Wikipedia
Grantchester (TV series)
Grantchester is a British ITV detective drama set in the 1950s in the Cambridgeshire village of Grantchester. The show first featured Anglican vicar Sidney Chambers (James Norton), and subsequently vicar William Davenport (Tom Brittney), each of whom develop a sideline in sleuthing with the help of Detective Inspector Geordie Keating, played by Robson Green.
| Grantchester | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Cosy mystery Period drama |
| Based on | The Grantchester Mysteries by James Runcie |
| Developed by | Daisy Coulam |
| Starring | |
| Composer | John Lunn |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 8 |
| No. of episodes | 51 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Diederick Santer Rebecca Eaton |
| Producers | Emma Kingsman-Lloyd (1-3) Richard Cookson (4-6) Tim Whitby (7) |
| Cinematography | Julian Court |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Production company | Kudos/Masterpiece co-production |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Original release | 6 October 2014 – present |
The series is based on The Grantchester Mysteries, collections of short stories written by James Runcie.[1] The first series was based on the six stories from the first book, Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death, and was broadcast in 2014.[2] A second series aired in March and April 2016, and a third series began its run on 23 April 2017. A fourth series was announced on 12 April 2018, and it was confirmed that this would be the last to feature James Norton in the lead.[3]
Tom Brittney as the Reverend Will Davenport took over the lead from Norton in series four. The fifth series commenced in January 2020.[4] A sixth series was commissioned on 17 July 2020, and began transmission on 3 September 2021.[5] A seventh series was commissioned on 28 July 2021, which started production in summer 2021 with Brittney also directing for the first time. It premiered on 11 March 2022 and concluded on 15 April 2022.
In August 2022, ITV had announced that the drama had been commissioned for an eighth series, with Al Weaver directing for the first time, which is scheduled to air in 2023.[6]
A ninth series was announced in July 2023, with Brittney announcing it will be his final season. Taking his place will be actor Rishi Nair, as vicar Alphy Kotteram.[7]
Plot
In the Cambridgeshire village of Grantchester during the 1950s, Anglican vicar and former Scots Guards officer Sidney Chambers (James Norton), and subsequently his successor Will Davenport (Tom Brittney), work with the overworked Detective Inspector Geordie Keating (Robson Green) to forge an unlikely partnership in solving crimes. Keating's gruff, methodical approach to policing complements Chambers' more intuitive techniques of coaxing information from witnesses and suspects. Some sub-plots deal with Leonard Finch's homosexuality before decriminalisation of male homosexual behaviour in England and Wales (1967).
Cast
Main
- James Norton as the Reverend Sidney Chambers, MC (Series 1–4), Anglican vicar and former Scots Guards officer during World War II.[8]
- Robson Green as DI Geordie Keating (Series 1–present), a WWII veteran.[8]
- Morven Christie as Amanda Hopkins (née Kendall) (Series 1–3), heiress and art restorer at London's Dulwich Picture Gallery with whom Sidney has a relationship.[8]
- Tessa Peake-Jones as Mrs. Sylvia Chapman (née Maguire) (Series 1–present), the vicarage's devoutly religious housekeeper.[8]
- Al Weaver as Leonard Ernest Finch (Series 1–present), a former curate who is ex-communicated from the church for being gay.[8]
- Kacey Ainsworth as Catherine "Cathy" Keating (Series 1—present), Geordie's wife.[8]
- Nick Brimble as Jack Chapman (Series 1–present), a retired businessman who later marries Sylvia.
- Oliver Dimsdale as Daniel Marlowe (Series 2—present), a photographer who embarks on a secret relationship with Leonard.
- Tom Brittney as the Reverend William "Will" Davenport (Series 4–9), Anglican vicar and former inner-city chaplain.
- Charlotte Ritchie as Bonnie Davenport (née Evans) (Series 7–present), Cathy's niece who later marries Will.
- Rishi Nair as Vicar Alphy Kotteram (Series 9–present)[9]
Recurring
- Skye Lucia Degruttola as Esme Keating (Series 1–present), Geordie's eldest daughter.
- Pip Torrens as Sir Edward Kendall (Series 1–2), Amanda's father.[8]
- Fiona Button as Jennifer Chambers (Series 1–2), Sidney's younger sister who is Amanda's former classmate.[8]
- Tom Austen as Guy Hopkins (Series 1–3), Amanda's husband, whom she later leaves and then divorces.[8]
- Jemma Redgrave as Amelia Davenport (Series 4–present), Will's mother.
- Dominic Mafham as St John Gurney-Clifford (Series 5—present), Amelia's husband.
- Paula Wilcox as Diana (Series 5), Cathy's mother and Geordie's mother-in-law, who suffers from bipolar disorder.
- Emily Patrick as Tamara Gurney-Clifford (Series 6–present), Will's flirtatious socialite step-sister.
- Seline Hizli as Margaret Ward (Series 2–3), police secretary, who has a relationship with Sidney and later an affair with Geordie.[8]
- Melissa Johns as Miss Jennifer Scott (Series 6–present), police secretary.
