The cast and crew of the Inspector Morse prequel series Endeavour have reportedly returned to Oxford to begin filming the ITV drama's final ever instalment following the sad news that the drama will be concluding with its upcoming ninth series.
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Many fans of the show have taken to Twitter to reveal that they have spotted actors Shaun Evans and Roger Allam shooting scenes in and around the beautiful city. According to one bystander, during one scene, the two actors were dressed in black suits and appeared to have an "emotional" conversation next to the detective's famous black Jaguar.
WATCH: Endeavour will come to an end after nine series
It's hardly surprising as chatting in a recent interview, Roger, who plays Fred Thursday on the beloved ITV show, revealed that viewers have a moving ending to look forward to.
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"We're going to try and provide a satisfying and satisfactory emotional reason why John Thaw's Morse never mentions a man called Fred Thursday. I hope that's satisfying for fans," he told Radio Times.
"There have been times in the past over a series where they seem to have gone apart and then they've come back together again. But this, I guess, will have to be a satisfying explanation of why that finally happens."
Production for the upcoming final three films kicked off on location in the city back in May, and at the time, one fan shared several snaps of Shaun holding a camera, suggesting that he will be stepping into the role of director once again for the final series.
As viewers will know, the star of the show worked both in front of and behind the camera for the series six episode Apollo, the series seven's Oracle and most recently, for the series eight opener, titled Striker. However, as one fan has confirmed, Kate Saxon will be directing the show's last-ever episode.
Are you looking forward to the final series?
A release date for the final episodes is yet to be revealed, however, with filming just about to be completed, it's likely that Endeavour will return in the autumn of 2022, if not early 2023.
It was revealed back in May that the show that the series would be coming to an end in what was described as a mutual creative decision between producers Mammoth Screen, screenwriter Russell Lewis, and stars Shaun and Roger.
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Executive producer Damien Timmer said on behalf of producers Mammoth Screen: "Endeavour has been a real labour of love for all of us, and we salute Russell Lewis for his extraordinary achievement in chronicling Endeavour Morse's coming of age across 72 hours of TV."
He added that the show has "many surprises" for fans, including the returning of some familiar faces and new challenges for Endeavour and Thursday to face before their final farewell.
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