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Post by Endeavour Morse on Oct 9, 2015 11:38:21 GMT
I'll get this thread going and it will probably be the place you'll find me most often. Open to all and any Morse-related content, and I'll be sharing my photos of locations used in filming the episodes.
To date all the locations I've visited have been outside Oxford, spread around Surrey, Central and West London, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire. The reason is that, after the programme really established itself as a ratings smash for Central TV, Oxford city council and various buildings began demanding rather large sums of money for filming rights.
As a result of this substitute locations had to be found for many of the middle series - although the last round of 'specials' saw filming return to the city when there was more budget available and less filming to do.
Of course, the Morse story continues to the present day with Lewis - which is coming back for some specials - and the prequel Endeavour. Spotting the returning story threads and characters from the original series in both of these young pups is always fun. As is the obligatory appearance of Colin Dexter, author of the original Morse novels, who has been in every episode of Inspector Morse, most episodes of Lewis and the pilot of Endeavour.
Thanks for reading and I hope this becomes an interesting thread...
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Post by Endeavour Morse on Oct 9, 2015 12:24:53 GMT
I'll start with one of the locations closest to home - the Black Swan pub at Ockham Common in Surrey, just off the A3. This pub substituted for the Oxfordshire hostelry in Episode 4 of Series 2: Last Bus to Woodstock. It's quite a sprawling place now with a large atrium-style restaurant attached (of which Morse would surely disapprove). Very popular, as can be seen by how busy the very large car park is. The bar is no longer the snug place that Morse was familiar with. This pub was also used as The Slaughtered Lamb in the movie American Werewolf in London. The interior shots were all filmed here, although the exterior shots were of a derelict cottage in Builth Wells that was tarted up to look, well, a bit werewolf-y. The interior of the Black Swan today sadly couldn't be described as rustic - although the prices are quite scary. Out in the beer garden is the original car park where the body was discovered in Last Bus to Woodstock. Morse later returned to this spot in Episode 1 of Series 7: Deadly Slumber to give a press conference .I'm afraid that I haven't (yet) found any shots of the pub in either episode. If the worst comes to the worst I will muck about with the DVD this weekend and see what I can come up with... Hope it's an encouraging start!
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The Saint
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Post by The Saint on Oct 9, 2015 16:51:50 GMT
Good stuff!
The Saint
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Post by Gene Hunt on Oct 9, 2015 16:58:22 GMT
Keep them coming Morse Gene.
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Post by Sam Tyler on Oct 9, 2015 18:17:01 GMT
Certainly is an encouraging start Morse
It would be good to see the 'Then' pics added into the thread for the comparison.
If you're anything like me looking to screen grab pics from The Sweeney, you'll end up watching a couple of episodes all the way through and a simple screen grab could take hours.
Sam.
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Del Boy
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Post by Del Boy on Oct 9, 2015 19:26:58 GMT
I agree, great thread Morse. We do like a location or two on this forum.
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Post by Lord Brett Sinclair on Nov 3, 2015 11:19:36 GMT
I've just picked up on this thread Morse. Thank you for posting the pictures.
I loved American Werewolf and often wondered where the pub was. Great scene in the pub with the late, great Rik Mayall playing chess in what must have been one of his earliest roles.
I might just pop in one day on my way back to my country pile.
Lord B.
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Post by Virgil Tracy on Nov 10, 2015 21:52:02 GMT
Great thread Morse
I never knew that filming had taken place so far out of Oxford, surely that was a shot in the foot by the authorities in Oxford? Demanding a higher cut must have been counter-productive?
Did you get the chance to look through the DVDs for the screen grabs? It would be great to see the comparison.
Isn't that an MG ZT in the first picture? Nice colour and in pride of place, I'm assuming it is yours? Did you chuck the Jag in for it?
F.A.B.
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Post by Peter Picard on Dec 13, 2015 17:56:01 GMT
I thought i'd try putting a couple of Morse locations up. From the first television adaptation Dead of Jericho. Jericho is in fact an area of Oxford and this is Combe Road which in the episode became Canal Reach. The Binders pub was located opposite the end of Combe Road/Canal Reach and was used in the episode although i believe the interior shots were a set.
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Post by Peter Picard on Dec 13, 2015 18:07:28 GMT
The final Morse episode The Remorseful Day, where Morse quotes AE Housmann's poem was filmed in the garden of The Victoria Arms in Old Marston looking across towards the Cherwell.
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