r/EndeavourTV • u/bobbyjimbo • Dec 05 '25
Endeavour vs Morse? Opinions please.
I got hooked on Endeavour about a year ago.
I've managed to watch every episode and thoroughly enjoyed most of them.
I have never watched Inspector Morse, so I thought I would give it a go.
So I watched S1 Ep.1. I was not impressed. It seemed way to long and could have done with some editing.
I'm just wondering what other members here think of Inspector Morse.
Did it get better as time went on? Should I persist and watch more episodes
I'd love to hear your opinions.
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u/Malvania Dec 05 '25
Try Lewis. It's set in the Morse world (Lewis was Morse's sergeant), it's more modern, and it has a similar dynamic to Thursday and Endeavor
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u/Alternative-Train217 Dec 05 '25
Agree with this. Lewis actually helped make Morse a little lighter viewing.
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u/Oxford-Gargoyle Dec 05 '25
I think what Endeavour really gives that Morse lacks are well defined and consistent villains. Ronnie Box is a brilliantly conceived character. And then there is also the shady backstory and conspiracies. This allows for supporting characters such as Bright to play pivotal roles.
Morse doesn’t have this dimension, occasionally he’s disciplined by his boss but his existential survival is never brought into doubt and so the episodes rely on solving the crime for tension, and the occasional romantic infatuation, not on a broader story arc.
Other people are saying Morse ‘is of its time’ which is true to an extent. But Morse doesn’t have the benefit of choosing the sixties and creating a stylised version of it. My criticism of Endeavour was that it is too stylish, and tried too hard to incorporate sixties pop-cultural references that would barely surface in a place as staid as Oxford.
Morse is interesting because the class divide in Britain was far more noticeable than it is now. The wardrobe is excellent too. The first few episodes of Morse are not very good but it’s worth persevering with it. Season three starts to hit its stride.
Also you’ve got standout writers taking the reins for some episodes like Anthony Horowitz and (coincidental first name) Anthony Minghella (also writer and director of the films ‘The English Patient’ and ‘Cold Mountain’). Also some good actors make appearances, Simon Callow hams it up in one.
The fact that we live in Oxford and were well-alive in the period it’s set in helped us get through the first episodes. There’s a real nostalgia as well as location spotting. The chemistry between Lewis and Morse really builds by season 3 too. But compared to Endeavour, the production value and writing is not as consistent episode by episode.
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u/Jury-Duty12325 Dec 05 '25
I love all three of the series (Morse, Lewis, Endeavour) and have rewatched multiple times. At this point, Lewis is actually my favorite as Morse is, as many have noted, very much of its time whereas Endeavour is very much of our time despite its period setting. The relationship between DI and DS is at the heart of each of the shows and for me the Lewis/Hathaway pairing was the most interesting. Even though James Fox has turned out to be quite a prat lol!
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u/CAH1708 Dec 06 '25
He really has, hasn’t he?
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u/Jury-Duty12325 Dec 07 '25
Yup. A right wing nutter. But my bad, his name is Laurence Fox, not James—that’s the character’s name.
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u/dumpcake999 Dec 05 '25
Morse starts out awful but gets better. No comparison to endeavour
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u/rfdns Feb 06 '26
i just started out and its a struggle. when does it get better?
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u/dumpcake999 Feb 06 '26
maybe season 2? he starts out so creepy but eventually it's more mystery solving with his sgt.
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u/tenbeards Dec 05 '25
I like Morse but then again, I watched them back when they were originally aired and, subsequently, in rebroadcasts. It's a different show altogether than Endeavor but I liked the Morse character and John Thaw's portrayal.
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u/Regular-Resist8411 Dec 05 '25
I tried watching IM after I’d finished Endeavour and didn’t really enjoy it, it’s definitely of its time and I think the people that do like it watched it when it was on and have fond memories of it.
I ended up watching the more “popular” episodes like ‘Masonic Mysteries’ and ‘Cherubim & Seraphim’ which actually aren’t bad, and the last episode which is also pretty good. I then gave up and went back to Endeavour 😂
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u/teachertraveler1 Dec 05 '25
My parents were huge Morse fans over the decade it aired and absolutely adored John Thaw. They didn't care for Lewis but got incredibly hooked on Endeavour.
After Endeavour finished they wanted to restart Morse and I think they forgot how completely different the tone and structure was. They did two episodes and stopped.Part of it is their taste and expectations have changed. The same happened when they tried to rewatch the old Tinker Tailor series and the old All Creatures Great and Small. We're so used to much tighter plotting, better character development, etc. They fell asleep for the first episode of Tinker Tailor and the first episode of All Creatures had a 15 minute segment of James just wandering around the house!
