The Idiot Box
Thoughts on TV shows and my current viewing habits.
The last instalment of The Idiot Box was back in March. Since then Mrs P and I have watched several new shows and tried to diversify our viewing. She has had better luck than I. The issue for me is one of narrative complexity and genre saturation. Some popular shows are very straightforward in both their structure and their intellectual scope. A great deal of “police procedurals” fall into this category. The weekly stories essentially come down to “who is the murderer” with a side helping of the protagonist's ongoing “personal life”. I am currently watching the latest season of NCIS and it struck me how little credible investigative work the team now does. In the last episode that I watched, one of the central character’s mother-in-law was witness to a murder on a cruise ship. The plot was contrived, convoluted and more like that of a soap opera. Such content can be fun but it’s somewhat unsatisfying if viewed to excess.
Thoughts on TV shows and my current viewing habits.
The last instalment of The Idiot Box was back in March. Since then Mrs P and I have watched several new shows and tried to diversify our viewing. She has had better luck than I. The issue for me is one of narrative complexity and genre saturation. Some popular shows are very straightforward in both their structure and their intellectual scope. A great deal of “police procedurals” fall into this category. The weekly stories essentially come down to “who is the murderer” with a side helping of the protagonist's ongoing “personal life”. I am currently watching the latest season of NCIS and it struck me how little credible investigative work the team now does. In the last episode that I watched, one of the central character’s mother-in-law was witness to a murder on a cruise ship. The plot was contrived, convoluted and more like that of a soap opera. Such content can be fun but it’s somewhat unsatisfying if viewed to excess.
And at the other end of the spectrum we have shows that revel in their adult themes and mature content. The Alienist falls into this category. For those unfamiliar with this drama it is set in the late 19th century in New York. Newly appointed police commissioner Teddy Roosevelt calls upon Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Daniel Bruhl), a criminal psychiatrist, and John Moore (Luke Evans), a newspaper illustrator, to conduct a secret investigation into a child prostitute serial killer. Joining them in the probe is Sara Howard, Roosevelt's headstrong secretary (Dakota Fanning). It is superbly written, with a solid cast and great production values. The stories are very interesting due to the historical setting and the emerging science, technology and social changes. But due to the nature of the investigation, the story explores poverty, sexual abuse and other human failings. Hence it is very bleak and a little bit squalid. Although thought provoking and dramatic, it is a challenging watch.
All of which raises the question, where are the shows that fall between these two extremes? Well they are out there. You just have to do quite a bit of searching and be prepared to try a variety of content on the understanding that you may not like it and end up abandoning it. I also think that a lot of UK and European TV shows occupy this middle ground due to budget and audience demographics. UK “police procedurals” tend to be a lot less hyperbolic and frenetic, compared to their US counterparts. The focus is far more on narrative depth to compensate for other potential constraints upon the production.
All things considered, I did manage to find some interesting new shows to watch. Some are quite cerebral and a couple I would categorise as the viewing equivalent of comfort eating. Here is a brief summary of what I’ve been watching since Easter to the present.
The Equalizer: This reboot of the eighties TV show is more akin to the two recent movies, than the original source material. It is in many ways utterly preposterous, with its flamboyant hero Robyn McCall (Queen Latifah) using her ex-CIA experience to right wrongs, along with her convenient team of skilled helpers. The show is certainly not afraid of addressing social issues and the realities of being an African-American. Yet it is quite sincere, easy entertainment, carried by the personality of its lead actor.
Clarice: This was a very interesting tangential sequel to The Silence of the Lambs, in which the subsequent career of Clarice Starling was explored. Starling, who is struggling to come to terms with her encounter with Buffalo Bill, finds herself part of a new Federal Taskforce that specialises in dealing with violent criminals. A subsequent investigation uncovers a high level conspiracy in which a major pharmaceutical corporation is committing murders under the pretence that they’re the work of a serial killer. This was a clever show with some interesting socio-political points to make. Sadly it was not renewed for a second season.
