| Detective Chief Inspector Morse | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | 1975: novel Last Bus to Woodstock |
| Created by | Colin Dexter |
| Portrayed by | John Thaw (television) (1987–2000) Shaun Evans (television) (2012–2023) |
| Appears in | 13 novels (1975–1999) Inspector Morse television series (1987–2000) Endeavour television series (2012–2023) |
| Also portrayed by | Andrew Burt (BBC Radio) (1985) John Shrapnel (BBC Radio) (1992–96) Colin Baker (stage) (2010) Neil Pearson (BBC Radio) (2017) |
| In-universe information | |
| Title | Detective Chief Inspector |
| Family | Cyril Morse (father) Constance Morse (mother) Gwen Morse (stepmother) Joyce Garrett (née Morse) (half-sister) |
| Relatives | Keith Garrett (brother-in-law) Marilyn Garrett (half-niece) Wayne Garrett (half-nephew) |
| Nationality | British |
| Decorations | George Medal (television 1967) |
| Born | 1930[1] (television: 1938) |
| Died | 1999: novel The Remorseful Day (television: 2000) |
| Alma mater | St John's College, Oxford |
Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse, GM, is the eponymous fictional character in the series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter. On television, he appears in the 33-episode drama series Inspector Morse (1987–2000), in which John Thaw played the character, as well as the (2012–2023) prequel series Endeavour, portrayed by Shaun Evans. The older Morse is a senior Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officer with the Thames Valley Police in Oxford in England and, in the prequel, Morse is a young detective constable rising through the ranks with the Oxford City Police and, in later series, the Thames Valley Police.
Morse presents, to some, a reasonably sympathetic personality, despite his sullen and snobbish temperament, with a classic Jaguar Mark 2 (a Lancia in the early novels), a thirst for English real ale, and a love of classical music (especially opera and Wagner), poetry, art and cryptic crossword puzzles. In his later career, he is usually assisted by Sergeant Robbie Lewis. Morse's partnership and formal friendship with Lewis is fundamental to the series.