ITV confirms return of hit crime drama – but with a big change
ITV has confirmed the hit crime drama Grace will be returning to screens for a fourth series – but there will be a major change from the usual format.
John Simm will reprise his role as the titular Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, which will be one episode longer than series 3.
The committed detective burst onto screens back in 2021 and has gone on to solve a variety of grisly cases in Brighton.
However, he was also dealing with serious personal trauma, as he was still haunted by the disappearance of his wife some years previously.
Years on, he’s no closer to finding out what happened to her and so turns his attention to crimes he can solve.
Alongside Detective Sergeant Glenn Branson (Richie Campbell), DSI Grace will be to solve more mysteries in just a few weeks as the fourth series of the drama will begin airing on ITV and ITVX on Sunday 1st September at 8pm.
The four-part series, which consists of episodes titled Dead Man’s Time, Want You Dead, Love You Dead, and You Are Dead, was first broadcast weekly from 2 July 2024 on BritBox in the United States.
Viewers get to enjoy an additional 90 minutes of drama thanks to this series having four episodes rather than three, like the previous series of Grace.
And the drama will kick off with a robbery in a secluded home spiral into an enquiry into the whereabouts of priceless antiques.
The official synopsis for the first episode teases: “As Grace digs deeper into this mysterious crime, he unearths a web of ancient grudges, a web which leads him down a dark and murderous trail through the world of Brighton antiques in a race against the clock to untangle who is at the heart of this robbery and bring Gavin Daly the answers he has been desperately chasing for many years.”
Spooks actor Robert Glenister will add to the episode’s drama factor with his guest appearance as Gavin, as there’s much mystery around his character.
Alongside John, Richie, and Robert, Zoë Tapper and Craig Parkinson also reprise their roles as Chloe Moray and DS Norman Potting.
Craig has teased that the fourth series will lead to Grace’s “most disturbing finale” yet.
“It’s the seedy, dark underbelly of Brighton and I would probably say this season of Grace takes it to its most disturbing finale. And that’s probably all I’m allowed to say on that,” the actor teased to Radio Times.
But thankfully, the show won’t end there as it has been renewed for a fifth series which will hit screens in 2025.
Crime dramas on ITVX
Crime drama buffs have a wide selection of choices on ITVX - here is a selection of some of the programmes available to binge.
- Professor T: Based on a Belgian TV series of the same name, former Death in Paradise lead Ben Miller plays the title character. Professor Jasper Tempest is a criminologist with OCD who helps the police solve crimes. The cast also includes Emma Naomi, Barney White and Andy Gathergood.
- The Beast Must Die: This series follows a mother’s grief for her son, who was killed in an accident. Nicholas Blake’s novel of the same name has been adapted for the programme. Stars include Cush Jumbo, Jared Harris, Billy Howle and Geraldine James.
- Red Eye: Starring Richard Armitage, Jing Lusi and Lesley Sharp star in this six-part thriller, which mostly takes place during an all-night flight between London and Beijing. With dead bodies piling up and a mystery to unravel, the heroes must work fast to get to the truth.
- The Twelve: This Australian drama originally aired as a miniseries in 2022, with the episodes dropping in the UK in February 2023. Four months later, the show was renewed for a second season. Jurassic Park star Sam Neill stars in the leading role of barrister Brett Colby.
- Manhunt: Martin Clunes stars in this drama based on true murder investigations. Series one focused on the death of Amélie Delagrange, which took place in 2004, while the second depicted the search for serial rapist Delroy Grant.
Series 1-3 of Grace are available to stream on ITV. Series 4 will premiere on Sunday 1st September at 8pm.