Unforgotten Season 4: There is obviously a great deal of mental and emotional strain involved in investigating murders, especially “cold cases”. Unforgotten depicts this intelligently and honestly. Season 4 had another harrowing story arc, outstanding performances and a hard hitting ending. Police work is not databases, car chases and eleventh hour psychological interrogations and last minute confessions. It’s foot work, lateral thinking and compassion. Unforgotten has all these in spades.
Debris: This was one of the smartest science fiction TV shows to come along for a while. It worked best when it’s internal lore was vague; the moment you clarify things it can undermine some of the inherent mystery. Sadly, this intriguing concept by J. H. Wyman (Fringe) about debris from an alien vessel and its strange powers, was cancelled, once again due to the TV network not understanding and having any faith in the show. The same thing happened with Wyman’s previous TV series, Almost Human.
The War: The military and tactical aspects of World War II has been thoroughly explored over the years, with The World at War possibly being the definitive TV documentary. Ken Burns’ takes a different approach examining events from the perspective of four US towns and how WWII impacted upon their economy, lives and world view. It is the personal stories of soldiers and their families that make this show so interesting. The recollections of Daniel Inouye (who won the Medal of Honor and went on to be a US Senator) are particularly poignant and stand out.
Endeavour: Season 8 appears to be the last in this prequel series to Inspector Morse. Morse is dangerously close to becoming an alcoholic and destroying his career. Fred Thursday’s son goes AWOL in Northern Ireland causing domestic strife. Oxford continues to have complicated murders and showrunner Russel Lewis still litters his scripts with niche market pop culture references, which are a delight. After three episodes the season reaches a definitive crossroads clearly linking one show with the other. It’s been a tremendous journey but all things must end.
Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol: This TV show plays out just like the three big screen adaptations of Dan Brown’s other books. There’s lots of frenetic running between historic locations and pseudo-academia flying about to solve arcane clues. Ashley Zukerman plays a young Robert Langdon (played by Tom Hanks in the movies). It’s all a bit silly but if you want entertainment that isn’t too taxing, it’s a pleasant enough way to spend 42 minutes.
The Idiot Box
Thoughts on TV shows and my current viewing habits.
The last instalment of Idiot Box was back in September 2019. Despite the Christmas holidays and being very busy in general, I have managed to watch some good TV shows over the last five month. As ever, there has been plenty of quality material to choose from and I still have an ever growing “watchlist” for all the content I cannot currently accommodate. It is interesting to note that most of the shows I watch are via streaming services. Out of the various titles I discuss in this post, only one was viewed via digital terrestrial network television. Furthermore, we started watching an hour after the broadcast commenced, so that we could bypass the commercial breaks. Watching anything in this fashion is my least favourite means of viewing television and because it happens so infrequently, it is quite jarring when it occurs.
Thoughts on TV shows and my current viewing habits.
The last instalment of Idiot Box was back in September 2019. Despite the Christmas holidays and being very busy in general, I have managed to watch some good TV shows over the last five month. As ever, there has been plenty of quality material to choose from and I still have an ever growing “watchlist” for all the content I cannot currently accommodate. It is interesting to note that most of the shows I watch are via streaming services. Out of the various titles I discuss in this post, only one was viewed via digital terrestrial network television. Furthermore, we started watching an hour after the broadcast commenced, so that we could bypass the commercial breaks. Watching anything in this fashion is my least favourite means of viewing television and because it happens so infrequently, it is quite jarring when it occurs.
The Crown: The third season of this prestigious Netflix show covers historical events from 1964 to 1977 and the role the UK Monarchy had to play in them. These begin with Harold Wilson's election as prime minister and ending with the Queens Silver Jubilee. The Aberfan disaster was a standout episode and explored how the precedence of Royal visits in such situations, was established. There was a greater focus on Prince Charles and family interferences in both his investiture as Prince of Wales and his personal relationship with Camila Shand. The change of cast to more mature actors was seamless and the standard of writing remained high and insightful. I find myself oddly invested in this show mainly because it covers a period of time during which I was growing up. Many of the historical events that are depicted, I was aware of as a child but had little interest or understanding of their significance. To see them in a wider context now is most illuminating.
