As filming for “Grantchester” Season 9 is officially underway, star Tom Brittney has revealed that it will be his last. The actor, who has portrayed Reverend Will Davenport since 2019, will exit the PBS and ITV series to focus on new projects.
“I’ve had the most incredible time playing Will Davenport for the last five years. I got to solve crimes with my best friend, and work with the best cast and crew I could ever ask for,” Brittney said in a statement. “I’ll miss it more than anything. But it’s time for the baton to be passed, as it once was to me.”
In addition to Brittney’s departure, Rishi Nair (“Hollyoaks,” “Count Abdulla”) is joining the show’s cast as the new vicar, Alphy Kotteram.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining ‘Grantchester.’ The welcome and support I’ve received from everyone has been overwhelming,” Nair added. “The success of the show and the reason we are here for a ninth season is a testament to all the people that have previously worked on it. I’m really excited
to get started and cannot wait for the Grantchester fans to meet Alphy and to see all that’s in store for him.”
The series, which was developed for television by creator Daisy Coulam (Deadwater Fell, Humans), is adapted from the Grantchester Mysteries novels by James Runcie.
“It’s 1961 and life is good for Will and Geordie. The families are always together, from Sunday lunches to planning summer holidays and with honorary grandparents Mrs. C and Jack, and adopted uncles Daniel and Leonard, it’s one big happy family! But when Will is approached with a life changing offer, can he leave Grantchester, and Geordie behind?,” the logline for the ninth season states. “As Geordie struggles with personal loss and ever-growing family conflict between Cathy and teenage daughter, Esme he has no one to turn to. But when he arrests an intruder breaking into the Vicarage, he may find his days of working with a Vicar are not over. Reverend Alphy Kotteram has an instinctive distrust for authority and absolutely no desire to get involved in murder investigations. But Alphy and Geordie will discover they have a lot more in common than they first think, and Alphy will find that in Grantchester, murder is never far away.”
The season will be executive produced by Brittney, Coulam, Robson Green, GBH Boston’s Susanne Simpson and Rebecca Eaton and Kudos’ Emma Kingsman-Lloyd (SAS Rogue Heroes, Deadwater Fell). Jyoti Fernandes serves as producer, Katherine Churcher, Rob Evans and Al Weaver serve as directors and Coulam, Richard Cookson, Nessah Muthy and Ayeesha Menon serve as writers.
In addition to Brittney, Nair and Green, the show’s cast includes Charlotte Ritchie as Bonnie, Al Weaver as Leonard Finch, Tessa Peake-Jones as Mrs. C, Kacey Ainsworth as Cathy Keating, Oliver Dimsdale as Daniel Marlowe, Nick Brimble as Jack Chapman, Bradley Hall as DC Larry Peters and Melissa Johns as Miss Scott.
