“Endeavour, Series 1,” a MASTERPIECE: MYSTERY! Presentation

(Rochester, New York) -- Before Inspector Morse, there was the rookie Constable Morse, fed up with police work and ready to nip his career in the bud by handing in his resignation. That is, until a murder turned up that only he could solve.

Following on the success of the 2011 Endeavour pilot, Shaun Evans returns in four new episodes as the young Endeavour Morse—before his signature red Jaguar but with his deductive powers already running in high gear. Masterpiece: Mystery! presents Endeavour, Series 1 airs Sundays, July 7, 14, 21, and 28 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV. Set in 1960s Oxford, Endeavour is written by Inspector Lewis creator and Inspector Morse writer Russell Lewis.

Acclaimed stage and screen actor Roger Allam (Parade's End, The Thick of It) is back as Morse's senior partner and mentor, Detective Inspector Fred Thursday, and Sean Rigby takes on the role of the young, competitive PC Strange, a character who appeared in the original Inspector Morse series. Shakespearean actor Anton Lesser (Little Dorrit) plays the imposing new Oxford Police Chief Superintendent Bright, and John Thaw's daughter Abigail Thaw returns in guest appearances as journalist Dorothea Frazil.

In "Girl," airing Sunday, July 7 at 9 p.m., DC Morse (Shaun Evans) and DI Thursday (Roger Allam) investigate burgled gas meters, the sudden death of a young secretarial student, and a string of Post Office robberies, confounding the solution to a pair of violent murders. Could Morse's future on the force be in jeopardy?

In "Fugue," airing Sunday, July 14 at 9 p.m., Morse and Thursday are confronted with a new breed of murderer, as a string of Oxford homicides continues with no end in sight.  The entire police department is working round the clock and a special expert comes on to assist, but it's Morse’s love of opera that may be the key to stopping the killing.

"Rocket," airing Sunday, July 21 at 9 p.m., features a royal visit to a family-owned munitions factory that begins as a proud occasion for the people of Oxford, but the joyous day ends with murder. Morse delves into the family’s murky past, as well as his own, as he attempts to uncover the culprit before more lives are lost.

The final episode, "Home," airs Sunday, July 28 at 9 p.m. While studying for his upcoming Sergeant’s Exam, Morse investigates the hit-and-run death of an eminent Oxford professor. The pressure mounts with his father's illness and the appearance of an enemy threatening to reveal aspects of Inspector Thursday's past. In the end, Morse must choose between the responsibilities of his job and loyalty to his mentor.

Caption: Shown from left to right: Shaun Evans as Endeavour Morse and Roger Allam as DI Thursday.

Credit: Courtesy of (C) Patrick Redmond/ITV/Mammoth for MASTERPIECE