The Witcher: My initial point of contact with this franchise was via their video game adaptations. However as television is an entirely different medium, I adjusted my expectations accordingly. Broadly I enjoyed the first season of The Witcher, although I was initially confused by its non-linear timeline. The character development was more in depth than I was expecting and rather than being given swathes of exposition about the “Continent” and its history and customs, the viewer was simply exposed to elements of these as the story unfolded. There was a lot of sexual content in the show but it is entirely relevant to the proceedings. Witchcraft is often entwined with human sexuality and free from the restrictive dogma of traditional religions. By the last episode I was left with my interests piqued and clearly wanting more. And as for casting Henry Cavill, it worked out fine as far as I’m concerned.
COBRA: This UK set drama proved to be far better than the sum of its parts. The initial premise set out in the first episode appeared to frame the narrative as a disaster story with borderline science fiction elements (the calamity afflicting the UK in the story being a solar storm). However, it quickly changed into a political thriller about civil unrest brought about by power outages. It touched upon many “hot topics” such as migrant detentions, anti-establishment sentiments and the economic and social divide between London and other parts of the UK. It was odd and vaguely compelling to see Robert Carlyle as a Conservative Prime Minister and David Haig was excellent as duplicitous and scheming Home Secretary. There were also some rather good low key CGI visual effects that worked very well. As I said, it was all unexpectedly entertaining.
Star Trek Picard: Star Trek has always reflected the world in which we live. During the sixties TOS channeled many optimistic, inclusive and progressive narratives which were still prevalent in the post Kennedy years. TNG was broadcast while such events as the fall of The Berlin Wall took place. Thus the show often explored concepts of reunification and forging uneasy truces. For me, what I like about STP is not only the central character, who is still multifaceted and engaging but the bold storyline in which the Federation has lost it ways due to an excess of “politics”. It is a world weary show, where social contracts have failed and the future has lost its utopian status. It isn’t to everyone's taste and it is clear that a lot of people just wanted more TNG in an identical idiom. However, that is not what Patrick Stewart wanted to do, so that is not what they got. I like it and am interested to see where it goes and whether any optimism will manifest itself.
Endeavour: The latest season of Endeavour sees the arrival of the seventies and a serial murderer prowling the towpath of the local canal. Is this one brutal muder to many for DI Fred Thursday? The cumulative effect of investigating violent crime seems to be taking its toll and also causing division between Thursday and Morse. Season seven covers a lot of ground in just three episodes and strays into rather bleak and unhappy territory, especially for Chief Inspector Bright. As ever, it is smart with lots of pop culture references and superb performances. I suspect that next year’s season will be the last of this period police drama.
Unforgotten: Because Endeavour came and went so quickly, Mrs P and I decided to revisit the first series of Unforgotten. We subsequently watched all available seasons and eagerly await the series four which is currently being filmed. What make’s this show so different from others is that the actual solving of the crime is only half of the narrative. The other 50% of the story is the “emotional splash damage” and “fallout” caused by investigating these cold cases. The level of technical accuracy in depicting real policing is outstanding and the acting is always top drawer. The central characters of Detectives Cassie Stuart and Sunil "Sunny" Khan (played by Nichola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar) are both credible and likeable. Over 18 episodes we get an insight into their very normal personal lives and an understanding of the emotional stress that solving historical cases causes to all involved. Often the subjects explored are incredibly sad and disturbing but the writing is so measured and intelligent that events never spills into melodrama, nor denigrate the difficult subjects.
