Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in May 2023. While the airtimes are out of date, we hope you still enjoy learning about these shows, many of which can be streamed on PBS.org.
– “My heart is breaking and my mind is working overtime.”
– “Oh Morse, my heart broke right there with you.”
– “Well worth the wait, so sad to see it end.”
– “Such few good stories to watch. Soon we’ll have one less.”
– “I have savored every moment. I’m not ready to say goodbye.”
It’s beloved by many on the KAMU staff, viewers like you and thousands more around the world. But after nine gripping seasons and 36 heart-pounding episodes, it’s time for a curtain call. “Endeavour” ends this summer with three thrilling episodes sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
We’re getting you ready for the final season with everything we know — and suggesting some other shows to watch when your heart misses the Inspector Morse universe.
- How to Watch the Final Season
- Catch Up on Previous Seasons
- What to Expect in the Final Season
- Go Behind the Scenes of the Morse Universe
- What to Watch When You Miss Morse
How to Watch the Final Season
- Season 9, Episode 1 airs June 18 at 8 p.m.
- Season 9, Episode 2 airs June 25 at 8 p.m.
- Season 9, Episode 3 airs July 2 at 8 p.m.
KAMU is your TV home for the final season of “Endeavour,” airing Sundays at 8 p.m. starting June 18. If you’re not near a TV, watch our livestream on any device through our website or the PBS App. And if you miss the first airing of an episode, we’re replaying each one the following Thursday at 8 p.m.
Want to watch on your schedule? Each episode will be available to stream for free through the PBS website for two weeks after its first airdate.
Catch Up on Previous Seasons
Morse has been through a lot in this origin story that serves as a prequel to “Inspector Morse” (1987-2000). We’ve watched him join the Oxford police force, team up with DI Thursday, get shot, lose family members, explore romance, receive a medal from the queen, argue with friends and descend into drunken stupors.
All eight seasons are available for streaming through KAMU Passport if you’d like to catch up on all the twists and turns before Season 9 premieres.
(WARNING: Season 8 spoilers ahead)
Where did we leave our favorite Oxfordshire friends at the end of Season 8? Well, Morse’s struggles with alcohol only got worse. Thursday urged him to get help — which Morse finally agreed to, entering rehab as the final episode ended. Morse’s longtime attraction to Thursday’s daughter, Joan, played center stage, too, as Joan found comfort in the arms of Morse’s former housemate, DS Jim Strange. Finally, after the team works through two series of connected murders, the Thursdays receive another blow: their soldier son is missing.
What to Expect in the Final Season
As Season 9 begins, Morse has returned to Castle Gate after his rehab stay. It’s the spring of 1972 and new mysteries and secrets are ready to unfold, from the cobbled streets of Oxford to the criminal underworld of London.
Familiar faces return and an old case resurfaces with new, unsettling ties. An increasing intimacy in Joan and Strange’s relationship promises more personal struggles for Morse.
Episode 1: Prelude
A murder in a college garden leads Endeavour to investigate a celebrated Oxford orchestra but, when a second tragedy hits, he discovers a story the ensemble would sooner forget.
Episode 2: Uniform
A crime wave has taken hold of Oxford. A debauched group of undergraduates are wreaking havoc across town, and the death of a uniformed policeman sends shockwaves through Castle Gate.
Episode 3: Exeunt
A series of death notices in the Oxford Mail, each with a distinctive, cryptic message, provides clues to Endeavour’s latest — and final – investigation. Meanwhile, Thursday is under pressure from a familiar face.
Go Behind the Scenes of the Morse Universe
Look back at the journey from “Inspector Morse” (1987-2000), to the spinoff “Inspector Lewis” (2006-2015), through the nine seasons of “Endeavour” with a special documentary. “Morse and the Last Endeavour” airs June 11 at 8:30 p.m., one week before the final season premieres. In the hour-long program, you’ll hear from several cast members, including Shaun Evans, Abigail Thaw and Kevin Whately. If you miss the documentary, it will be available for streaming after the final episode of “Endeavour” airs.
If reading’s more your thing, check out a two-part interview with star Shaun Evans. “MASTERPIECE” caught up with him as Season 9 was being filmed and fans will love his honest answers. Check out part one here and part two here.
What to Watch When You Miss Morse
What’s one to do once they’ve caught up on Seasons 1-8 of “Endeavour” and watched the final season this summer? Find a new PBS detective show to watch, of course. From contemporary mysteries to period dramas, there’s a new favorite out there for everyone.
Each of these programs is available to stream with KAMU Passport — your key to thousands of PBS programs for $5 a month/$60 a year.
Grantchester
Seasons 1-7 (Season 8 premieres in July)
Jazz-loving Reverend Sidney Chambers can’t help but fall into more worldly habits as he assists friend and actual detective Inspector Geordie Keating in solving murders. The series is soaked in the 1950s, from the fabulous clothes to the swinging jazz to the challenges of adjusting to life post-war.
Miss Scarlet and The Duke
Seasons 1-3 (production for Season 4 is underway)
High-octane, smart and sassy with a slow-burn romance. Eliza Scarlet is the whip-smart daughter of renowned London private detective Henry Scarlet, who raised her to believe that she might one day follow in his footsteps. When Henry suddenly dies, a heartbroken Eliza discovers his considerable debts, and her only option for survival is to take on the family business.
Watch Miss Scarlet and The Duke
Unforgotten
Seasons 1-4 (Season 5 premiering later in 2023)
Can anyone escape the past, or can it resurface to engulf you at any time? Detective duo DCI Cassie Stuart and DI Sunil “Sunny” Khan are determined and — for the most part — demon-free. She’s clever and canny, but it’s Cassie’s stillness and deep dedication to solving cold cases that make her an archeologist of the buried secret and human heart.
Magpie Murders
Miniseries with a sequel in the works
A mystery within a mystery, adapted from author Anthony Horowitz’s bestselling book by the author himself. Book editor Susan Ryeland receives an unfinished mystery manuscript and becomes an amateur sleuth, plunging herself into a shocking case to find out the truth.
Annika
Season 1 (production for Season 2 is underway)
Rooted in modern Glasgow, DI Annika Strandhed balances maritime murders and a rebellious teenage daughter, all while dropping literary references, breaking the fourth wall and keeping viewers guessing through twists and turns galore. This show is especially a hit for fans of wry wit.
Van der Valk
Seasons 1-2 (production for Season 3 is underway)
Steely-eyed, street-smart and unapologetic, detective Piet Van der Valk investigates high-profile cases and gritty murders in Amsterdam. It’s a reboot of the wildly popular original series, which ran on British television from 1972-1992.
Baptiste
Seasons 1-2 (no more seasons planned)
Retired detective Julien Baptiste, recovered from a brain tumor and walking with a limp, claims he’s “not the man I used to be.” But will his transformation hinder — or help — him to find the truth amidst the criminal underbelly of Amsterdam’s Red Light District?
Prime Suspect: Tennison
Season 1 (no more seasons planned)
Behind every great detective is a backstory. In this prequel to Helen Mirren’s beloved characterization of Jane Tennison, we see Tennison as a rookie policewoman, fighting against sexist expectations.
Death Comes to Pemberley
Miniseries
As star-studded as it is thrilling. On the eve of Pemberley’s annual ball, new and beloved iconic characters of Pride and Prejudice assemble to bask in the warm glow of the Darcy’s sumptuous estate. But following Lydia’s frantic arrival and an investigation into Pemberley’s woods, a nightmare ensues and a scandal mounts, threatening Pemberley and all the Darcys hold dear.