- Gary Beadle as Archdeacon Gabriel Atubo (Series 3–present), the church's first Archdeacon of colour.
- Stuart Bowman as Bishop Aubrey Gray (Series 6—present), Will's immediate superior.
- Ahmed Eljah as Curate Henry Jones (Series 6), Leonard's replacement when he is sent to prison.
- Joe Claflin as DC Billy Atkins (Series 1), Geordie's colleague.
- Lorne MacFadyen as DS Phil Wilkinson (Series 2–3), Geordie's colleague.
- Felix Scott as DI Sean Donovan (Series 4), a fellow DI assigned to work alongside Geordie.
- Bradley Hall as DC Larry Peters (Series 4–present), Geordie's colleague.
- David Troughton as DCI Benson (Series 1—2), Geordie's immediate superior.[8]
- Michael D. Xavier as DCI Elliot Wallace (Series 7–present), Geordie's new boss, whose fiancée has a brief affair with Will.
- Pheline Roggan as Hildegard Staunton (Series 1), a young German widow with whom Sidney has a brief romance.[8]
- Simona Brown as Violet Todd (Series 4), the daughter of a civil rights preacher, who later emigrates to the United States with Sidney.
- Lauren Carse as Ellie Harding (Series 5), an ambitious journalist who develops a friendship with Will.
- Ross Boatman as Vic Morgan (Series 5), a boxing trainer whom Will looks to for guidance.
- Shaun Dooley as Johnny Richards (Series 6), a lawyer and former war comrade of Geordie's.
- Ellora Torchia as Maya (Series 7), DCI Wallace's fiancée who has a brief affair with Will.
Production
Filming for the first series began in London, Cambridge and Grantchester from March to June 2014.[10] The second series was filmed in autumn 2015,[11] and guest stars included Neil Morrissey, Claudie Blakley, Nigel Planer, Andrew Knott, Nicky Henson and Oliver Dimsdale.[12] The third series was filmed between August and November 2016, and filming for the fourth series commenced in June 2018.[13] The fifth series was filmed in Cambridge and elsewhere during the summer of June 2019.[14]
Grantchester itself is used for extensive filming, with the Church of St Andrew and St Mary used for the church interior and churchyard scenes. A private home in Lemsford, Hertfordshire, doubles as the vicarage, while the Windmill pub in Chipperfield is used for The Red Lion. King's Parade in Cambridge has been transformed to represent various 1950s street scenes, complete with period cars and buses. Horsted Keynes railway station, on the Bluebell Railway, in West Sussex has been used to double for Cambridge station.[15]
Chatham Dockyard in Kent has doubled for various London locations, including the exterior of Kings Cross Station, Borough Market, and the exterior and interior of a warehouse and ropery. Commissioner's House was also used for filming.[16]
After the third series, James Norton wanted to leave the series to pursue other acting opportunities. Also, actress Morven Christie had departed the show since her storyline involving Sidney Chambers and Amanda had concluded. Without Norton's participation, there was talk of ending the series, but Grantchester had proven to be so popular with television viewers that the producers felt that the show could continue with a new male lead.
At the start of the fourth series, actor Tom Brittney joined the cast as Will Davenport, a former inner-city chaplain who was appointed as Sidney Chambers' replacement as the Anglican vicar of Grantchester. James Norton made his last appearances as Sidney in the first two installments of the fourth season to help with the transition. At the end of the second episode, Sidney Chambers leaves Grantchester and moves to America. Starting with the third episode, actor Robson Green began receiving top billing in the opening credits. Also, with the addition of Brittney to the series, it gave the opportunity for the remaining cast members to expand their roles, particularly Kasey Ainsworth as Cathy Keating, Geordie's wife and Oliver Dimsdale as Daniel Marlowe, a local photographer who is also Leonard Finch's best friend and lover. Both Ainsworth's and Dimsdale's characters had been on the back burner for the last three years. By the time the fourth season had begun, Cathy was already working as a saleswoman in a department store and Daniel's relationship with Leonard had become more intimate and intense. The scenes around the Manor house owned by Will Davenport's parents were filmed in Rotherfield Park in East Hampshire.[17][18]
The first episode of the fifth series continues to feature Will Davenport as vicar of Grantchester. The plot centres around the students of two colleges at the University of Cambridge: a 'prestigious all-female college' (the real-life women's college Newnham College, Cambridge) and a fictional men's college (filmed at St John's College, Cambridge). The sixth series expanded to eight episodes, rather than the standard six.[19]
On 28 July 2021, ITV announced that filming for the seventh series of Grantchester had begun, with the series due for release on 11 March 2022, with Brittney directing for the first time. On 19 August 2022, ITV announced that an eighth series had been commissioned and filming had begun, with its release scheduled for late summer/early autumn 2023.