As an addendum to this post, we abandoned a couple of shows that we were watching previously. We stopped watching Instinct as it really didn’t have anything new to say. I suspect that is why it was cancelled by the network. We also stopped viewing Evil, mainly because of time constraints. We may return to it later on in the year. I decided not to proceed with season 2 of Project Blue Book. Despite a good cast and fine production values, the show just seemed to be retreading familiar ground and not offering anything different within the confines of the “alien conspiracy” sub genre. Time is always precious therefore I strongly advocate dispensing with shows you’re not enjoying.
The Idiot Box
Thoughts on TV shows and my current viewing habits.
Tonight’s season finale of Endeavour was possibly the best episode to date. All the outstanding plot lines were resolved and despite my concerns that a tragedy may occur with regards to one of the central characters, the ending saw the prevailing status quo of previous seasons restored. This series has been exceedingly creative with regard to the subjects and themes it has explored and there have been some exceptional performances from Anton Lesser and Roger Allam. Writer Russell Lewis (a very interesting person in his own right) continues to embellish the proceeding with “metatextuality” which is always a source of joy for me. Recent references to Gordon Murray’s Trumpton, Camberwick Green and Chigley were exceeding droll, yet if the causal viewer missed them, there is still plenty of practical story and historical referencesfor all to get their teeth into. I also thought that the final episodes exploration of a tower block collapse was particularly brave and relevant, considering that the Grenfell Tower Inquiry is still proceeding.
Thoughts on TV shows and my current viewing habits.
Tonight’s season finale of Endeavour was possibly the best episode to date. All the outstanding plot lines were resolved and despite my concerns that a tragedy may occur with regards to one of the central characters, the ending saw the prevailing status quo of previous seasons restored. This series has been exceedingly creative with regard to the subjects and themes it has explored and there have been some exceptional performances from Anton Lesser and Roger Allam. Writer Russell Lewis (a very interesting person in his own right) continues to embellish the proceeding with “metatextuality” which is always a source of joy for me. Recent references to Gordon Murray’s Trumpton, Camberwick Green and Chigley were exceeding droll, yet if the causal viewer missed them, there is still plenty of practical story and historical referencesfor all to get their teeth into. I also thought that the final episodes exploration of a tower block collapse was particularly brave and relevant, considering that the Grenfell Tower Inquiry is still proceeding.
Ricky Gervais is a controversial figure and opinions surrounding him are often binary. His work is often challenging, and I fully understand why some find it such difficult viewing. However, comedy and satire can be incredibly astute vehicles for analysis and criticism of the human condition, and I believe that is something Mr Gervais does well when his work hits the mark. So having seen the various trailers for his new show After Life, I am cautiously optimistic. After Life follows Tony, who enjoys a good life until his wife suddenly dies. After considering suicide, he subsequently decides to live long enough to punish the world for his wife's death by literally saying and doing whatever he wants to. His behaviour has unexpected results. I suspect that this show will touch upon numerous subjects close to my heart, such as the superficial nature of modern life, social etiquette and pointlessness of many contemporary jobs. The entire season of eight episodes is released on Netflix on 8th March.
In between my other viewing commitments, when ever I have a spare hour, I try to catch up with Star Trek: Voyager. It is one of the few Trek shows I neglected upon release as I only watched the first season. Like other shows in the franchise, it took a few seasons to get going and find its feet but by late season three, it started to reach its potential. I am currently watching this via Netflix (UK) which has the rights to all Star Trek shows. Sadly, unlike TOS and TNG, Star Trek: Voyager has not been remastered and is not available at present in High Definition (The same is true for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine). Therefore the image does look a little “soft” at times which is especially noticeable in some of the FX shots. Like TNG, although the live action was shot on film, the show was edited via video and so there are no trational master negatives of each episode. A full restoration means remastering the live action and recombining it with the FX elements and credits, making it a very costly endeavour. I suspect that the right holders will have to think long and hard before financing such a project. In the meantime, what is available on Netflix will have to suffice.
