Endeavour is set to return for season eight this autumn, but lead star Shaun Evans, who plays a young Endeavour Morse in the show, has previously hinted that his character may not be returning for future seasons.
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© Photo: ITVShaun explained he didn't want to "milk" his time on the show
The actor, 40, who has played the lead since it began in 2012, was talking to Radio Times back in 2020, when he admitted to not wanting to "milk" his time on the show. "This is our story and we shouldn't be staying at the party too long," he began, adding: "It's difficult because it's like planning your own funeral. Why would I not want to be earning this money? Why would I not want to be hanging out with these people who I love? But you have to be strict [because] we shouldn't be milking it."
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Russell Lewis, who writes the show that is a prequel to Inspector Morse, also added that the show's end could be on the horizon. "I'll do it for as long as they want me to, but I do know how it ends. We wouldn't want to get to the point where you can see the join [of the two shows], I think we'll bow out long before that."
Series eight is due to air in late 2021
Although fans would no doubt be disappointed to hear news of the show finishing, it's not over yet! The synopsis has been released for the first episode of season eight, and reads: "Opening the series in 1971, a death threat to Oxford Wanderers' star striker Jack Swift places Endeavour and his team at the heart of the glitz and glamour of 1970s football, exposing the true cost of success and celebrity, and with it, a deep-rooted division that is soon reflected much closer to home."
The popular detective show is a spin-off from the hugely popular John Thaw series Inspector Morse. In the show, Shaun plays a younger incarnation of the character, who is highly intelligent but sometimes struggles to connect with his more human side, as displayed by his mentor DI Fred Thursday.
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