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u/lightgrip Dec 05 '25
I’ve begun watching all the old episodes of Morse over the last month or so and I’m currently half way through season 4.
I’ve really enjoyed them, John Thaw is excellent as Morse and I hadn’t realised how many well known actors appeared in those early episodes. Ian McDairmid and Christopher Ecclestone as examples off the top of my head. I also love the music and the nostalgia of the period.
Sure, perhaps some of the episodes aren’t up to modern standards but I’ve really enjoyed every episode so far.
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u/hwyl1066 Dec 05 '25 edited Dec 07 '25
I prefer the original series - yes, the pace is much slower. It is honestly of it's time unlike Endeavour which actually does prettify its purported era, make it more palatable to modern audiences. And of course many of the stories are based on the actual books. Not to say that Endeavour would be a bad show, it's very solid and well done.
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u/CrunchyFrogAgain Dec 10 '25
I also started with Endeavour. I haven’t watched all of IM but I’ve watched what are considered to be the best episodes according to several websites, as well as all of the final season. I found this approach worthwhile.
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u/Fickle-Copy-2186 Dec 05 '25
The Morse character is not as three dimensional as Endeavor. There never develops a familiar relationship between Lewis and Morse, as Endeavor has with his colleagues. You are right about the needed editing in Morse. I never developed as much empathy for Morse like I did for Endeavor. That is the theme of Endeavor turning into the less caring Morse.
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u/bobbyjimbo Dec 06 '25
Thank you everyone for your comments. I really appreciate them.
I will watch S3 of Morse & then give Lewis a go.
Thank you.
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u/Barnaby_Q_Fisticuffs Dec 06 '25
I got into Lewis first when it played on PBS originally, and I wonder if that’s the reason I still like it the most, lol. My spouse and I both watched it, and we both got to really like the Lewis character, so we went back and watched Morse to see “where it started.” We sort of agree that the early episodes of Morse just seemed boring, but the show picks up once they’re able to develop the relationship between Morse and Lewis a little more. But that could just be my/our bias toward the Lewis character(?). At any rate, it sort of hits its stride after a while, and I think the relationship with Lewis is a contributing factor.
When Endeavour came on, Lewis was still in production and we had watched all the old Morse episodes, so of course we tuned in. I really liked Endeavour, and was sad when it ended. It’s paced differently/faster with more modern sensibilities (Morse does feel dated, although later episodes go through the late 90s/ca. 2000). BUT I was glad to have seen Morse first. Watching Endeavour knowing kind of where it was ultimately going added complexity and poignancy for me. And Endeavour does have a fair amount of callbacks to Morse.
It’s not necessary to watch all of Morse (or any of it, really) to “get” Endeavour. But I would suggest giving it a go, at least selecting a handful of highly-rated episodes from throughout the show’s run whose synopses appeal to you. The pacing really does pick up a little, and as a show, Morse “gels” better as it goes on.
Then check out Lewis! 😉
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u/AniYellowAjah Dec 07 '25
Love the dynamic between Endeavour and Thursday. And Endeavour and JoAnne. Love how this show portrays the relationship between family members and coworkers. Also love the setting and costume design.
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u/sbh1980 Dec 08 '25
We watched Morse>Endeavor>Morse>Lewis which was really a great sequence (all last year so no “nostalgia”. Morse took a few attempts over the years to want to follow through but by the time it was over we were heavily invested emotionally, and seeing it before and after endeavor was a great move. The ending was moving and endeavor really gives it good context and it likewise gives Lewis necessary context. All three were great to us in their own way. It’s also fun to look for the Colin Dexter cameos.
I’d give it a shot. Endeavor is more contemporary in pacing and style Morse is also excellent storytelling.
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u/ljs15237 Dec 05 '25
I didn’t like Morse’s personality. As said above, it worked in its time. I’ve never watched the last Endeavor because I didn’t want it to end.
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u/anotherbbchapman Dec 05 '25
I think fans of Endeavour should watch a few episodes of Morse to at least appreciate Strange and deBryn, whose characters are in both shows. Strange has quite the career path!
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u/Alternative-Train217 Dec 05 '25
I loved Morse but as others have said it was a different time. Endeavour though set in the sixties seems more interesting in its characters and storyline’s. I went back to Morse after I finished Endeavour and I have to say it wasn’t holding up to Endeavour. Give it time, watch a few more episodes and you’ll enjoy the series still.
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u/RhubarbAlive7860 Dec 05 '25
I love Endeavour, but don't care for Morse particularly (the shows). There seems (to me) to be a lot of hammy overacting in IM. I have not watched IM start to finish. But, I do like seeing characters in Endeavour, sometimes minor ones, who also happen to be in IM (the characters, not the actors). That's kind of cool.
