Tom Brittney on ‘Grantchester’s Dark Developments & Directing in Season 7 (VIDEO)

Diane Snyder
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Tom Brittney on Grantchester

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Grantchester Season 6, Episode 5.]

The current season of PBS‘ Masterpiece Mystery! favorite Grantchester began with the gang enjoying a summer vacation together. But since then, 1958 has grown increasingly dark for some of the people Rev. Will Davenport (Tom Brittney) considers family.

After being outed as gay, curate Leonard Finch (Al Weaver) was sentenced to six months in prison for gross indecency — homosexual acts were against the law at the time — despite a heartfelt plea from Will. The vicar of Grantchester spoke up in court as Leonard’s character witness, against the wishes of the bishop, praising Leonard’s integrity and referring to him as his brother.

“I was quite nervous doing that scene,” Brittney tells TV Insider. “It’s a big moment, and I wanted to get it right emotionally. In the end, it was quite easy because I’d spent three days watching Al, and it was breaking my heart. He was so brilliant, so doing that speech just came naturally.”

However, Will’s close friendship with police detective Geordie Keating (Robson Green) is less than fraternal. Although they’re still solving crimes together, the pair quarreled when Geordie, a former World War II POW, learned that Will never served in the military, something most British men would have had to do at the time. Will’s wealthy, powerful father got him out of it. “I think you are a disgrace,” Geordie said firmly at the time.

That breach won’t be easily mended. “We’ve definitely seen conflict between us,” Brittney says, “but nothing as big as this, which Will doesn’t quite understand. He’s so separate, because of his age, from the war. It causes such a problem between them.”

'Grantchester' Goes to 'Dark Places' in Season 6, But There's 'Some Hope'
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'Grantchester' Goes to 'Dark Places' in Season 6, But There's 'Some Hope'

While new episodes continue through November 21, filming on the six-episode seventh season has already wrapped. When it airs, Brittney will have appeared in more installments of the British drama than his predecessor, James Norton (26 to 21). And the actor makes his directing debut in the third.

Inspired by Endeavour star Shaun Evans, who’s also a director, Brittney persuaded Grantchester producers to give him a shot behind the camera. “Hopefully it’s because they knew how much I cared about the show and how passionate I am about how it’s made,” Brittney says. “I’m excited for people to see it.”

Grantchester, Sundays, 9/8c, PBS (check local listings at pbs.org)

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Robson Green

Robson Green

Tessa Peake-Jones

Tessa Peake-Jones

Kacey Ainsworth

Kacey Ainsworth

Al Weaver

Al Weaver

Siobhan Redmond

Sorcha Groundsell

Hannah van der Westhuysen

Lauren Carse

Jemma Redgrave

Jemma Redgrave

Oliver Dimsdale

Oliver Dimsdale

Nick Brimble

Nick Brimble

Ross Boatman

Paula Wilcox

Bradley Hall

Jim Caesar

Jack Donoghue

Abraham Lewis

Barnaby Taylor

Skye Lucia Degruttola

Rishi Nair

Rishi Nair

Melissa Johns

Melissa Johns

⨁Full Cast & Crew

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  1. G

    GreenApple

    Al Weaver deserves an Emmy and a BAFTA for his work this season. My heart breaks for his character.

    18

    1. B

      BlueBoomerang

      Everyone on the show is fantastic but Al was absolutely spellbinding

      19

  2. O

    OliveCactus

    It is a good show.....

    6

  3. B

    BluePlanet

    Love this show, love the actors! Makes me laugh, cry and sit on the edge of my seat. Great writing while touching on hot topics, then and now. Thank you for something worth watching!!!

    4

  4. J

    Joanie H

    I, for one, am disappointed with season 6 so far. Will seems more like a detective than a vicar. Leonard is brilliant in his acting although very heartbreaking to watch. And I don't trust the new bishop and curate. This definitely is a rather dark season.

    2

  5. G

    GreenFlask

    I whole heartedly agree. The great light hearted Granchester is gone. It is not one bit appealing anymore.

  6. G

    GreenBee

    I have always loved this show but I had the stop watching it after the first episode this season I am an older gay man and the storyline involving Leonard was just to difficult for me to watch. The fact the whole nightmare was caused by another deranged gay man was also sad and offensive to me. I think it was a mistake for the show to take this path.

    4 6

    1. O

      OrangePin

      This was very much the way things are in highly closeted places and times. I think it was spot on. Gay people could be stabbed in the back at any time.

      5