Filming has begun on the eighth series of critically-acclaimed detective drama, Endeavour, with lead actor Shaun Evans directing the first of the three new films.

Shaun Evans reprises his role as DS Endeavour Morse, alongside Roger Allam as DCI Fred Thursday for a new set of compelling cases written and created by Russell Lewis.

Filmed on location in Oxford the strong ensemble cast reunited with Shaun and Roger includes Anton Lesser (Game of Thrones) who returns as CS Reginald Bright, Sean Rigby (Gunpowder) as DS Jim Strange, James Bradshaw (Close to The Enemy) as Dr Max DeBryn, Abigail Thaw (I Want My Wife Back) as Dorothea Frazil, Caroline O’Neill (Last Tango In Halifax) as Win Thursday and Sara Vickers (Watchmen) as Joan Thursday.

Opening the series in 1971, a death threat to Oxford Wanderers' star striker Jack Swift places Endeavour (Shaun Evans) 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.

Series seven of Endeavour averaged 6.1m viewers across all devices across its three episodes. This rose to 6.8m when we include viewing up to 28 days. The series has had 2.3 million programme streams on ITV Hub since it launched back in Feb 2020.

Commented series creator, writer and executive producer Russell Lewis:

““After our longest suspension, all at #TeamEndeavour are delighted to have been returned to duty. If anything, the delay has made us all determined to make Series 8 everything it can be. Happily, it looks as if our timeline has endured the hiatus and that we will still be delivering our vision of 1971, albeit through an Endeavour glass darkly, exactly half a century on. Social distancing and strict insurance regulation with its bubbles and cohorts mean that backroom boys like me and the other execs haven’t been able to get out to set as usual, but all the same we’re very fortunate to be back in business at all and count our blessings daily. It’s truly lovely to be back telling new stories with Oxford’s Finest. I hope the audience finds they’ve been worth the wait.”

Produced by leading drama indie Mammoth Screen - part of ITV Studios - in partnership with Masterpiece, series eight will be produced by James Levison. Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Mammoth Screen Damien Timmer is the executive producer alongside Russell Lewis, Shaun Evans, Roger Allam, Mammoth Screen’s Director of Television Helen Ziegler and Rebecca Eaton and Susanne Simpson at Masterpiece.

Award-winner Ian Aryeh (McDonald & Dodds, In The Long Run) and Kate Saxon (Silent Witness, Call The Midwife) join the production to direct series eight.

Mammoth Screen is one of the UK’s leading production companies. Recent and forthcoming shows include THE SERPENT, NOUGHTS + CROSSES, WORLD ON FIRE and GRIME KIDS for the BBC, WHY DIDN’T THEY ASK EVANS for Britbox USA and McDONALD & DODDS and THE TOWER for ITV. Mammoth Screen is an ITV Studios Company.

ITV Drama Commissioner, Huw Kennair-Jones has recommissioned Endeavour and will oversee the production of the new series on behalf of the channel. Endeavour is set to return to ITV later this year and will be distributed internationally by ITV Studios.