'Endeavour' Gets Renewed For A 1970s Set Seventh Season
When ITV shows are hot, they run like clockwork. The series airs over in the U.K., then a premiere date is set in the U.S. while the season is going, and when it ends, ITV announces the next season is good to go. Whenever there's a break from this pattern, like with Grantchester in 2017, it's almost always a sign something is wrong.
The good news for fans is that nothing whatsoever is wrong with Endeavour, despite his newly-grown mustaches. The new season began airing on February 10th on ITV, by the end of February PBS had set a premiere for the U.S. in June. Now, with the finale having aired last Sunday, there is confirmation that Season 7 is a go.
Season 6, which has yet to air over here, is set in 1969, the final year of a swinging decade. The next season will follow the tradition of "one season = one year" and will be set in 1970. Though the number of episodes is still unconfirmed, most expect it will stay at its present size with a four-episode count.
According to Deadline, Head of Drama at ITV, Polly Hill, was pleased to see the show continue:
We’re incredibly proud of Endeavour and delighted to have recommissioned the drama for a seventh series. Writer and creator Russell Lewis continues to engage viewers with carefully crafted stories for Endeavour and Thursday as we move into the 1970s. We’re grateful to the production team at Mammoth Screen for continuing to deliver such a high-quality drama.
Creator Russell Lewis seemed to relish the chance to cover one of the U.K.'s most turbulent periods.
We’re thrilled ITV has asked #TeamEndeavour to continue to add to the Casebook of Colin Dexter’s immortal creation, and take E. Morse and Oxford’s Finest into a new decade of decimalisation, package holidays, the Oil Crisis, Blackouts, Three Day Weeks, and Europa Endlos.
For those not familiar with British near-history, "decimalisation" occurred in 1971, it was the day the U.K. and Ireland joined Europe in changing to the decimal system. "Package holidays" are precisely what they sound like, and became a bigtime business for travelers and holidaymakers during this decade. As for Blackouts and Three Day Weeks, these were a years-long crisis in the early 1970s mostly due to strikes in the coal and electricity generating industries, which occurred around the same time as the worldwide 1973 Oil Crisis in the Middle East. At the end of 1973, the government passed laws where commercial buildings were only allowed to use electricity three days a week.
With Lewis listing off these sort of historical events, it seems like the plan is to go at least a few more seasons into the 1970s for Endeavour. Personally, I can't wait.
Production for Season 7 is expected to begin later in 2019. Endeavour Season 6 will air in the U.S. beginning on Sunday, June 16, 2019. As always, check your local listings.