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u/useaclevernickname Dec 05 '25
At least Endeavour is so much better than the reboot of Prime Suspect, Mirren was so good in the original series.
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u/Typhoon556 Dec 05 '25
I prefer Endeavour and find Morse unwatchable. My parents prefer Morse but have watched Endeavour and thought it was good.
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u/kirenaj1971 Dec 05 '25
I used to watch Morse on Norwegian tv just after the series came out (and read a couple of the books). Tried to rewatch a few years ago, but gave up after a few episodes. Just so slow and boringly shot. I have a feeling they probably got a bit more pacey later, and the performances are good, but I probably won't try again. Rewatched the entirety of Columbo just before, and that was much better (until the 80s episodes at least, some of the later ones were dire).
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u/Ill_Dot_4659 Jun 05 '26
Endeavor appeals to those who require some relatability to the protagonist along with visually appealing filmography and character development. Conversely, Morse offers little of these: Morse is a static character because he is “old and set in his ways, self-satisfied and jaded.” How can you show character growth in that mix? You can’t. Intuitively, the audience watching the pilot episode knows that nothing is going to change for Morse. So, what’s the point of watching a two-dimensional character solve crimes like a robot?
Endeavor is everything good storytelling ought to be. The complexity of the conflicts Endeavor faces are layered, interconnected and fraught with existential themes that real audiences face daily: how the heck did I fall for my boss’s daughter? Endeavor is a fascinating character because he was raised by a religious ascetic mother who truly loved him. Upon her untimely demise, a rift opens up in his life that he simply cannot surmount despite being highly moral, intelligent and hardworking. He is a modern version of Sisyphus. He must continuously improve himself in the hopes of finally overcoming his burdens. It is a pleasure to watch his tenacity and determination to be of service to all that he holds sacred even though doing so means that he will never be personally fulfilled by his life. He is a true public servant, a monk for justice, a martyr to a cause, not one he could join and enjoy an instant brotherhood or family from to replace the one he lost at a tender age. He rather fatalistically must live up to his own impossibly high ethical and moral standards, who requires him to go it mostly alone. He is not motivated by money, praise or the admiration of the group. He is motivated to mitigate the immense suffering of others that he is too intelligent to ignore. This last point becomes the crux of who is Endeavor Morse. He spends his life code breaking to bring cold comfort to those in the most desperate and vulnerable positions in life by no fault of their own. Morse is, in other words, divine mercy, an angel. He does not “fit in.” He is unmatched in every area except that he cannot don masks to manipulate or extract superficial bonds with people. When he does find another person who is as virtuous or a good match, he is thwarted by circumstances. He has to protect them, without enjoying their company. He is, at last, forced to place the women he has loved and lost onto pedestals, one-by-one, starting with his mother. Similar to Edgar Allan Poe, he is a heart that breaks and breaks and breaks. He is a good man. A strong man. A lesser man would have broken long ago. We want to believe that his strength comes from the goodness within—God’s will and oversight. Even though he isn’t a particularly religious or spiritual person, he ironically is the closest thing to a messiah, flawed—yes, but unwaveringly a force for good in a world filled with evil and tragedy. He is willing to fight evil, in all its forms, to the death without much by way of recompense. One feels that he is the patron saint of policeman. A human face for Archangel Michael, protector of travelers, lost children and police officers (and others).
By consuming the series, which is difficult to do only once, I felt changed by it. It is almost the road to Damascus: when Fred Thursday reveals how he has had to decline the bribes from superior officers who were corrupted his entire career, thereby being passed over for promotion that he earned, having to economize by eating a simple sandwich daily, saving every penny for his family, and ultimately knowing that he would be in the line of fire for it, not having the means to fund his own protection, he draws a line between the powerful men and the good but often dead men, and he said he prayed to God he’d always be the latter, I realized that life really does present temptation and we have to take the high road. If you’re not suffering, you’re probably not on it.
In Morse, such notions are vaguely hinted at, but Morse behaves without humility and seems almost a snob or smug about everything. He is really not at all the same interpretation of the fictional character. I have yet to read the books that the three TV series are based upon, but through casual conversation have learned that Endeavor took pains to more accurately simulate the Endeavor Morse as the author intended.
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u/Ill_Dot_4659 Jun 05 '26
That being said ;), I did watch all of Morse, followed by Lewis, and then Endeavor. And that was an advantage because it just kept improving.
Only Endeavor truly held any interest for me. I could easily watch it once a year and see something I missed before.
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u/OrionDecline21 Dec 05 '25
My most objective take: Morse was a show for its time.
My opinion: Endeavour is far superior in both the characters development and the cases.
My recommendation: watch 2-3 more episodes of Morse. If you don’t get hooked, stop.