Will Plans His Exit in ‘Grantchester’ Trailer: Everything We Know About Tom Brittney’s Final Season
PBS has released the first look at Grantchester Season 9, which will be Tom Brittney‘s last stand as Vicar Will Davenport. The trailer for Season 9 quickly sets the stage for his departure and introduces Alphy Kotteram, Brittney’s successor played by Rishi Nair.
With big changes afoot, here’s everything there is to know about Grantchester Season 9.
Grantchester Season 9 Trailer
There’s a new Vicar coming to town to help police detective Geordie Keating (Robson Green) solve cases in Season 9, and there’s no shortage of murder, mystery, and mayhem in this seemingly quiet 1950s Cambridgeshire village that gives the show its name. James Norton played Grantchester’s Vicar before Brittney, and now Nair takes on the mantle in the new episodes (more details on when they’ll debut below).
In the trailer above, Brittney’s Will is hesitant to leave Grantchester, but his wife, Bonnie (You‘s Charlotte Ritchie), is encouraging him to follow his heart. “Maybe we could both do more” elsewhere, Bonnie asks. When Will asks about leaving Geordie behind, she says, “He survived Burma. He’d get through us leaving. Question is: do you want to?”
Geordie doesn’t seem to take the news of their potential departure well. “He would stay just to please you, and that’s not fair,” Bonnie says. But Geordie doesn’t understand in talks with Will.
Whether Geordie likes it or not, things are changing in Grantchester. The trailer introduce the new Vicar, and everyone can’t stop saying “you’re the new one, are you?” to the handsome man. Geordie tells Alphy how their detective-Vicar relationship works, and the new blood hits the ground running assisting in an investigation. But there’s something dark in Alphy’s past that will undoubtedly be revealed in dramatic fashion in the upcoming season.
Grantchester Season 9 Plot
Tom Brittney and Robson Greene in Grantchester Season 8 (MASTERPIECE and Kudos)
PBS has provided eager fans with a Season 9 synopsis, hinting at why Will and Bonnie will be leaving.
“It’s 1961, and life is good for Will and Geordie,” it reads. “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? 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,” the description continues. “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. From deadly circuses, abandoned babies, and hostile historians to vanishing valets and murderous satirists. Together, Geordie and Alphy witness first-hand how religion can be corrupted but also how faith, love, and friendship can offer hope — and renewal.”
Why Is Tom Brittney Leaving Grantchester?
PBS announced on July 12, 2023 that Brittney was leaving the series to pursue new projects. He first debuted on the show in 2019.
“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 at the time. “I’ll miss it more than anything. But it’s time for the baton to be passed, as it once was to me, and I’m so excited for Rishi to join the Grantchester family.”
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining Grantchester,” said Nair. “The welcome and support I’ve received from everyone has been overwhelming. 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.”
“I feel so blessed to be embarking once again on this thrilling journey with the beloved series, Grantchester,” added Green. “The anticipation is palpable however, amid the exhilaration, a tinge of sadness lingers for all of us as we are bidding farewell to my close friend and remarkable actor Tom Brittney, whose portrayal of the charismatic Will Davenport will be sorely missed. Yet, we are all delighted in welcoming the incredibly talented Rishi Nair to the Grantchester family! With his exceptional skills and magnetic presence, I have no doubt that Rishi will be captivating the hearts of millions not only in the UK but also across the globe.”
Grantchester Season 9 Premiere Date
Grantchester returns to PBS on Sunday, June 16 at 9/8c. The season will likely be comprised of six episodes like its predecessors.
Grantchester Season 9 Cast
In addition to returning stars Brittney, Green, and Ritchie and new star Nair, Grantchester Season 9 stars Al Weaver as Leonard Finch, Kacey Ainsworth as Cathy Keating, Oliver Dimsdale as Daniel Marlowe, Tessa Peake-Jones as Mrs. C, Bradley Hall as DC Larry Peters, Nick Brimble as Jack Chapman, Melissa Johns as Miss Scott, and Skye Lucia Degruttola as Esme Keating.
Grantchester, Season 9 Premiere, Sunday, June 16, 9/8c, PBS