In 2023, ITV announced that Series 9 would be the last to star Tom Brittney, and that he would be replaced by Rishi Nair in the role of Alphy Kotteram.[20]
Critical reception
The first episode was generally well received by the critics. Michael Pilgrim of The Daily Telegraph wrote: "Delightfully neat and economical of plot, it’s Cluedo with cassocks and just enough noir for the modern palate. Victoria sponge with a tablespoon of battery acid." He added that "There could be a worse antidote than Grantchester" in a grim October in the early 21st century.[21] Ellen Jones of The Independent thought the programme "delightful, a new treat for fans of period-set, gently paced detective series like Endeavour, and also for fans of top TV totty James Norton."[22] Nancy deWolf Smith of The Wall Street Journal wrote, "Grantchester is a revelation."[23]
The first series was given a Metacritic score of 70 based on 14 reviews, indicating a generally favourable reception.[24]
Broadcast
The first series was broadcast in the UK on ITV starting 6 October 2014.[15] The show premiered in the United States on 18 January 2015 on Masterpiece Mystery on PBS. It premiered in Australia on 28 February 2015 on ABC,[25] as well as 9Gem. A French version premiered on France 3 from 12 July 2015. Series two was broadcast on PBS in the US from 27 March 2016.[26] The series was licensed to Amazon Prime in a multi-year deal; that network gained the rights to air the episodes of all series after PBS affiliates had done so.[27] On Amazon Prime, the 2016 Christmas Special listed in the Episodes section below is identified as Episode 1 of Series 3, with a total of seven episodes in the series.[28]
Series overview
| Series | Episodes | Originally aired | Average UK viewership (in millions) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 6 | 6 October 2014 | 10 November 2014 | 6.63 | |
| 2 | 6 | 2 March 2016 | 6 April 2016 | 6.44 | |
| Special | 1 | 24 December 2016 | 6.11 | ||
| 3 | 6 | 23 April 2017 | 28 May 2017 | 6.23 | |
| 4 | 6 | 11 January 2019 | 15 February 2019 | 5.43 | |
| 5 | 6 | 10 January 2020 | 14 February 2020 | 5.50 | |
| 6 | 8 | 3 September 2021 | 22 October 2021 | 4.65 | |
| 7 | 6 | 11 March 2022 | 15 April 2022 | 4.17 | |
| 8 | 6 | 9 July 2023 | 13 August 2023 | TBA | |
Episodes
Series 1 (2014)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Harry Bradbeer | Daisy Coulam | 6 October 2014 | 7.69 | |
| When a man's death is ruled a suicide, his mistress appeals to the Reverend Sidney Chambers, insisting her lover was murdered. Chambers uses his position to make inquiries, bringing him the disapproving attention of an overworked local police detective, Inspector Geordie Keating. | |||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Harry Bradbeer | Daisy Coulam | 13 October 2014 | 6.51 | |
| Jennifer bullies Sidney into attending Amanda's engagement dinner, where he reunites with old school friends. Tensions rise when the engagement ring goes missing, and later one of the school friends is murdered. | |||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Jill Robertson | Daisy Coulam | 20 October 2014 | 6.23 | |
| Amanda asks a heartbroken Sidney to officiate at her wedding. Sidney investigates the death of a parishioner who predicted her future son-in-law would murder her. Mrs. Maguire calls Inspector Keating to investigate when the deceased's sister is also found dead. | |||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Jill Robertson | Daisy Coulam | 27 October 2014 | 6.54 | |
| Sidney rescues a parishioner from her burning home, but shortly afterwards her husband is stabbed to death in a public garden. As Sidney and Geordie investigate, they discover both incidents are related to illegal homosexual activity, revealing deep local and legal prejudices. Geordie is distracted when his baby son contracts a potentially fatal illness. (Note: While the story in this episode is not based on stories in the books, the murderer and motive are). | |||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Tim Fywell | Daisy Coulam | 3 November 2014 | 6.42 | |
| Sidney and Geordie are invited to Straight 8's Jazz Club in London, owned by the father of Jennifer's boyfriend. When the boyfriend's sister is murdered, the investigation reveals ties to a murder committed years earlier and a police cover-up. | |||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Tim Fywell | Daisy Coulam | 10 November 2014 | 6.37 | |
| Geordie is shot while he and Sidney investigate the shooting of a policeman. Sidney is shunned by the senior officer in charge when he finds a connection between the two shootings. Sidney's war flashbacks, Amanda's impending marriage, and Sidney's deception of Hildegard leave his private life in tatters. (Note: This episode is not based on stories in the books). | |||||||
Series 2 (2016)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Tim Fywell | Daisy Coulam | 2 March 2016 | 7.12 | |
| Sidney is accused of sexual assault by the father of 15-year-old Abigail Redmond, citing the evidence of her unseen diary. Geordie and Sidney find her body at a photographer's studio. Suspects include Daniel Marlowe, a gay photographer (who had taken and published adult photographs of Abigail without knowing her age), her possessive and violent father, and her school friend Gary Bell, a teenager with mental retardation. Sidney discovers Abigail was pregnant, and that his superiors in the church were hiding a secret – Sam Milburn, a fellow vicar with a dark past. | |||||||
| 8 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Tim Fywell | John Jackson | 9 March 2016 | 6.51 | |
