ITV has renewed their James Norton and Robson Green fronted mystery series Grantchester for a six episode second season, TVWise has learned.
Grantchester follows Sidney Chambers, a charismatic, charming clergyman who turns investigative vicar when one of his parishioners dies in suspicious circumstances. His partner in crime is over-worked Police Inspector, Geordie Keating. Geordie speaks plainly and his down to earth approach to policing complements Sidney’s more gentle technique of coaxing information from witnesses and suspects. Their unlikely partnership becomes a true friendship as each offers a different insight into the crimes they begin to unravel.
The period drama, which averaged a consolidated audience of 6.6 million viewers and a 24% share, hails from Shine owned indie Lovely Day and in addition to James Norton and Robson Green, also stars Morven Christie (Hunted), Tessa Peake-Jones (Legacy), Kacey Ainsworth (EastEnders), Al Weaver (Secret State) and Pheline Roggan. The executive producers are Rebecca Eaton and Diederick Santer.
Daisy Coulam, who adapted James Runcie’s novel Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death for the first season, will return to pen the scripts for the six episode second season, which will be based on Runcie’s second novel Sidney Chambers and the Perils of the Night. Production on the new episodes is expected to commence in London and Grantchester in early 2015, for a premiere later in the year.
“We received a tremendous audience reaction to Grantchester,” said ITV’s Director of Drama Steve November, who commissioned the new season alongside ITV’s Controller of Drama Victoria Fea. “It was so well received so it was an easy decision to commission a new series. We’re looking forward to working with Diederick Santer and reading Daisy Coulam’s beautifully written scripts.”