Finally, as a grandparent I end up watching a lot of children’s TV either directly, or by being around when it is on in the background. Surprisingly enough, a lot of it is inoffensive and usually has some lesson to impart to its young audience. I do find the associated toy marketing a nuisance as I have spent about a year now having to endure Paw Patrol both on and off the screen. However, one show I do admit to enjoying is Hey Duggee. This animated program is set in The Squirrel Club, an activity group for children, similar to The Scouts. The children take part in all kinds of activities, have adventures and earn badges for their accomplishments. The novelty lies in the fact that the children are an Octopus, Rhino, Crocodile, Mouse and Hippo. Duggee, the leader of The Squirrel Club, is a big floppy eared dog who communicates via the onomatopoeia "Woof". Yet everybody understands him perfectly. This is another show that smuggles a great deal of pop culture references into the short seven-minute stories. A simple journey in a river boat to find a missing sheep quickly alludes to both Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. Who would have thought that children’s TV could become so “meta” and clever.
Taking It Too Seriously?
In the past I’ve often been left somewhat flummoxed when I’ve read stories about fans knitting baby clothes for pregnant characters in soap operas. I’ve also been bemused when reading about actors being berated in the streets by members of the public, who seem incapable of separating the person from the fictional character they play. Such anecdotes have always been met with tutting and shaking of the head from myself. However, I have recently had to temper this rationalist outlook, due to a sudden fit of emotional investment in certain TV dramas. This curious epiphany has led me to conclude that it’s not just a case of good writing and acting (although these are key reasons), but ultimately a question of identifying with a character and empathising with them. Furthermore, who we identify with possibly says something about us to.
In the past I’ve often been left somewhat flummoxed when I’ve read stories about fans knitting baby clothes for pregnant characters in soap operas. I’ve also been bemused when reading about actors being berated in the streets by members of the public, who seem incapable of separating the person from the fictional character they play. Such anecdotes have always been met with tutting and shaking of the head from myself. However, I have recently had to temper this rationalist outlook, due to a sudden fit of emotional investment in certain TV dramas. This curious epiphany has led me to conclude that it’s not just a case of good writing and acting (although these are key reasons), but ultimately a question of identifying with a character and empathising with them. Furthermore, who we identify with possibly says something about us to.
To give the previous statement some context, I was watching Endeavour last night which is now in its sixth season. One longstanding character, Chief Superintendent Reginald Bright, a senior officer who is coming to the end of his career has had more than his share of woes of late. His command was merged with a larger regional neighbour and he has been side lined to head of traffic. His core team have all be reassigned and the murder of one of his officers remains unsolved. Played with great dignity by Anton Lesser, Bright is an anachronism, representing the old guard in a Police force that is modernising to address the social and political change of the late sixties. He is a refined man, steeped in old world manners and social etiquette. But he’s also a loyal and open-minded policeman who commands the respect of those who truly know him.
Perhaps my description already shows that I have become invested in this character, although the show has many more similarly compelling protagonists. So when the Sunday evening’s episode revealed that PCS Bright’s wife (Carol Royale) had lung cancer and that she had only a short amount of time left, it was a crushing development. This plot development was underpinned by the calibre of the understated acting and minimalist script. The emotion of this turn of events was carried by the actor’s non-verbal performance and our emotional connection to him. I was genuinely moved and even tweeted such. A little later I reflected upon how a drama could have such a strong emotional impact upon me, and judging from my Twitter timeline, numerous other viewers.
I think the reason we connect, identify or feel some sense of rapport with a fictional character ultimately is down to being able to relate to their experiences or agreeing with what they represent and extoll. The moment you make a personal connection, see parallels to your own life or just find yourself in some state of accord, then a character becomes more than the sum of their parts. Perhaps the concept of the Imago is relevant here? I’m not trained in such scholarly study, so I best not focus on too much armchair psychology. But as I’ve got older, I have found that well written dramas can strike this strong emotional chord and now I can see why people take fictional characters to their heart so. Perhaps I’ve felt this way before and just haven’t recognised it. Spock being a prime example. As for PCS Reginald Bright, I shall see where the story takes us both and no doubt I’ll be further saddened. Yet it will at least be a journey I care about. As for the criticism of “taking it too seriously”, I shall think long and hard before I say such a thing again.
