Eternal mystery of Thursday’s fillings

THERE’S a real crime feast on ITV this week with Endeavour continuing tonight as well as the new run of Marcella (tomorrow at 9pm).

But it’s a feast of another kind that viewers have taken an interest in with Endeavour, the story of the early days of copper Morse – what’s on the sandwiches his boss DCI Fred Thursday leaves home with daily?

They’ve been so fascinated, enquiries have been made of the show’s production team.

“It’s lovely that people enjoy that,” smiles Roger Allam, who plays the dependable senior detective.

“Thursday’s sandwiches are one of those little continuity things people love.

“It’s just one of the aspects that marks the series out as somewhat different to Inspector Morse, Lewis or a lot of other police and crime shows.

“There are Thursday family stories and Morse’s involvement with them that are not to do with the whodunit element.”

Veteran Roger rings the changes between series with other memorable roles, such as playing an army officer in BBC’s gripping Missing.

He’s always happy to step back in time to don Thursday’s hat and overcoat to revisit the ’60s.

“There are always historical reminders in Endeavour,” says Roger.

“Our writer Russell Lewis has been very clever about the way he’s done that as we’ve gone through the decade – the World Cup, Summer of Love, all that sort of thing.”

There was one part of the filming that he wasn’t too keen on – putting on his dancing shoes. “My dancing skills are non-existent,” he adds. “I’ve been in musicals, so I’m not completely two left-footed.

“But I’d never done ballroom dancing before.” Endeavour, ITV, tonight, 8pm.