Endeavour II Production Notes

Roger Allam plays DI Fred Thursday
As the prequel to Inspector Morse, Endeavour is set in the iconic 1960s, a bygone era
famous for change in Britain. The new second series kicks off in the year 1966, in the
lead up to the World Cup.
Roger Allam recalls that memorable year when he was a young boy living in London,
and why he thinks nostalgia in a period drama can appeal to audiences.
“Working on a period drama such as Endeavour does bring back a lot of memories”,
says Roger. In the series there is a scene when Thursday’s family is sitting around the
television watching the football. I remember doing just that -­‐ cheering and shouting
with my family around me.
“I think having something like the World Cup in the background, because it’s 1966, is a
way to pinpoint a moment in the past. We don’t overly focus on it in the series, but it’s
there as a marker.
“One of the pleasures is being able to look back, but it also serves as a way in for
younger people who didn’t witness that period. After the 2012 Olympics there is a
recent good feeling about British sport. The World Cup of 1966 refers back to another
period when there was a good feeling about English sport.
Driving the classic black Jaguar used in Endeavour also reminds Roger of his childhood.
“As a small boy I remember the first car my father ever bought – it was a second hand
Austin of England and cost about £30. Obviously I was just a lad but it felt as if you
were sitting in an armchair in your living room. It had a very different feel – that of the
steering wheel, the smell of the interior.
ENDEAVOUR II
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