ENDEAVOUR returns for its eighth season tonight on ABC

It’s 1971 and crime in Oxford is ever-present.

Though the events of the past year still weigh heavily on Endeavour’s (Shaun Evans) mind, there’s no chance of ‘light duties’ at the CID – crestfallen and rarely without a scotch in-hand, Endeavour finds himself right back in the thick of it.

Bearing a likeness to a spate of recent Angry Brigade attacks, an explosive murder at an Oxford college has potentially far-reaching political ramifications. Meanwhile, the IRA have made a threat against the life of the Oxford Wanderers’ star striker.

Tasked with the duty of acting bodyguard, Endeavour is shown the glitz and glamour of football stardom – a world away from the game played out on the pitch. A world, in which, footballers are the stars of the show and team loyalty falls secondary to commercial interests.

With the IRA’s threat making front-page news, all eyes are on the upcoming match between the Oxford Wanderers and their rivals, Minnows Cowley Town. The stakes are high – a stadium full of potential perpetrators – forcing the CID to bring in backup. But, when further foul play ensues, the pressure mounts to keep the revered footballer safe.

Back at the college, Endeavour casts doubt over the political motivations for the bomb attack and turns his investigation towards the personal, leading him to a surprising discovery.

Production credits: Endeavour is a Co-Production of Mammoth Screen and Masterpiece, in association with ITV Studios. Executive Producers: Roger Allam, Shaun Evans, Russell Lewis, Damien Timmer and Helen Ziegler.

Endeavour – Series 8, Episode 1 airs Friday 26 November at 8.30pm on ABC and iview