| The apparent suicide of a daredevil lecturer, fallen from a spire of King's College chapel, leads Geordie and Sidney into the world of Soviet spies. Sidney knows the spire cannot be climbed alone. When a witness claims the lecturer was pushed, suspicion falls on the lecturer's star pupil. An official warns Geordie to drop the investigation. Amanda's husband, Guy, threatens Sidney after a visit by Amanda. | |||||||
| 9 | 3 | "Episode 3" | David O'Neill | Daisy Coulam | 16 March 2016 | 6.32 | |
| A young parishioner confesses to killing his landlord with a knife. Geordie and Sidney find the landlord alive and well. He is later killed in front of them by a hit and run driver. A knife wound leads them back to the young man, who has an alibi, and the landlord's manipulative wife, who cannot drive. Leonard, who is still in the closet, and Daniel Marlowe, the gay photographer from Episode 1 go on an awkward date at the cinema. Amanda, unhappy with Guy, returns to Grantchester and finds Sidney has a new girlfriend, Margaret. | |||||||
| 10 | 4 | "Episode 4" | David O'Neill | Joshua St Johnston | 23 March 2016 | 6.34 | |
| Gary Bell, a mentally-challenged teenager who had caused Abigail Redmond's death in a well-meaning accident, is tried for Abigail's murder. Sidney and Geordie's disagreement over the boy's case strains their friendship. A horse breeder is found hanged in his stable, just as his first wife was several months earlier. Sidney convinces Geordie they were both murdered by someone close to them. Amanda's disintegrating relationship with Guy leads her back to Grantchester, and Margaret becomes jealous. Meanwhile, Leonard struggles with his attraction to Daniel Marlowe. | |||||||
| 11 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Edward Bennett | Daisy Coulam | 30 March 2016 | 6.10 | |
| Amanda promotes a petition to stop Gary's execution. A man arrested by Geordie for physically abusing his wife dies in his cell; suspicion falls on Geordie, who has bruised knuckles and was friendly with the man's wife, who had no legal grounds to hold the man as his wife would not make out a complaint. Margaret's statement about Geordie's state of mind causes Sidney to doubt his friend's innocence. Dead rats at the dead man's house provide another solution. Meanwhile, Leonard tries to come to terms with his homosexuality when Daniel Marlowe, the gay photographer, kisses him. Sidney is present at Gary's hanging; Geordie's testimony at the trial and Sidney's inability to stop the unjust execution drive him to drink. | |||||||
| 12 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Edward Bennett | Daisy Coulam | 6 April 2016 | 6.26 | |
| The events of the previous months and his broken friendship with Geordie prey heavily on Sidney. Sam Milburn, the disgraced vicar who had molested Abigail, returns to ask Sidney for forgiveness, and Abigail's father threatens to kill him. When blood is found on the girl's gravestone and Milburn disappears, Sidney seeks Geordie's help to find him. They discover he is lodging with the mother of a missing 14-year-old girl. Leonard uncovers evidence that the Archdeacon knew that Milburn was a serial abuser of young girls and tried to cover it up, but his celebratory mood is dashed by Daniel Marlowe, the gay photographer he has been stepping out with. Pregnant Amanda, unable to accept the future before her, leaves Guy and is disowned by her father; she turns to Sidney again for solace, and Sidney makes a choice that may alter his standing with the Church. | |||||||
Christmas Special (2016)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 1 | "Christmas Special" | Edward Bennett | Daisy Coulam | 24 December 2016 | 6.11 | |
| A groom fails to turn up for his wedding and is found dead at work following a break-in. The groom's bride, a striptease artist, her club boss, and the groom's son are suspected of murder. The discovery of two wedding rings stuffed in the victim's throat alludes to another suspect Geordie knows who he believes killed nine years earlier in the same way. Amanda's attempt at reconciliation with her father fails and she ends up homeless. Found by Leonard, as she is about to give birth, he takes her to the vicarage. The baby, Grace, born on Christmas Eve presents Sidney with the dilemma of another man's baby that Geordie equates with Joseph and Mary from the Bible. | |||||||
Series 3 (2017)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Tim Fywell | Daisy Coulam | 23 April 2017 | 6.95 | |
| Sidney receives a dead crow and a series of anonymous phone calls. Geordie calls Sidney to see the body of a respected doctor found dead in the church, together with a dead crow. A connection between Sidney and the doctor is the funeral he conducted of a matron three months earlier. Both the doctor and matron worked at a mental institution. Amanda's husband, Guy, wishes to see his baby daughter, and Sidney ponders his relationship with her. A new archdeacon tells Leonard about his responsibilities to the church, and Leonard gathers that the Church would like to see him married in order for him to be promoted to his own parish. Geordie's marriage is strained when his feelings for his secretary, Margaret, come to the fore. | |||||||
| 15 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Tim Fywell | John Jackson | 30 April 2017 | 6.43 | |
