James Norton and Robson Green are about to start filming the second season of Grantchester.

Six new episodes will be filmed in London, Cambridge, and Grantchester.

Set in the Cambridgeshire hamlet of Grantchester in the early 1950s, Grantchester launched last October on ITV, averaging a consolidated audience of 6.6 million viewers.

> Buy Season 1 on DVD on Amazon.

Season 2 sees Norton (Happy Valley) reprise his role as crime-fighting clergyman Sidney Chambers alongside Green (Wire In The Blood) as Police Inspector Geordie Keating.

Tessa Peake-Jones (Only Fools and Horses) also returns as Sidney’s housekeeper Mrs Maguire, with Morven Christie (Hunted), Kacey Ainsworth (EastEnders) and Al Weaver (Southcliffe) back as Sidney’s glamorous friend Amanda, Geordie’s wife Cathy and curate Leonard Finch respectively.

Executive producer Diederick Santer commented: “We were delighted with the response to Grantchester and are so pleased to be making a second series. All our key characters are returning, we’ve got some terrific new stories, and we’re looking forward to taking further Grantchester’s unique mix of character, crime, humour and emotion.”

ITV’s Director of Drama, Steve November added: “James Norton and Robson Green have become a popular crime solving duo and it’s great to see them return to ITV. The new series promises six new episodes filed with mystery, intrigue and character driven plots, with lots of twists and turns. Whist the drama is set in a beautiful, picturesque village, we’ll be delving deeper and darker than before.”

The official synopsis for the new season reads: “In 1954 murderers were still hanged. And in this new series Sidney and Geordie have to face up to the consequences of becoming such an accomplished crime fighting duo. For Sidney, in particular, as the vicar in a small village this becomes increasingly difficult.

“In the final episode of the last series, Geordie was shot on duty. A year on, he appears to have put this behind him. But underneath his carefree exterior there are new feelings of vulnerability, and this puts a strain on his relationship with Cathy, and his friendship with Sidney.

“Sidney is still single and Geordie makes it his mission to find him a woman. But the handsome vicar clearly still only has eyes for Amanda – whom we last saw when she was about to marry Sidney’s rival Guy.”

Season 2 will air on ITV in 2016.

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