Endeavour season 8—who's in it, what happened to Strange and will there be a season 9?

Endeavour is in its 8th season and like a fine wine, it appears to be getting better with age. 

The show is a spin-off of the unforgettable Inspector Morse, another detective show which has gone down in the history books as one of the greats. 

Endeavour is the first name of Inspector Morse and the show is a prequel to the original series, meaning it's set long before we got to know and love the silver-haired crime solver.

The show focuses on the inspector's earlier career in his old haunt of Oxford. Initially, it was set in the 60s but the latest season is set in 1971. Fans of thrillers such as BBC drama Vigil and Silent Witness will no doubt be delighted to hear of the show's return after *that* cliffhanger season 7 finale.

Here's everything to know about Endeavour season 8...

When is Endeavour season 8 on?

The new series premiered on Sunday, September 12, 2021. The show is nestled in the coveted 8pm prime time spot—a place reserved for the UK's biggest TV dramas.

As with the previous seven seasons, the show will have fans gripped each Sunday night so make sure you have the kettle ready for those ad breaks!

How to watch Endeavour season 8

Endeavour airs on ITV at 8pm on Sundays until what's sure to be a jaw-dropping finale on September 26, 2021.

Considering the level of excitement the last season finale brought to the table, you better tune in!

Endeavour season 8—how many episodes will there be?

There will be three feature-length episodes of the show this season. Each episode lasts a stonking two hours so you're definitely getting a lot of entertainment value in those three installments!

Series creator, writer, and executive producer Russell Lewis said of the new season, “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 eight everything it can be."

Who's in Endeavour season 8?

DS Endeavour Morse and DCI Fred Thursday are back on our screens and fans are utterly delighted. Endeavour is played by actor Shaun Evans and Fred is played by Roger Allam.

Alongside the main characters, there's a remarkably talented ensemble cast. CS Reginald Bright (Anton Lesser), Dr Max DeBryn (James Bradshaw), Dorothea Frazil (Abigail Thaw), Win Thursday (Caroline O'Neil), Joan Thursday (Sara Vickers), and DS Strange (Sean Rigby).

However, it's the latter actor who's garnering the most attention as people have noticed a remarkable change in DS Strange's appearance. 

Endeavour actor Strange's weight loss

Endeavour fans were startled by the dramatic change in Strange's appearance. Sean, who plays the star, has lost a remarkable amount of weight since season 7 ended.

Viewers were quick to notice with one Twitter user saying, "Catching up one the new episode of #Endeavour. Blimey James Strange (Sean Rigby) has lost some weight!"

Another said, "Didn’t recognise Jim Strange tonight. Lost so much weight. Looks great and 10 years younger!"

Strange and Endeavour have had a long-term romantic rivalry with both men eager to win Joan's heart, but with very different methods and personalities it's always been unclear who'll win her heart in the end.

However, the complexity of Joan being Fred's daughter means that Endeavour has been forced to hide his feelings, only time will tell who'll get the girl!