Actor Shaun Evans said he was 'incredibly proud' of his opportunity to play a young Inspector Morse in the ITV1 detective drama Endeavour.

The first episode of series nine - the last ever - is being shown on Sunday at 8pm, and the last of three episodes is being shown at the same time on March 12.

The actor has been looking back over the past 10 years of Endeavour now the Inspector Morse franchise - which started in 1987 - is finally coming to an end.

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He said: "I feel incredibly proud of Endeavour. Grateful for the experience and proud of the work. Not only my own work but also the work of all of the other actors.

"I’m proud that we’ve all been with it from the start and that everyone has brought their best work repeatedly to it. Including Russell Lewis, all of the executive team, all of the directors and all of the actors too. I just felt very grateful. But also that it was time to move on.

Oxford Mail:

"Of course there is a degree of melancholy when you say goodbye to any experience. But it’s a great feeling to be able to walk away and say, ‘I couldn’t have done more. There’s nothing more that I could have given. That’s it.’ That’s a nice feeling."

The Inspector Morse, Lewis and Endeavour series are based on the books of Oxford author Colin Dexter who died in 2017.

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Mr Evans added: "We always try to give a nod to Colin Dexter throughout, which viewers can try to discover. And especially to John Thaw in this final series. It feels like a handover. 

"We spent days and days filming the very last scenes at Blenheim Palace and the shots we have used I find very satisfying. It’s perfect in its way. Hats off to the director Kate Saxon on that one. With nods and echoes in the final Endeavour episode to the very first Inspector Morse film - The Dead of Jericho - and the very last - The Remorseful Day.

Oxford Mail:

Mr Evans said the final scenes between Endeavour and DCI Fred Thursday (Roger Allam) in the pub and then outside the Bodleian Library were shot on separate days.

He added: "Filming the very final scenes on screen between Endeavour and Thursday - myself and Roger Allam were both incredibly clear about where the characters are emotionally at that point. And the push and pull of it. It was all about the work.

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"That’s not to say it’s not emotional to not be working with Roger any more. It certainly is. But we’re going to be friends for life. And the reason that we will be friends for life is because the work is so important to both of us." 

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This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF