MIA Shows: Grantchester season 4 and what’s coming in the future
While it has been more than a year now since the unique mystery series last aired in the UK or in the US on PBS, the good news is that the wait is almost over. Earlier this year, production did officially get underway on the fourth season, with a release date pegged for at some point in 2019. While British television has a tendency to be rather coy about premiere dates for the longest stretch of time possible, all signs to us suggest that we’re going to have a chance to see the fourth season at some point in the first half of the new year.
Yet, with this good news there is also some bad, as this upcoming batch of episodes is poised to be the end of the road for original series star James Norton, who is moving on after starring in McMafia and forming a rather nice career for himself outside of the show. There have been rumors attached him to some other film projects, but it does appear as though there will be a new vicar and then, beyond that, more episodes coming down the line. The idea is not to end Grantchester in the near future, and they are going to try to make things work without Norton as a part of the cast.
In a statement at the time in which the news of Norton’s departure was revealed, here is what Masterpiece executive producer Rebecca Eaton had to say:
“It’s a bittersweet time for Grantchester fans, who will be cheering the return of the series but crushed to say goodbye to James … We want to assure them that the series they love will continue — with brilliant new episodes and a captivating new vicar.”
Meanwhile, show executive producer Diederick Santer also added the following:
“I’m ecstatic that — with Masterpiece and ITV — we are returning to Grantchester with all our favourite characters … While I’m sad that these will be James Norton’s final episodes, we will make sure he goes out with a bang. We’ve got exciting plans for where the show is heading and the vicarage won’t be vacant for long.”
Hopefully, at some point moving forward into 2019, there will be opportunities to learn more about the future of Grantchester, at least in terms of when it will come out and a few more details story-wise as to what we can expect to see.
What are you the most excited about when it comes to Grantchester season 4, and are you nervous about Norton leaving the series? Be sure to share right now in the attached comments. (Photo: ITV.)