Grantchester (TV series)

Grantchester
Genre	Mystery Period drama
Based on	The Grantchester Mysteries by James Runcie
Written by	Daisy Coulam
Directed by	Harry Bradbeer
Starring	James Norton Robson Green Tom Brittney Morven Christie Tessa Peake-Jones Al Weaver Kacey Ainsworth Tom Austen
Composer	John Lunn
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	4
No. of episodes	25 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Diederick Santer Rebecca Eaton
Producer	Emma Kingsman-Lloyd
Cinematography	Julian Court
Running time	45 minutes
Production company	Lovely Day/Masterpiece co-production
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	6 October 2014 (2014-10-06) – present

Grantchester is a British ITV detective drama, set in the 1950s Cambridgeshire village of the same name. The show featured first Anglican vicar Sidney Chambers (James Norton), and subsequently Reverend Will Davenport, both of whom develop a sideline in sleuthing with the help of Detective Inspector Geordie Keating (Robson Green). The series is based on The Grantchester Mysteries, collections of short stories written by James Runcie. 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. 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. Tom Brittney as Reverend Will Davenport took over the lead from Norton in Series 4. The fifth series commences in January 2020.

Plot

First Anglican priest and former Scots Guards officer Sidney Chambers (James Norton), and subsequently his successor Reverend 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.

Cast

Current

• Robson Green as DI Geordie Keating (Series 1–), a WWII veteran
• Tom Brittney as Reverend Will Davenport (Series 4–), a former inner-city chaplain
• Tessa Peake-Jones as Mrs. Sylvia Maguire/Chapman (Series 1–), the vicarage's devoutly religious housekeeper
• Al Weaver as Leonard Finch (Series 1–), the gay Anglican curate
• Kacey Ainsworth as Cathy Keating (Series 1–), Geordie's wife
• Oliver Dimsdale as Daniel Marlowe (Series 2–), a photographer who embarks on a secret relationship with Leonard
• Nick Brimble as Jack Chapman (Series 1–), a retired businessman who later marries Mrs. Maguire
• Gary Beadle as Archdeacon Gabriel Atubo (Series 3–), the church's first Archdeacon of colour
• Bradley Hall as DC Larry Peters (Series 4–), Geordie's partner on the force
• Felix Scott as DI Sean Donovan (Series 4–), a fellow DI assigned to work alongside Geordie
• Skye Lucia Degruttola as Esme Keating (Series 1–), Geordie's daughter
• Jemma Redgrave as Amelia Davenport, Will's mother (Series 4–)

Former

• James Norton as Reverend Sidney Chambers (Series 1–4), Anglican vicar and former Scots Guards officer during World War II
• Morven Christie as Amanda Kendall/Hopkins (Series 1–3), heiress and art restorer at London's Dulwich Picture Gallery with whom Sidney has a relationship
• Tom Austen as Guy Hopkins (Series 1–3), Amanda's ex whom she later goes on to marry
• Pip Torrens as Sir Edward Kendall (Series 1–2), Amanda's father
• Fiona Button as Jennifer Chambers (Series 1–2), Sidney's younger sister who is Amanda's former classmate
• Pheline Roggan as Hildegard Staunton (Series 1), a young German widow with whom Sidney has a brief romance
• David Troughton as DCI Benson (Series 1–2), Geordie's immediate superior
• Joe Claflin as DC Atkins (Series 1), Geordie's partner on the force
• Lorne MacFadyen as DS Phil Wilkinson (Series 2–3), Geordie's partner on the force
• Seline Hizli as Margaret Ward (Series 2–3), junior office clerk at police headquarters who has a relationship with Sidney and later an affair with Geordie

Production

Robson Green and James Norton, filming Grantchester on Clare College Bridge, Cambridge in September 2015

St Andrew and St Mary Church in the village of Grantchester, which features in the TV series.

Filming for the first series began in London, Cambridge and Grantchester from March to June 2014. Actress Jean Marsh of Upstairs, Downstairs guest starred in the third episode of the first season.

