GRACE returns to ITV for a fifth series

We are delighted to announce that ITV has recommissioned the popular Brighton-based detective drama GRACE. Based on the internationally bestselling Detective Superintendent Roy Grace books by Peter James, the TV adaptation is now confirmed for a fifth series.

John Simm returns as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace for another four feature length films (4 x 120 minutes) which will air on ITV1 and ITVX. Also reprising their roles for series five are Richie Campbell (Top Boy, Stephen) who plays DS Glenn Branson, Zoë Tapper (Liar) as Cleo Morey, Laura Elphinstone (Chernobyl) as DS Bella Moy, Brad Morrison (Outlander) as DC Nick Nicholl and Sam Hoare (The Castaways) as ACC Cassian Pewe.

Series five will be based on four books from the Peter James series: DEAD IF YOU DON’T, DEAD AT FIRST SIGHT, NEED YOU DEAD and FIND THEM DEAD.

The opening episode of GRACE, based on the first Roy Grace novel, DEAD SIMPLE, was broadcast in March 2021 with John Simm starring in the lead role as the tenacious detective. It was a TV Pick of the Day across all the major UK newspapers, appeared on ITV 1’s prime Sunday night slot and viewing figures quickly reached more than 8.8 million, with glowing reviews.

The second series was broadcast in 2022, starting with LOOKING GOOD DEAD, which like the subsequent episode NOT DEAD ENOUGH, topped the chart as most-watched UK TV show of the night. DEAD MAN’S FOOTSTEPS and DEAD TOMORROW followed. The popular streamer Britbox brought the GRACE series to US and Canadian viewers in 2021, followed by further world territories. The third series, DEAD LIKE YOU, DEAD MAN’S GRIP and NOT DEAD YET, began airing in March 2023, with the fourth series date due to be announced soon.

The series has been commissioned by ITV’s Head of Drama, Polly Hill, and Drama Commissioner, Huw Kennair Jones. Huw will oversee production from ITV’s perspective.

Huw said: ‘We’re thrilled to be returning to Brighton and the world of Roy Grace and the team for another series of Peter James’ brilliant stories. Series five promises to deliver four more episodes full of surprises and intrigue that the ITV and ITVX audiences have come to love.’

GRACE is a co-production between Tall Story Pictures, part of ITV Studios, and Vaudeville Productions. Executive producers are Phil Hunter for Tall Story Pictures, and Andrew O'Connor and Paul Sandler for Vaudeville Productions, Kiaran Murray-Smith and Peter James. 

Executive Producer Phil Hunter said: ‘It’s fantastic that GRACE is back for a fifth series and we get to adapt another four of Peter's brilliant books for ITV. I can't wait to see the cast and crew assembled for what will be my first series. It's wonderful to be working with such a talented group of people who put their all into making a show they love.’

Author Peter James said: ‘When the first episode of GRACE aired in 2021, it was a dream come true. It is both heartening and astounding to me that we're already at series five! The continued success of GRACE is a testament to the outstanding cast headed by John Simm, and crew and, equally importantly, the fans, who have loved and devoted their time to these characters both on the page and now the screen. It is also a testament to just how faithfully ITV have adhered to both the characters and stories in the novels.’

The films will be written by Jess Williams, Guy Burt, Caroline Carver and Ed Whitmore. Kiaran Murray-Smith returns as Series Producer, Matthew Hamilton will co-produce the series. Production begins in Brighton this Spring. International distribution is handled by ITV Studios. Grace is a BritBox Original, available exclusively on BritBox in North America and Australia.

The paperback edition of the 19th book in the Grace series, STOP THEM DEAD, will be published by Pan Macmillan on 25 April 2024. Peter’s next book, THEY THOUGHT I WAS DEAD, reveals the truth behind the dramatic disappearance of Roy Grace’s first wife, Sandy. It will thrill readers of the Grace series and new fans alike with its gripping story of a woman on the run; Pan Macmillan will publish on 9th May 2024.  Peter is also currently writing the 20th Roy Grace title.

About Peter James
Peter James is the international bestselling author of many award-winning novels, repeatedly occupying the Number One slot on the Sunday Times bestseller charts in both hardback and paperback. Peter writes both thriller standalones and the hugely popular Brighton-set Roy Grace series, now adapted for ITV by screenwriter and ENDEAVOUR creator, Russell Lewis.

Peter’s books have been translated into thirty-eight languages, with worldwide sales of over twenty-one million copies and his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, set in Brighton, has given him 19 consecutive Sunday Times Number Ones. In 2015 WH Smith customers voted him the Greatest Crime Author of All Time and in 2016 he was awarded the coveted CWA Diamond Dagger, a lifetime achievement award for sustained excellence. In 2018 he received a Specsavers Honorary Platinum Bestseller Award and in 2024 he won four Silver Nielsen Bestseller Awards. Peter James has also written two books based on true crime stories, with former senior detective Graham Bartlett.

Successful nationwide tours of the stage plays of THE PERFECT MURDER (2014), DEAD SIMPLE (2015,) NOT DEAD ENOUGH (2017), THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL (2019), LOOKING GOOD DEAD (2021) and WISH YOU WERE DEAD (2023) have packed theatres in dozens of British cities, and garnered magnificent reviews. His stage shows to date have grossed over £17 million at the box office. Several of his works are optioned for film.