| While playing cricket for the local cricket side, Sidney and Geordie find racism rearing its ugly head against Pakistani batsman, Zafar Ali. After a disputed decision the game is forfeited by the team captain, local solicitor, Geoff Towler. After the match, the teams go down with mild arsenic poisoning from tainted beer. The following morning, Zafar Ali is found dead from the same poison with a myriad of suspects including Geoff Towler and his daughter, Annie, who was secretly in love with Zafar. Amanda seeks a divorce but the law requires grounds such as adultery and the church does not allow priests to marry divorcees. Sidney discovers Geordie's affair with his secretary, placing him in a dilemma with Geordie's wife. | |||||||
| 16 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Rebecca Gatward | Daisy Coulam and Oliver Frampton | 7 May 2017 | 6.27 | |
| Leonard and his new lady friend, Hilary, are witness to an armed robbery at the post office, and they identify garage owner, Walter Dunn, a known felon, as the robber. Geordie arms himself and his fellow officers to arrest Dunn, but finds him in his office above his garage, shot dead. Geordie arrests Dunn's wife and her garage mechanic lover. A second armed robbery, wounding the postal clerk, leads to suspects nearer to home. Amanda and Guy agree to arrange a divorce with him as the adulterer. Geordie continues his affair with Margaret, Leonard proposes to Hilary, and Sidney finally gives in to his feelings for Amanda. | |||||||
| 17 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Rebecca Gatward | Daisy Coulam | 14 May 2017 | 6.34 | |
| Josephine Sutton is found fatally injured following a fall at her factory workplace. A time discrepancy and other clues lead Geordie to suspect she was injured elsewhere. Mrs Maguire's husband, missing for 10 years, returns with disturbing news (Mrs M had accepted a proposal of marriage but is now not single). Sidney cannot reconcile his love for Amanda with his faith. Leonard's relationship with Hilary becomes difficult. Believing he is an abomination because of his sexuality, he attempts suicide. Geordie buys Margaret a necklace. Geordie finds his investigation hampered by his own colleagues, whom he realises are freemasons, as is the factory owner. Geordie's affair is exposed. Sidney makes a decision to make time to think. | |||||||
| 18 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Rob Evans | Jess Williams | 21 May 2017 | 5.61 | |
| Sidney leaves his clerical collar behind and hitchhikes across the country to find Ronnie, Mrs Maguire's husband, at a Romany camp and recover the money he had taken. Geordie's wife throws him out of their home. Sidney discovers Ronnie has another family and news of this and the money goes through the camp. When Ronnie is murdered and the money goes missing, the Romanies seek their own justice. Mrs Maguire seeks out the other Mrs Maguire with Geordie's help while Sidney seeks the killer in the underlying tensions of the camp. Geordie ends his relationship with Margaret. Amanda gives Sidney an ultimatum. | |||||||
| 19 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Rob Evans | Daisy Coulam | 28 May 2017 | 5.79 | |
| It's September 1955 and Sidney has lost his faith in the church and writes a resignation letter. When a boy, Archie Reilly, claims he was nearly abducted, his story is doubted by his father and Geordie. Archie's brother Jacob then goes missing. A scarf Archie saw leads to an all-female college where his father teaches and where he has a number of relationships with his students. Geordie's behaviour grows more and more unstable as he wrestles with family problems and violently takes it out on a suspect, a troubled friend of Sidney's. As the vicar grows closer to the truth about the missing child, he is forced to choose between his love for Amanda and his faith when he realises the community needs him more than ever. Mrs Maguire marries Jack Chapman and at the wedding reception, Leonard and Geordie renew their respective relationships. | |||||||
Series 4 (2019)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Tim Fywell | Daisy Coulam | 11 January 2019 | 6.10 | |
| It's 1956 and with Amanda long gone, Sidney's life now revolves around the church services and the interminable meetings of the Parochial Council and their plans for a village fete. He yearns for some excitement, and Geordie has noticed that Sidney's devil-may-care attitude feels increasingly like a death wish. Sidney Chambers attends a talk by the Reverend Nathaniel Todd, a key part of the Civil Rights Movement in the USA. During the event, protestors disrupt Todd's speech and release fireworks, causing the audience to panic and leading to a crush as dozens of people try to escape through a locked door. In the chaos, a man is stabbed and killed by an unseen assailant. The murder sees racial tensions spike and Geordie is called in to investigate. | |||||||
| 21 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Tim Fywell | Daisy Coulam | 18 January 2019 | 5.24 | |
| Sidney discovers he was the last person to see a woman alive during a drunken night. While he struggles to remember what happened, Geordie becomes concerned for his friend's troubled state of mind. Sidney reconnects and falls for the woman involved in the Civil Rights Movement. But she is black and soon to return to America, so a future with her appears impossible. However, Sidney chooses the impossible and plans to emigrate. | |||||||
| 22 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Stewart Svaasand | John Jackson | 25 January 2019 | 5.30 | |
