Endeavour: new trailer, first series launches April 14

ITV has released a lush three-minute trailer for the new series of four Endeavour mysteries, which start on Sunday April 14th. Based on the characters created by Colin Dexter, Endeavour focuses on the early career of the Oxford police detective would become Inspector Morse. The show follows on from a successful pilot screened last year to mark 25 years of Morse on TV.

Alll four episodes of Endeavour are by a single writer - Russell Lewis - a first for any Morse series. The Lewis spin-off sometimes suffered from a plurality of voices, creating an inconsistency of tone and characterisation. [The fact ITV frequently jumbled the broadcast order from that originally intended by the show's makers didn't help either, in my humble opinion.]

It'll be fascinating to see what difference the use of a single screenwriter will have on Endeavour, especially in terms of character development. There's the potential for a more authored show, pushing young Morse into dark places that help explain how he became the lonely, bitter but brilliant detective audiences know so well. Can't wait!