Why can’t we get enough of TV’s crime-solving vicars in the likes of Grantchester and Father Brown?

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It seems impossible that so many murders could happen in such a peaceful village. It’s just as strange to think how the vicar in Grantchester finds time for church duties alongside all his detective work. And does any real vicar actually resemble a glamorous movie star like Alphy, the star of the ITV drama and possibly its last ‘Maigret of the manse’?

Grantchester is back this week for its tenth season, and while an eleventh season has been confirmed, it will be the show’s last – a disappointing announcement for fans. Despite its charming scenery and gentle tone, Grantchester consistently explores complex and meaningful themes.

James Runcie, who wrote the original novels, modeled his character Sidney Chambers after his own father, Robert Runcie, a clergyman who faced significant personal hardship. Runcie explained that his father’s life wasn’t one where he could simply ‘switch off’ from his duties, especially when dealing with loss. The author aimed to capture a portrait of Britain after the war, exploring questions of right and wrong through compelling crime stories. The television adaptation, which began in 2014, has successfully blended detective work with romantic storylines, highlighting the social norms of the mid-20th century alongside the complexities of personal relationships and the weight of individual and collective responsibility.

Despite taking place against the quaint, old-fashioned setting of Cambridge – with scenes of dog walks and picnics – the kind and understanding perspectives of Alphy (Rishi Nair) and his police officer friend Geordie (Robson Green) feel surprisingly contemporary, a departure from the more traditional detective shows focused on religious figures.

Thirty years ago, the TV series Cadfael featured Derek Jacobi as a thoughtful and intelligent monk who solved mysteries. However, even with his wisdom, the monk often had to rely on the king’s decisions and physical battles to achieve justice.

Father Dowling Investigates felt particularly thin, portraying a Catholic priest whose detective work felt like a convenient story element rather than a true calling. This wasn’t helped by the fact that Tom Bosley, best known as Howard Cunningham from Happy Days, played the role without much gravitas. The priest also readily broke into homes and used deception to solve cases, essentially acting like Columbo but with religious attire.

Although created much earlier, the character of Father Brown, as portrayed by Mark Williams in the BBC series, feels surprisingly similar to more recent TV priests like the one in Grantchester. Like Grantchester, Father Brown is set in the countryside after the war (though updated from the original stories), which allows for compelling mysteries. Father Brown solves crimes by understanding people, and he relies on his own sense of right and wrong when deciding whether to involve the authorities. Both he and the character Alphy in Grantchester face struggles that explore the weight of keeping other people’s secrets and dealing with their troubles.

Reverend Richard Coles, author of the TV-adapted crime novel Murder Before Evensong, believes a vicar is a fitting character for a mystery story. He explained to RT that people don’t question a vicar’s presence, and that dealing with people’s lives and understanding their motives – even dark ones – is simply part of the job.

Grantchester might not perfectly reflect real life with its low crime rate, handsome vicars, and tidy endings, but it brilliantly captures what it means to be human. As one of the show’s creators, Daisy Coles, explained, “People come to church with their biggest worries and greatest dreams, and that’s inherently dramatic.”

Grantchester returns to ITV on Wednesday 7th January at 9pm.

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Authors

Caroline Frost

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2025-12-29 20:46