| Geordie is called to investigate an apparent break-in at a computer laboratory. Geordie suspects foul play when computer laboratory head Professor Simms keels over and dies from mercury poisoning. It seems the deceased recently spent the night in the lab with someone other than his wife, possibly a fellow educated man. Geordie seeks advice from Leonard, and the pair start to uncover the surprisingly messy love lives of Simms' colleagues. Elsewhere, Cathy is brutally tricked, Will returns to Grantchester and Mrs C makes a shocking discovery. | |||||||
| 23 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Stewart Svaasand | Rachael New | 1 February 2019 | 5.23 | |
| As Will is preparing to be installed as the new vicar, Geordie persuades him to involve himself in a case involving a young uncommunicative boy with blood on his hands. Mrs C is anxious about Will's relaxed attitude, but that's just Will's nature. As he tells the Archdeacon, he's never been more sure of anything. The clock is ticking for Will to uncover the truth and help the family heal, but his own troubled past threatens to colour his view of the case – and Geordie realises his new friend has demons of his own. | |||||||
| 24 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Rob Evans | Daisy Coulam | 8 February 2019 | 5.15 | |
| Will gets a phone call from home as his father has got himself into some trouble. His father disapproves of Will's career choice as he wanted him to take over the running of his estate. Will asks Geordie for his help when a vicious beating leads to a grisly murder at his ancestral home. Will is settling into the new routines of his life in Grantchester: sermons and services in the church, working the punch bag at the gym, and suffering sniping comments from Leonard in the vicarage. But then an unexpected phone call summons Will back home, and he asks Geordie for his help: Will's father has got himself into some trouble. It's a chance for Geordie to discover where Will really comes from, and it's not what he expected, taking him into a very unfamiliar – and unfriendly – world. Will hasn't been home in a while, running from a past he wants to forget. But you can't outrun it forever, and when one vicious beating leads to a grisly murder at a sprawling ancestral home, scandal threatens to engulf the Davenport family, and life will never be the same for Will again. | |||||||
| 25 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Rob Evans | Jamie Crichton | 15 February 2019 | 5.40 | |
| Will, upset by his family tragedy and faced with life-changing choices, seeks distraction in Geordie's world. A strange new case unfolds: the murder of a "Teddy Boy" at a dance hall, which in Geordie's opinion is proof that the country has truly gone to the dogs. The dead boy's pockets reveal a library card from the school Geordie's daughter Esme attends and, even more alarming, a picture of Esme herself. Esme claims ignorance, but Will knows something is up, given he's spotted her hiding a love letter. Away from her life at the vicarage, Mrs C is feeling lost, while Cathy is left shaken by another encounter at work. Leonard is adrift, hiding at Daniel's house and reeling from his encounter with Will. Can Grantchester's new vicar, already dealing with demons of his own, calm Geordie's anger long enough to uncover who was really behind the boy's death? | |||||||
Series 5 (2020)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Gordon Anderson | John Jackson | 10 January 2020[30] | 5.45 | |
| It's Spring Ball season, which is proving to be less ‘dinner and dancing' and more ‘disturbing the peace'. When a student from a prestigious all-female college is found dead, Will and Geordie must infiltrate the murky world of campus politics and university societies to find the killer. Will’s mother informs him about a new man in her life. | |||||||
| 27 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Gordon Anderson | Carey Andrews | 17 January 2020 | 5.65 | |
| Will and Leonard witness a deadly and deliberate hit-and-run in Grantchester. Geordie traces the car to a pair of decidedly dysfunctional brothers caught in a web of lies. The victim's wife, his employee and the two brothers are all damaged characters caught in a web of lies and betrayals, and it's not just secrets that are hiding within the brothers' grounds. | |||||||
| 28 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Christiana Ebohon | Jake Riddell | 24 January 2020 | 4.51 | |
| After a bumpy start to their relationship, Will and journalist Ellie go on their first date with a trip to the flicks. But a brutal murder cuts the date short. | |||||||
| 29 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Christiana Ebohon | Joshua St Johnston | 31 January 2020 | 4.64 | |
| When a young man is found dead and stark naked out on the Fens, Will and Geordie discover ties to a Cambridge research project experimenting with mind-altering drugs. As the case gets murkier, Will's own feelings of guilt about his father's death and his conflicted feelings about Ellie start to take their toll. Is he prepared to delve deep within himself to find the answers? With everything else in his life seemingly in the pits, he'll need the help of his friends to figure this one out. Similarly, the Keatings face one of their toughest decisions yet, after a catastrophically awkward dinner party leaves more than just the baked alaska burnt around the edges. Will Cathy finally tell Geordie the truth about her mother? And with the Chapman feud showing no sign of relenting, Leonard must try to convince Mrs C that there's good in the world, but will the most wilful woman in the parish ever come round? | |||||||
| 30 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Rob Evans | Daisy Coulam | 7 February 2020 | 6.22 | |
