Inspector Morse prequel Endeavour is coming to an end after a decade on ITV, it has been confirmed.
This news was revealed in a statement from ITV which explained that producers Mammoth Screen, screenwriter Russell Lewis and stars Shaun Evans and Roger Allam had mutually agreed to bring the renowned detective drama to an end, and that the series which is currently filming in Oxford will be the last.
On behalf of Mammoth Screen, Executive Producer Damien Timmer 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!"
The statement also explained that the ITV drama commissioning team accepts this creative decision and extended its thanks to everyone involved with the show for following in the footsteps of Morse's creator Colin Dexter and John Thaw.
Alongside this statement, ITV has released a video teasing the final season, with the trailer hinting that the series will arrive in 2023. Check it out below:
Endeavour is the third series in the long-running Inspector Morse trilogy, following the original Inspector Morse (which ran from 1987-2000) and the spin-off series, Lewis (2006-2015).
Endeavour follows the young Endeavour Morse (portrayed by Shaun Evans, Vigil) who's at the beginning of his illustrious career under his mentor, DCI Fred Thursday (Roger Allam, Murder in Provence).
The series began as a single film which first aired on ITV in January 2012 to mark the 25th anniversary of Inspector Morse's TV debut. Since that pilot aired, 32 more Endeavour epsiodes have been broadcast, with the current series set to bring that total up to 36.
Endeavour season 9 will air on ITV and on ITV Hub in the UK. Meanwhile, season 8 is due to premiere in the US on PBS Masterpiece on June 19.
