavour fans ever since Di Fred Thursday first took young Constable Morse under his wing in the Inspector Morse prequel. Morse’s mentor and father figure is an invention of Endeavour creator Russell Lewis, and doesn’t appear in Colin Dexter’s novels or the original television series. That explains in real terms why Fred’s never mentioned in the later series, but what might explain his absence in story terms?
The happiest possibility, of course, is that Fred finally gets to hang his Winchester over the fireplace, retires to the seaside with Win, lives to a ripe old age, and sends Morse a yearly Christmas card with news of the grandchildren. In this scenario, Fred’s life would be so content and fulfilled that Inspector Morse simply never thinks to mention him in later years,...
What happens to Fred? That question has preoccupied Endeavour fans ever since Di Fred Thursday first took young Constable Morse under his wing in the Inspector Morse prequel. Morse’s mentor and father figure is an invention of Endeavour creator Russell Lewis, and doesn’t appear in Colin Dexter’s novels or the original television series. That explains in real terms why Fred’s never mentioned in the later series, but what might explain his absence in story terms?
The happiest possibility, of course, is that Fred finally gets to hang his Winchester over the fireplace, retires to the seaside with Win, lives to a ripe old age, and sends Morse a yearly Christmas card with news of the grandchildren. In this scenario, Fred’s life would be so content and fulfilled that Inspector Morse simply never thinks to mention him in later years,...
- 2/15/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Exclusive: British drama house New Pictures has expanded its management team.
The Catherine the Great and Des maker has appointed Lisa Selway as Chief Operating Officer. Emily Russell is upped to Director of Production and Executive Producer and Wendy Pearce becomes Chief Financial Officer.
Selway has worked in the industry for 15 years, working on behalf of film and TV producers, financiers, distributors, talent, and global streamers and was most recently an independent business affairs specialist at Grey Seal Media.
She’ll will work next to New Pictures co-founders Willow Grylls and Elaine Pyke, along with Russell and Pearce, to grow the company and build out its scripted operation.
Russell, who has been with the company since 2020 after joining from Mammoth Screen, has been tasked with overseeing all production. Her credits include BBC and Netflix drama The Serpent and ITV’s Endeavour.
Pearce rises from Finance Director to Chief Financial Officer...
The Catherine the Great and Des maker has appointed Lisa Selway as Chief Operating Officer. Emily Russell is upped to Director of Production and Executive Producer and Wendy Pearce becomes Chief Financial Officer.
Selway has worked in the industry for 15 years, working on behalf of film and TV producers, financiers, distributors, talent, and global streamers and was most recently an independent business affairs specialist at Grey Seal Media.
She’ll will work next to New Pictures co-founders Willow Grylls and Elaine Pyke, along with Russell and Pearce, to grow the company and build out its scripted operation.
Russell, who has been with the company since 2020 after joining from Mammoth Screen, has been tasked with overseeing all production. Her credits include BBC and Netflix drama The Serpent and ITV’s Endeavour.
Pearce rises from Finance Director to Chief Financial Officer...
- 2/10/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
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