The writer of the Inspector Morse detective novels admired actor John Thaw's performance as the curmudgeonly detective so much he has written a clause into his will banning other actors from playing the part after he dies.
Colin Dexter, 83, created the popular character in 1975 and the novels were adapted into TV series Inspector Morse that ran from 1987 to 2000 with Thaw, who died in 2002, in the lead role. Mr Dexter said: 'We never want to repeat what John has done.'
'A lot of people connected with Morse didn't want anyone coming along to say we will try and outdo dear old John.
'I said I'm not ever going to allow that, full stop,' he told The Independent. The clause was revealed in a Radio Times interview with actor Shaun Evans. Evans, 34, plays the younger version of the character in Endeavour, a prequel that gets its title from the detective's unusual first name.
The ITV drama, penned as a prequel to the long-running TV series, made its debut with a feature-length special in 2012 and has spawned two series. The series was only made possible thanks to the determination of the executive producer, who took four years to convince Mr Dexter to allow it.
The Morse Code
The Morse Code
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: The Morse Code
Great show. One of my all time favorites. Good for the writer in protecting the integrity of his work. But it's not like new plots would have a temporal rift that created a new time line and wiped out everything you knew about the series . . .
Re: The Morse Code
While the show was also one of my favorites, I'm somewhat disappointed...
I've been hoping for an American version with a female Lewis...
I've been hoping for an American version with a female Lewis...
Re: The Morse Code
Poor old curmudgeon, pretty sure that's not an enforceable provision in the first place.
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, paraphrasing Sarah Moore Grimké
Re: The Morse Code
I was wondering the same thing...
Isn't that like willing somebody your restaurant business but saying in your will, "you can't change the menu" or "you can't change the decor"?
Once ownership passes, doesn't the new owner have full rights of ownership?
Isn't that like willing somebody your restaurant business but saying in your will, "you can't change the menu" or "you can't change the decor"?
Once ownership passes, doesn't the new owner have full rights of ownership?
Re: The Morse Code
It would be difficult for the old owner to stop the new owner from letting people take pictures of the plated food.Once ownership passes, doesn't the new owner have full rights of ownership?
Re: The Morse Code
Seems like the copyright probably passed on to the author's heirs. Anyone wanting to produce a program based on the original art would have to purchase a license from the owner of the copyright. If the owners of the copyright don't want that character, they won't grant a license.
But of course "money talks."
But of course "money talks."