General Rock Renton and the Moon Rangers
I am a big fan of the detective drama Endeavour, considering it to be one of the best UK shows currently in production. It has well rounded, interesting characters and their journey through the sixties affords the writer, Russell Lewis, plenty of opportunity to explore the political and social issues of the time. Lewis further embellishes the scripts with numerous period and contemporary pop culture references, all of which add to the shows charm and appeal. Tonight’s episode “Apollo” set against the historical moon landings of Apollo 11, saw Morse and Thursday investigating the death of a promising young astrophysicist and his girlfriend. Initially thought to be a car accident, it becomes clear that there is foul play. As ever the plot was complex and established story arcs were moved forward. Shaun Evans also made his directorial debut with this episode.
General Rock Renton and the Moon Rangers.
I am a big fan of the detective drama Endeavour, considering it to be one of the best UK shows currently in production. It has well rounded, interesting characters and their journey through the sixties affords the writer, Russell Lewis, plenty of opportunity to explore the political and social issues of the time. Lewis further embellishes the scripts with numerous period and contemporary pop culture references, all of which add to the shows charm and appeal. Tonight’s episode “Apollo” set against the historical moon landings of Apollo 11, saw Morse and Thursday investigating the death of a promising young astrophysicist and his girlfriend. Initially thought to be a car accident, it becomes clear that there is foul play. As ever the plot was complex and established story arcs were moved forward. Shaun Evans also made his directorial debut with this episode.
What made “Apollo” especially enjoyable for me, was the story featuring a pair of television producers who bore more than a passing resemblance to Gerry and Sylvia Anderson of Thunderbirds fame. Jeff and Hildegard Slayton (Matthew Cottle and Mary Stockley) ran a studio producing puppet shows very much in the “Supermarionation” idiom. As the murder victim was a scientific advisor on their latest show, Moon Rangers, Morse and Thursday had reason to visit the production studios which were not to dissimilar to those of Century 21 Television at Slough. Hence viewers were treated to footage of the Slayton’s watching daily rushes of a model car crash, the miniature crew blowing up a rocket on a replica moon surface and the puppeteers on a gantry over a miniature set operating marionettes. All of which lovingly referenced the halcyon days of Stingray and Thunderbirds.
Note posters for faux shows “The Adventures of Super Jim” and “Cloud Stop 500”.
And how were such wonders so lovingly recreated? Via the talented folk over at Century 21 Films, the spiritual successor to the original Anderson production company. Having recreated several puppets for their 2014 documentary Filmed in Supermarionation, the team of talent staff subsequently formed a multi-faceted production company providing documentary services as well as miniature and other practical effects. In 2015 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Thunderbirds, they produced three brand new episodes of the show using all the classic techniques. The series, produced in association with copyright holders ITV, was based upon three original 1960s voice recordings. With such talent available who else were Mammoth Screen, the producers of Endeavour, going contract to create the fictitious General Rock Renton and the Moon Rangers?
This possibly is the biggest and most complex, pop culture reference and homage to feature in Endeavour to date. However, I don’t see it as self-indulgent but an accurate portrayal of the public interest in science at the time. The real shows that the Anderson’s produced reflected and capitalised upon the optimistic attitude towards the space race. Therefore, having characters such as the Slaytons in Endeavour is a historically relevant. As for the Moon Rangers, for the casual viewer this was a nice period aside. For the Supermarionation aficionados, it was hog heaven. Miniatures, explosions, very familiar looking puppets and the voice talents of Justin Lee and the wonderful David Graham (Parker, Grandpa Pig and The Wise Old Elf). Even Century 21 Films director, Stephen La Rivière, got a cameo appearance as part of the puppet crew on the gantry. As a fan all I can really say is well done to all involved. You made one of my favourite shows, even better.
