ITV announces James Norton replacement in Grantchester

King of Cosey Crime, Grantchester, will be back soon for a new, fourth series, this time without James Norton’s Sidney Chambers.

Ever since Norton announced that he was leaving the show the search for another crime-solving reverend was on. Now ITV has announced his replacement.

Tom Brittney will join the cast as Reverend Will Davenport, crime-solving partner to Robson Green’s Geordie Keating.

© ITV
A man of the people, confident, caring and self-assured, Grantchester’s young, new parish priest Will Davenport channels his boundless energy into a quest for social justice. He is a man of God, but with the devil inside of him. As Geordie draws him into righting the wrongs of criminal Cambridge, Will’s own troubled past is unearthed

James Norton, who plays the charismatic, jazz-loving clergyman, Sidney Chambers, will make his final appearance during this fourth series on ITV – a co-production from Kudos and MASTERPIECE on PBS.

On joining Grantchester, Tom Brittney said: “I am beyond excited. From the moment I heard about the role of Will Davenport, it was something I wanted more than anything. It’s a real honour to be joining such a wonderful series, with such a loyal fan base.”

James Norton said: “As excited as I am to be filming a new series of Grantchester, it’s also heartbreaking to be saying goodbye to Sidney Chambers. I’ve loved this experience, and particularly working with such an extraordinary cast and crew. All the best to the fantastic Tom Brittney in his role as the new vicar. He is a wonderful addition to the Grantchester family.”

More news on the transmission date for series four as we get it.

Sky Atlantic confirms transmission date for Sharp Objects

July is shaping up to be a big month when it comes to crime drama. As soon as the World Cup finishes we’re expecting the likes of Unforgotten (series three) and Dark Heart to appear sometime on ITV, but over on Sky Atlantic we’re counting down the days until the adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects.

Based on the book of the same name by Flynn and directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (Big Little Lies), this eight-episode series tells the story of Camille (Amy Adams), an alcoholic St Louis newspaper reporter with a history of psychological problems. When she’s sent back to her rural hometown to cover a string of unsolved child murders, her troubled past clashes with some shocking revelations, as she comes to identify with the victims all too much.

Suffice to say, we can’t wait. And the big news is that we won’t have to wait much longer.

Here’s a trailer…

Sharp Objects: Monday 9th July, 9pm, Sky Atlantic

The County Guides To Murder snapped up for TV adaptation

Production companies are always after the next big thing, and news reaches us that a new Golden Age crime series is on the way.

Deadline reports that Stephen Thompson (who worked on Sherlock) is to adapt Ian Sansom’s The County Guides To Murder.

The County Guides are currently made up of four books, on pace for a projected 44 novels. Leading the action is the idiosyncratic Swanton Morley, aka the People’s Professor, who is compiling a series of guides of the counties of England. But mysterious murders keep getting in the way of his academic endeavors. The storylines weave together old-fashioned murder with a secret history of 1930s Britain and a cast of quirky, original characters.

British production company, Bryncoed Productions, are behind the project, and Sansom is currently four books into a projected 44-book series.

Yikes!

More news as we get it.

SUMMER BOXSETS: Babylon Berlin (Series 2)

Next in our series of Summer Boxset reviews, we dip into the sprawling, Weimar Republic-era political thriller based on the books by Volker Kutscher.