The second series was filmed in autumn 2015, and guest stars included Neil Morrissey, Claudie Blakley, Nigel Planer, Andrew Knott, Nicky Henson and Oliver Dimsdale. The third series was filmed between August and November 2016, and filming for the fourth series commenced in June 2018.</ref>

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.

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.

After the third season, 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 season, actor Tom Brittany joined the cast as Will Davenport, a former inner-city chaplain who was appointed as Sidney Chambers’s 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 Kathy Keating, Geordie's wife, whose character had been on the back burner for the last three years. By the time the fourth season had begun, Kathy was already working as a saleswoman in a department store.

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. Christopher Stevens of The Daily Mail considered it "an imaginative effort to solve the crossword by plucking hints from just about every classic crime series in television history", "shamelessly" borrowing from Inspector Morse, Miss Marple and Father Brown. He found the episode to be laden with nostalgia but judged it "an earnest attempt to construct an old-fashioned murder story, without naked corpses on the mortuary table or self-pitying depressive detectives, or any of the current fads in crime TV." 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."

The first series was given a Metacritic score of 70 based on 14 reviews, indicating a generally favourable reception.

Broadcast

The first series was broadcast in the UK on ITV starting 6 October 2014. 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. A French version premiered on France 3 from 12 July 2015. Series 2 was broadcast on PBS in the US from 27 March 2016. 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.

Episodes

Series overview

Series	Episodes		Originally aired		Average UK viewership (in millions)
			First aired	Last aired
1	6		6 October 2014 (2014-10-06)	10 November 2014 (2014-11-10)	6.63
2	6		2 March 2016 (2016-03-02)	6 April 2016 (2016-04-06)	6.44
Special	1		24 December 2016 (2016-12-24)		6.11
3	6		23 April 2017 (2017-04-23)	28 May 2017 (2017-05-28)	6.23
4	6		11 January 2019 (2019-01-11)	15 February 2019 (2019-02-15)	5.43
5	6		10 January 2020 (2020-01-10)	TBA	TBA

Official episode viewing figures are from BARB.

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 (2014-10-06)	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 (2014-10-13)	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 (2014-10-20)	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 (2014-10-27)	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 (2014-11-03)	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 (2014-11-10)	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 (2016-03-02)	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 unwittingly taken and published adult photographs of Abigail without knowing her age), her possessive and violent father, and her school friend Gary Bell, a young, mentally-challenged teenager. 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 (2016-03-09)	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 (2016-03-16)	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 (2016-03-23)	6.34
Gary Bell, a mentally-challenged teenager who had caused Abigail's death in a well-meaning accident, is tried for Abigail Redmond'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 (2016-03-30)	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 (2016-04-06)	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 (2016-12-24)	6.11
A groom fails to turn up for his wedding and is found dead at home 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 (2017-04-23)	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 (2017-04-30)	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 (2017-05-07)	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 (2017-05-14)	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 (2017-05-21)	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 (2017-05-28)	5.79
September 1955. 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 (2019-01-11)	6.10
Sidney Chambers attends a talk by the Reverend Nathaniel Todd, a key part of the Civil Rights Movement in America. 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 (2019-01-18)	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. Sydney falls in love with a 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 (2019-01-25)	5.30
Geordie is called to investigate an apparent break-in at a computer laboratory. When the head of the lab keels over and dies from mercury poisoning, Geordie suspects foul play.
23	4	"Episode 4"	Stewart Svaasand	Rachael New	1 February 2019 (2019-02-01)	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.
24	5	"Episode 5"	Rob Evans	Daisy Coulam	8 February 2019 (2019-02-08)	5.15
Will gets a phone call from his father who 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.
25	6	"Episode 6"	Rob Evans	Jamie Crichton	15 February 2019 (2019-02-15)	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.

Series 5 (2020)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
26	1	"Episode 1"	Gordon Anderson	Unknown	10 January 2020 (2020-01-10)	N/A
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.

External links

• Grantchester at IMDb
• ITV press pack
• The Grantchestermysteries.com