Plan B Forum

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.

Once ownership passes, doesn't the new owner have full rights of ownership?