Although fans of Grantchester were of course disappointed to hear that James Norton was leaving the series, his exit certainly didn't mean the end of the show!
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The show was renewed for a fifth series, with Robson Green and Tom Brittney taking centre stage to solve more mysteries, and followed DI Geordie Keating and Will Davenport in 1957. In a golden age for Britain, residents of Grantchester will be making the most of the prosperous time, but Geordie is aware that trouble could be just around the corner.
James moved on from the show following season four
Chatting about the season five, executive producer of the show's production company, Kudos, said: "We are very excited that Grantchester is returning for a fifth series. The audience has taken the pairing of Robson Green and Tom Brittney to their hearts and we are delighted to be able to continue the story of Geordie and Will with Masterpiece and ITV."
Tom Brittney joined season four as Will Davenport
James left the show in season four after feeling like his character's storyline came to a "natural conclusion". He told Radio Times: "When the possibility of a fourth series came along, the decision was whether or not to start a whole new journey for Sidney… It felt like it would be better to hand over the baton to someone else and give Grantchester a fresh injection of energy.
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It’s been a privilege to play such a wonderful character, but I feel like there are other vicars, other conflicted souls to explore. So it’s time to introduce Tom Brittney as Reverend Will Davenport."
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He also revealed that he wanted Sidney to be murdered on the show, joking: "I had a couple of light-hearted conversations with some of the producers offering my dramatic, absurd, farfetched versions of his exit. I wanted Sidney to be the victim of a gruesome murder and then the new vicar would have to investigate the crime."