Grantchester was set for major twist as 'golden chapter' ends but 'we couldn't do it'
Much-loved period detective series Grantchester is coming to an end after 11 seasons
Grantchester's Geordie Keating is left with his life hanging in the balance in the final series, and writers have confessed they thought about killing him off. The detective inspector gets shot in the stomach by a villain named Dexter (Sonny Ashbourne Serkis) during a gripping hostage situation that plays out in one of the episodes in the 11th - and final - series of the ITV show.
While viewers will be upset to see the much-loved character in danger, screenwriter Daisy Coulam has revealed things could have been worse, as there had been talks about ending the series with Geordie dying. She told the Mirror that they "tried to be like, ‘He should die. He should definitely die’" but that in the end "you need hope and you need joy". The programme chronicles the detective, played by Robson Green, as he solves crimes in the Cambridgeshire village of Grantchester throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
It started in 2014 and has proved enormously popular with audiences across the 10 series broadcast to date.
But last year it was announced that it would be ending after its 11th season, with Polly Hill, ITV's director of drama and Callum Dziedzic, drama commissioner at ITV, stating at the time: "This final series marks the end of a golden chapter for ITV drama, and we know audiences will treasure this last summer in Grantchester as much as we will."
Robson has also posted on Instagram: "You know what they say.... all good things must come to an end. Being part of the final series of Grantchester has been one of the greatest honours and privileges of my life. From the very beginning, I have had the incredible fortune to be part of this extraordinary team — a group of talented, passionate, and dedicated individuals who have become more than colleagues; they have become family.
"As we step into the 11th and final series, my heart is heavy with emotion but also filled with immense gratitude. It’s a bittersweet moment, knowing that we are bringing this beautiful journey to a close. Yet, amid the sadness, there is an overwhelming sense of happiness — happiness for the memories we’ve created, the stories we’ve told, and the friendships that have blossomed along the way."
The last episodes of the show, which stars Rishi Nair as the vicar, are already on air in the US but Grantchester fans in the UK will have to wait until next year for the conclusion of the series.
Grantchester airs on ITV.
