Endeavour

A prequel to Inspector Morse, the Brit ITV-aired Endeavour stars Shaun Evans as the young Detective Constable Morse, working on a case that takes him back to Oxford (where he was a student) and changes the course of his career. Written by Russell Lewis, who does his own thing with the character created by Colin Dexter and immortalized on TV by John Thaw, the story—set in the 1960s within an insular culture of corrupt cops and old-boy networks—finds Morse trying to solve the mystery of a missing young girl. Apart from Evans, who plays Morse as brilliant and dedicated, yet also soft-spoken and unsure of his commitment to the job, Roger Allam stands out as commanding DI Fred Thursday, a man who not only recognizes Morse's intelligence and talent but encourages him (it's as if the discovery of an honest cop in the house has reignited his own passion for the job). Shown in the U.S. on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery!, this fine drama will apparently be the start of a new series, as more episodes have been commissioned for the future. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)