Kevin Whately Discusses Ending ITV Drama Lewis

Kevin Whately has discussed the possible ending of his ITV detective drama Lewis.

The seventh series of Lewis is currently airing on Monday evenings on ITV and fans of the detective drama may want to enjoy it while it lasts because it could very well be the last season. For some time now there have been reports that Lewis will come to an end with its seventh series and the drama’s leading actor Kevin Whately hasn’t given fans any reasons to hope that may not be the case.

Speaking to the Radio Times at the magazine’s cover party the actor confirmed his desire to take a break for the drama. “I’m having a year off whatever happens. I’m not making any this year and Laurence [Fox] isn’t either. So there’s a slight possibility we might do a couple next year. But we’d really quite like to finish it.”

Whately’s co-star Laurence Fox is reportedly heading to America to try and launch his career stateside. Whately told the Radio Times that the last episodes of the seventh season will give the drama some conclusion “It’s rounded off, but it’s very difficult to let go of something as successful as that. But it’s probably about time.”

Kevin Whately first played the character of Robert Lewis in the hugely popular Inspector Morse series which starred the late John Thaw in the title role and ran on ITV between 1987 and 2000. Six years later Whately reprised the detective for the pilot episode of Lewis which proved to be a hit with television audiences and its first regular series followed a year later in 2007.

The seventh season has seen a slight change in the format with two-part stories airing over consecutive weeks instead of the “self contained films” of previous years. The new format has not entirely proven popular with fans but brings the drama more in line with the likes of Silent Witness and Waking the Dead.

The Inspector Morse franchise will life on even if Lewis does end for good as prequel series Endeavour starring Shaun Evans is due to return later this year.