Endeavour

Based on the novels by Colin Dexter, the popular Inspector Morse series—originally broadcast on Britain's ITV network—receives prequel treatment here, taking fans back to the mid-1960s for five feature-length homicide cases in the early career of Oxford constable—and future detective-inspector—Endeavour Morse (Shaun Evans). Joining the police force after personal heartbreak, the newcomer's youth, education, and taste in fine arts make him a bit of a misfit, but his deductive brilliance earns him a mentor in the working-class form of plainspoken Inspector Fred Thursday (Roger Allam). Recurring “Morse” motifs, such as crossword puzzles and Jaguar autos, figure in the cases here, which include a killing at a missile plant (while the rest of the town hosts visiting Princess Margaret) that reopens a 12-year-old disappearance; a serial killer patterning gruesome homicides after opera classics; and London gangland characters moving into Oxford, inspiring murder and raking up unfinished business from Inspector Thursday's past. Recently aired on American public television's Masterpiece Mystery!, this excellent series will be welcomed by Morse's many fans. Highly recommended. (C. Cassady)