Endeavour (2012-present)
The police procedural genre is one of the most flexible in existence. It has an innate quality that allows for continuous reinterpretation and reinvention. Thus it is a perennial mainstay of television drama and shows no sign of losing popularity with the public. Endeavour is a prime example of this, with three seasons under its belt and fourth in production; it’s a polished, intelligent and character driven production. Based upon Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse, Endeavour explores the detectives early years in the Oxford Police, set against the social and political changes of the sixties. The writing and performances are outstanding, elevating often formulaic stories to greater dramatic level. The use of classical music and the Oxford locations add a layer of sophistication and gravitas to the proceedings.
The police procedural genre is one of the most flexible in existence. It has an innate quality that allows for continuous reinterpretation and reinvention. Thus it is a perennial mainstay of television drama and shows no sign of losing popularity with the public. Endeavour is a prime example of this, with three seasons under its belt and fourth in production; it’s a polished, intelligent and character driven production. Based upon Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse, Endeavour explores the detective's early years in the Oxford Police, set against the social and political changes of the sixties. The writing and performances are outstanding, elevating often formulaic stories to a greater dramatic level. The use of classical music and the Oxford locations add a layer of sophistication and gravitas to the proceedings.
I could wax lyrical for many a paragraph regarding the lead performances. Both Shaun Evans and Roger Allam are compelling. I could also bang on about the handsome production design and the cunning use of low key digital effects that remove contemporary buildings and structures from the Oxford skyline. Then of course there are Russell Lewis’ superbly crafted screenplays for each feature length episode. The plots are often multi-layered and with each story we see both major and minor characters grow. Difficult issues are explored with intelligence and within the socio-political context of the time.
Yet there is one aspect of Endeavour that I’ve only recently discovered after watching all three seasons for a second time. Showrunner Russell Lewis is obviously a movie buff who likes to smuggle the occasional reference or homage into the proceedings. Classic dialogue is paraphrased or even used openly. Fictional characters are referenced as if they were real. It adds to the enjoyment of the show and I’m certain there may well be more than the ones that I’ve spotted so far. Here are a few examples.
From the episode Fugue (S01E03): When Morse discusses the serial killer with Dr. Daniel Cronyn, his response is very similar to that of the character Ash in the film Alien when he is quizzed about the Xenomorph. Both antagonists have a sneaking regard for their quarry and are thus accused of “admiring” them.
From episode Nocturne (S02E02): After the death of a specialist in heraldry and genealogy, Inspector Thursday and Morse seek the advice of Sir Hilary Bray at the London College of Arms. Sir Hilary is out of the country so his deputy deals with their enquiry. Bray is a character from the James Bond novel (and film adaptation) On Her Majesties Secret Service.
From the episode Prey (S03E03): The MacGuffin in this story is a Tiger that was kept illegally and has subsequently escaped into the Oxfordshire countryside. When a mauled body is pulled from a local river, large sections of the dialogue are taken directly from Jaws. Pathologist De Bryn is emphatic that “this is no boating accident”. Later in the episode when searching for the Tiger, Night of the Demon is referenced when a startled cast member states “"It's in the trees. It's coming”.
These homages that embellish Endeavour are just another example of the attention to detail and love that is lavished upon the production by those involved. They are yet another reason as to why you should watch the show. In an age of fast paced, strident police procedurals with their reliance on technology, it makes for a pleasant change to see a more measured approach to solving crime. A time when enquiries had to be done manually, painstakingly trawling through paper records and interviewing the public. Endeavour focuses on those involved in solving the crime rather than on the crime itself, although the plots are never dull. The period detail, locations and atmosphere are indeed characters in themselves. This is superior television and therefore I highly recommend it. Even more so now I’ve discovered the “hidden” movie references.