Endeavour: the final viewing figures for the last ever series on ITV

Last week ITV revealed overnight viewing figures for the first and third episodes of series nine, which concluded on March 12.

Now the 'consolidated' figures for all three episodes - which includes viewers watching during the following week on 'catch-up' -have been calculated.

READ AGAIN: The final Endeavour - viewing figures are revealed

ITV spokeswoman Natasha Bayford said: "The consolidated figure for the third and final episode - Exeunt - which aired on Sunday March 12 was 5.3m viewers.

"The second episode - Uniform - which aired on Sunday March 5 consolidated with an audience of of 5 million viewers. 

 "The first episode - Prelude - which aired on Sunday 26 February consolidated with an audience of 5 million viewers."

The Endeavour finale - Exeunt - featuring an iconic closing scene at Blenheim Palace.

In the final moments, viewers saw Endeavour star Shaun Evans leave the stately home following a choir performance in a black Jaguar, driving past John Thaw's iconic purple Jaguar.

The purple Jaguar was driven by a John Thaw 'lookalike' called John McHale.

This last ever epiosde got an overnight audience of 3.9 million, with a 24.3% share and a peak audience of 4.3 million.

The pilot episode of Endeavour was screened in 2012 and attracted 8.2 million viewers, and for the past decade Shaun Evans as Endeavour and Roger Allam as DCI Fred Thursday - plus a strong supporting cast - have kept viewers tuning in.

Series one, four and six all got an average UK audience of about seven million viewers, while series seven got 6.8 million viewers.

But these viewing figures couldn't match those for Inspector Morse TV episodes shown from 1987 to 2000. In the mid-1990s episodes got a TV audience of 18 million viewers.

The TV role of Inspector Morse, first played by John Thaw, is based on the character created by Oxford author Colin Dexter, who had a number of cameo roles in the three series.

Mr Dexter wrote a clause in his will banning anyone else playing the part of the detective after his death – to prevent future actors 'competing' with John Thaw.

The author died in 2017 and a memorial service was held at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford the following year.

Before he died he made it clear that he did not want any other TV dramas to follow Endeavour in the series - Inspector Morse, Lewis and Endeavour was enough.

The author said: "We never want to repeat what John has done.

"A lot of people connected with Morse didn’t want anyone coming along to say we will try and outdo dear old John. I said I’m not ever going to allow that, full stop.”

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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