| As Geordie and Will head to a charity boxing match at Vic's gym, both men put on a brave face and hide the worries haunting them both. Geordie's hoping for a ‘manly' night at the fight, with Jack and Leonard joining in the fun: an escape from the problems at home and the strain of the job. And Will revels in the night as well, this place giving him the purpose he so desperately needs... It's a full house at the gym as Matthew and Luke face off in the ring, seemingly proving Vic's belief that given a second chance, anyone can turn their life around. But after a match takes an unexpected twist, Will wonders if he's misjudged Matthew all along... Meanwhile, Leonard tries to reunite the warring Chapmans, who seem determined never to see eye-to-eye again. When two boys are found near death, locked up together in the boxing ring, Will must face up to his own part in the tragedy in his greatest test of faith yet. | |||||||
| 31 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Rob Evans | Daisy Coulam | 14 February 2020 | 5.35 | |
| When a woman is found dead, laid out in the shape of a crucifix on Jesus Green, Will and Geordie discover the ring on her finger proves she was married to God – and a former nun at an oppressive convent. And as Geordie and Larry both agree - there's nothing scarier than a nun... | |||||||
Series 6 (2021)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Rob Evans | Daisy Coulam | 3 September 2021 | 4.83 | |
| Will and Geordie's much-needed holiday takes an unexpected turn when the camp owner is found dead under suspicious circumstances. | |||||||
| 33 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Rob Evans | John Jackson | 10 September 2021 | 4.60 | |
| When a baptism service is disrupted by a man claiming he's the rightful father of the child, Will and Geordie find themselves drawn into a family dispute which seems to be connected to the murder of Joan Beaumont, the head of a local adoption agency. | |||||||
| 34 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Rob Evans | Richard Cookson | 17 September 2021 | 4.14 | |
| Will and Geordie are drawn into local politics when the death of a councilor prompts a parish election. An allegation against Leonard rocks life at the vicarage to its core. | |||||||
| 35 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Rob Evans | Louise Ironside | 24 September 2021 | 4.64 | |
| When an American airman dies in the police station, a quiet late shift turns into a challenging night for Will and Geordie. Leonard and Daniel reassess their relationship. | |||||||
| 36 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Jermain Julien | Daisy Coulam | 1 October 2021 | 4.57 | |
| As the day of Leonard’s trial dawns, Will and Geordie investigate a robbery. | |||||||
| 37 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Jermain Julien | Tolula Dada | 8 October 2021 | 4.84 | |
| CND Group leader Rachel Bromilow falls to her death, Will and Geordie discover her death is not as accidental as first thought. | |||||||
| 38 | 7 | "Episode 7" | Jermain Julien | Daisy Coulam | 15 October 2021 | 4.71 | |
| When Leonard’s prison inmate, Joe Davies, is accused of murdering another prisoner, he asks Will and Geordie for help. | |||||||
| 39 | 8 | "Episode 8" | Jermain Julien | John Jackson | 22 October 2021 | 4.88 | |
| When a successful music producer is murdered, Geordie finds himself implicated in the investigation and forced to consider his army friend Johnny could be the killer. | |||||||
Series 7 (2022)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Tim Fywell | Louise Ironside | 11 March 2022 | 4.62 | |
| The dead body of Lord Edmund Fitzgerald is found on his family estate, and Will and Geordie find themselves at odds with new boss DCI Elliot Wallace over whether he was murdered. | |||||||
| 41 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Tim Fywell | Daisy Coulam | 18 March 2022 | 4.02 | |
| Lester Carmichael, part of the husband-and- wife team who own the Carmichael's cleaning goods brand, is found dead with a rather unusual neck wound. Will and Geordie's investigation leads them to look into Lester's private life, which, they discover, is much less spotless than the carefully curated image he and his wife Melanie like to present to the public. | |||||||
| 42 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Tom Brittney | Daisy Coulam | 25 March 2022 | 4.16 | |
| A vagrant is found dead in the doorway of Leonard's cafe. Geordie can't shake the feeling that this murder could be connected to two previous unsolved cases. | |||||||
| 43 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Katherine Churcher | Daisy Coulam & Tumi Belo | 1 April 2022 | 4.20 | |
| A member of Will's congregation is found murdered just before a church fundraising event. Secrets emerge that make Will question how well he really knows any of his parishioners. | |||||||
| 44 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Katherine Churcher | Richard Cookson | 8 April 2022 | 4.70 | |
| There's a murder at a local old folks' home and two of its elderly residents go missing. Are they victims or involved in the crime? Will and Geordie try to track them down. | |||||||
| 45 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Katherine Churcher | John Jackson | 15 April 2022 | 3.75 | |
| Another homeless man is found dead, clean-shaven and killed in the same manner as the previous victims. Geordie and Will realise that they may have sent the wrong man to prison. In the end, Will finally falls in love with Bonnie. | |||||||
Series 8 (2023)
Episodes for the eighth series began production in August 2022. The storyline had reached the 1960s, similar decade to ITV's rival crime drama Endeavour.[31]
