Grantchester continues on ITV1 this Friday, with another mystery for Geordie Keating and Will Davenport to solve – but what year is Grantchester set?
The period drama has been on our screens since the very first episode in 2014.
And part of its enduring appeal is the period costumes and the element of nostalgia.
Here’s everything you need to know about what year the ITV1 series is set.
Read more: Grantchester star Robson Green on ‘real problems’ with drink and drugs as a young actor
What year is Grantchester series six set in?
Series six of Grantchester is set in the year 1958.
The sixth season kicked off with an episode filmed at a fictional British holiday camp, Merries, before returning the action to Grantchester village.
Of course, much of the friction comes from the now-antiquated ways.
Reverend Will Davenport (played by Tom Brittney) relishes his role as a firebrand vicar.
He is willing to rock the boat and challenge the conventions of the time to help people.
Issues tackled include contested adoptions, post-war difficulties, women’s right, homophobia, civil rights and student CND protests.
Most notable, DNA testing did not exist in 1958, so Geordie has to rely on good old-fashioned police work.
When is it set?
Producer Richard Cookson explains that working on a period show like Grantchester means you have to do your research…
He says: “You have to get the historical details right.
“And if there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that they didn’t have the Coronavirus in 1958.
“When we were green lit for a sixth series, the biggest challenge we faced was that ITV and Masterpiece wanted eight episodes rather than six.
“And that’s the best type of challenge: make more of that thing you love!
“But as challenges go, it was nothing compared to what came next – the world went into lockdown, and the idea of getting a big group of people together to film in close proximity – and in small spaces – became utterly unthinkable.”
Luckily for the cast and crew, time passed and “smart people started thinking about new ways to get back to work”.
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What year is Grantchester set? Robson Green on recreating 1958
When asked about the storylines being covered in Grantchester series six, actor Robson said: “It’s all about the truth being on trial.
“For Geordie this is the truth about his job and how he feels about it and the truth about how people feel about other walks of life in society.
“It’s that undercurrent of something uncomfortable in Grantchester that engages the audience.
“It looks at this terrible dichotomy that existed in the 1950s.”
When is Grantchester set? Tessa Peake-Jones on playing Mrs Chapman
Explaining why viewers enjoy Grantchester so much, actress Tessa Peake-Jones says: “I think the viewers love the 1950s.
“It gives some of the audience a chance to reminisce on that time.
“It’s colourful, the costumes are beautiful, Grantchester itself and Cambridge, the buildings and the scenery are so picturesque.”
What year is Grantchester set? Where is it set?
We’ve answered the question ‘what year is Grantchester set?’ but WHERE is it set?
The ITV drama series is set in the Cambridgeshire village named Grantchester.
Grantchester is filmed in various picturesque locations, including in and around the village of Grantchester itself.
Grantchester is a real village in Cambridgeshire.
Filming also takes place in Cambridge itself, and various Cambridge University spots, like The King’s College campus.
Grantchester continues on Friday September 24 2021 at 9pm on ITV1.
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