Good news for crime drama fans, because ‘Grace’ is officially coming back. ITV has confirmed a seventh series of the Brighton-set detective drama, with John Simm (Life on Mars) returning as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace after that properly brutal Series 6 cliffhanger.
And yes, ITV is very much leaning into the fact that viewers were left hanging.
SPOILER WARNING FOR SEASON 6…
The last run ended with the kidnap of Cleo Morey at Roy and Cleo’s wedding, so Series 7 is set to pick up with Grace and his team under even more pressure as they deal with the fallout, alongside a fresh batch of murder cases.
Joining Simm once again are Richie Campbell (Top Boy) as DI Glenn Branson and Zoë Tapper (Liar) as Cleo Morey. Also back are Laura Elphinstone (Chernobyl) as DS Bella Moy and Brad Morrison (Outlander) as DC Nick Nicholl.
The new run will consist of four more standalone films, based on characters from Peter James’ bestselling Roy Grace novels. Two of the titles have already been confirmed as ‘When You Are Dead’ and ‘Picture You Dead’, with the other two still to be announced as development continues.
Simm said: “Honestly, if someone had said we’d be doing this for seven seasons when we first started this in lockdown I would never have believed it. But the reason I and many others have remained part of this series for so long is down to the team and the writing. It continues to excite and be such a joy for all and we can’t wait to see what’s coming next…”
That ongoing success is clearly a big part of why ITV has moved quickly on another series. According to the broadcaster, Episode 1 of the current run delivered ITV’s biggest overnight drama audience of the year, later consolidating to 5.7 million viewers. ITV also says all six series are currently sitting in the ITVX top 40 most watched titles this month, with two making the top 10, while the show has been streamed 11 million times this year alone.
Louise Ogunnaike, who oversees the drama for ITV, said: “Grace has become a cornerstone of the ITV schedule, and the audience’s appetite for Roy Grace’s world only seems to grow with every season. Reaching a seventh series is a testament to the incredible partnership between Peter James’ world, the brilliant scripts from the writing team, and the dedicated cast and production team who bring this series to life. We are delighted to be returning to Brighton for a seventh season and to bring four more gripping investigations to our screens.”
Executive producer Phil Hunter added: “Straight off the back of the success of series 6 on ITV and ITVX, I’m thrilled that we are back for a 7th series. Following Cleo’s kidnap, we pick up Grace and his team under more pressure than ever for what promises to be another propulsive and explosive run of episodes. I can’t wait to see our brilliant cast and crew rise to the challenge of shooting another four stories based on Peter James’ iconic characters.”
Behind the scenes, the new series comes from Tall Story Pictures, part of ITV Studios, alongside Vaudeville Productions. The writing team for the new run includes Jess Williams, Guy Burt, Ed Whitmore and Caroline Carver, with Kiaran Murray-Smith returning as series producer and Mathew Hamilton serving as co-producer.
There is no exact premiere date yet, but ITV says the new series will return next year. In the meantime, Series 1 to 6 of ‘Grace’ are available now on ITVX.
‘Grace’ Season 7 does not yet have a premiere date but will air on ITV in the UK. If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date. Visit Never Miss.
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