All of the principal actors had returned and three new ones were added. The producers provided a few hints as to the relationships; not all was expected to go smoothly. "Unfortunately, it looks like Will and Geordie have some tough times ahead of them following the peaceful end to series seven."[32]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Rob Evans | Richard Cookson | July 9, 2023 (US) | N/A | |
| After a fun-filled charity motorbike race, a young biker is found dead. Will and Geordie struggle to work out who would want to hurt a gifted young man. | |||||||
| 47 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Rob Evans | Daisy Coulam | July 16, 2023 | N/A | |
| In the aftermath of a fatal accident, Will is devastated to be the cause while Geordie rushes to exonerate his friend. | |||||||
| 48 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Al Weaver | Helen Black | July 23, 2023 | TBD | |
| At one of Cambridge's most prestigious colleges, a man is murdered and a valuable painting is stolen, leaving Geordie to determine if the two crimes are linked. | |||||||
| 49 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Rob Evans | Anita Vettesse | July 30, 2023 | TBD | |
| Leonard is devastated when a halfway house resident is found dead. The man confessed suicidal thoughts to Will, but is this suicide or murder? | |||||||
| 50 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Martin Smith | Richard Cookson & Karla Williams | August 6, 2023 | TBD | |
| Geordie is placed on desk duty as Elliot contrives to force him to resign. The next murder case is handed to Larry, who struggles but wisely enlists the help of Miss Scott. | |||||||
| 51 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Rob Evans | Daisy Coulam | August 13, 2023 | TBD | |
| Will has disappeared, but, with Bonnie about to give birth, Geordie must find him and bring him to his senses before it is too late. | |||||||
References
- ^ Graeme Virtue (3 November 2014). "Grantchester's holy sleuths are brimming with bromance and charm". The Guardian. from the original on 16 December 2016.
- ^ "ITV commissions six-part series Grantchester". ITV. 7 November 2013. from the original on 4 March 2016.
- ^ "'Granchester Renewed for Series 4". 12 April 2018.
- ^ "Tom Brittney to replace James Norton as new Grantchester clergyman". The Irish News. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
- ^ White, Peter (17 July 2020). "'Grantchester': PBS Masterpiece & ITV Drama Renewed For Season 6, Secret Of Geordie's Hat To Be Revealed".
- ^ "Grantchester, Season 8: Episode 1". PBS.
- ^ "Grantchester Season 9 will be Tom Brittney's Final Season". PBS. 12 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Grantchester: Cast & Credits". PBS. from the original on 10 February 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ^ "Grantchester Season 9 will be Tom Brittney's Final Season". PBS. 12 July 2023.
- ^ . UK: ITV Media. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
- ^ "Grantchester – And that's a wrap on Series 2!!! – Facebook". Facebook.
- ^ Watt, Andrew. . Cambridge News. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ "Grantchester Returns to ITV for Fourth Series". ITV.com. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Gallery: Robson Green films fight scene set at Cambridge University May Ball for fifth season of ITV's Grantchester". Cambridge Independent. 25 August 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ a b Armstrong, Hayley (6 October 2014). "Production services website". Creative England. from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
- ^ "Kent Film Office Grantchester Article". Kent Film Office. from the original on 22 December 2015.
- ^ "Filming & Production". imdb.com.
- ^ "Behind the scenes on Grantchester 4". huttonimages. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021.
- ^ "MASTERPIECE Studio - Bonus: Grantchester Writers' Room Reunites For Fifth Season Finale". Google Podcasts.
- ^ "Grantchester Season 9 will be Tom Brittney's Final Season". PBS. 12 July 2023.
- ^ Michael Pilgrim (6 October 2014). "Grantchester, review, episode 1: 'delightfully neat'". The Daily Telegraph. from the original on 19 March 2016.
- ^ Ellen E Jones (6 October 2014). "Grantchester, ITV – TV review: A delightful treat for period drama fans". The Independent. from the original on 4 March 2016.
- ^ deWolf Smith, Nancy (16 January 2015). "TV Review: The Soldier, Vicar, Lover, Sleuth of 'Grantchester'". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ "Grantchester : Season 1". Metacritic. from the original on 8 March 2016.
- ^ "Airdate: Grantchester". 8 February 2014. from the original on 9 February 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ "Grantchester – 3 reasons to watch the new Grantchester... – Facebook". Facebook.
- ^ Petski, Denise (30 June 2015). "Amazon Nabs Exclusive Licensing Rights To 'Wolf Hall', 'Grantchester' & More".
- ^ "Watch Grantchester Season 3 | Prime Video". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2015. ITV only, does not include figures from ITV+1
- ^ Carr, Flora (16 December 2019). "When is Grantchester series five on TV?". Radio Times. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ^ "'Grantchester' Heads Into Production For Season 8". Telly Vision. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ "Grantchester season eight: Everything we know so far - cast, plot, more". Hello magazine. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
External links
- Grantchester at IMDb
- Grantchester at epguides.com
- ITV press pack