Peter took part in the launch podcast of the Queen’s Reading Room in January 2024, having had the Grace series featured on the Royal Reading Room previously.

Praise for GRACE
‘For fans still coming to terms with the end of Endeavour, the third series of Grace has arrived just in time to fill the Brit detective void… a world-weary detective; a younger sidekick; and plenty of knotty cases to be solved.’ – Poppie Platt, The Sunday Telegraph

‘Simm plays the lead with elegant understatement’ – Mail On Sunday

‘John Simm is very good as gentle DS Roy Grace’ – Carol Midgley, The Times

‘John Simm is perfectly cast as our morose hero.’ – The Sunday Times

‘Darkly compelling’ – Tim Oglethorpe, The Daily Mail

‘A stirring return’ – TV Times, 5-star review

‘A very effective appetite-whetter… The unpretentious storytelling makes this an easy watch, helmed by the always watchable Simm.’ – The Mail on Sunday, Pick of the Day

‘It’s a good’un... John Simm was pleasingly understated as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and the adaptation was well done by Russell Lewis, creator of ENDEAVOUR. Richie Campbell was great as Roy’s colleague, DS Branson, bringing just the right amount of energy to proceedings... If ITV can find room in the schedules, another Grace instalment would go down nicely.’ – Anita Singh, The Telegraph

‘Roy Grace doesn’t have any obvious gimmick to mark him out, but he swiftly establishes himself as a solid addition to the Sunday-night pack… Chilling.’ – James Jackson, The Times, Critic’s Choice

‘Grace and Branson’s race to find Michael made for truly nail-biting TV and there were great performances, with Simm as watchable as ever as the shrewd, yet vulnerable Grace… With more to come later this year… I’ll certainly be tuning in.’ – Gwendolyn Smith, The i

‘There is a reason why Peter James’s novels have sold all over the world, and one of the main ones is that… Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is a well-written and believable character… Simm makes for a likeable lead and the atmospheric Brighton setting is well used.’ – Sarah Hughes, The Sunday Telegraph, The Very Best of the Week Ahead

‘Simm gives [Roy Grace] a winning sense of humour beneath all the grit… Campbell is smooth foil, playing Branson quietly enough that Simm doesn’t have to be enormous to stand out. Brighton’s mix of pretty shoreline, faded glamour, criminal past and contemporary hipsterism makes it a ripe spot for some murder. The action feels rooted in its setting…It’s almost inconceivable Simm hasn’t already been in a long running franchise… and I expect the wait’s over.’ – Ed Cumming, The Independent

‘Few people do moody, angst-ridden men better than John Simm, who takes on the role of Grace. With so many books in hand, this series could run and run.’ — The best television shows in the UK this April, Prospect Magazine

ITV’s GRACE third series success

ITV hit crime drama, GRACE, returned to screens on Sunday 19th March for a third season, garnering high praise and strong viewing figures. DEAD LIKE YOU (Series 3, Episode 1) drew in 5.6 million viewers on its seven-day consolidated figures – up a massive 700,000 on Season 2. The last episode of the season, NOT DEAD YET, airs on Sunday 2nd April at 8pm. Tune in then, and if you watch closely, in the first moments, you will be able to spot Peter James and his wife, Lara, walking down Brighton Palace Pier towards the camera!

GRACE stars acclaimed actor John Simm as tenacious detective Roy Grace, Richie Campbell as Glenn Branson and Zoë Tapper as Cleo Morley. The series is adapted from the bestselling Roy Grace book series by Peter James, which has delivered nineteen consecutive Sunday Times Number Ones for Peter James and his publisher Pan Macmillan. The third season of GRACE has received wonderful praise in the press and Season 4, with four episodes, starts shooting on April 11th.

‘For fans still coming to terms with the end of Endeavour, the third series of Grace has arrived just in time to fill the Brit detective void… a world-weary detective; a younger sidekick; and plenty of knotty cases to be solved.’ – Poppie Platt, The Sunday Telegraph

‘Simm plays the lead with elegant understatement’ – Mail On Sunday

‘John Simm is very good as gentle DS Roy Grace’ – Carol Midgley, The Times

‘John Simm is perfectly cast as our morose hero.’ – The Sunday Times

‘Darkly compelling’ – Tim Oglethorpe, The Daily Mail

‘A stirring return’ – TV Times, 5-star review

GRACE aired around the world for the first time in March 2021, with the first episode based on the first Roy Grace book DEAD SIMPLE. It has since aired in many countries including the USA, Canada, Japan, Norway and Finland. In April 2022, GRACE returned to screens with LOOKING GOOD DEAD and NOT DEAD ENOUGH, both of which topped the charts as most-watched UK TV show of the night. DEAD MAN’S FOOTSTEPS and DEAD TOMORROW followed. You can catch up on previous episodes of GRACE on BritBox and ITVX.

GRACE is produced by Tall Story Pictures (part of ITV Studios) and Vaudeville Productions. Along with Patrick Schweitzer (Tall Story Pictures), Andrew O’Connor (Vaudeville Productions) and Paul Sandler (Vaudeville Productions), author Peter James also acted as executive producer on the new films. ITV Drama Commissioner, Huw Kennair-Jones, oversaw production from ITV’s perspective.

March also saw a return to the stage for the Roy Grace series as the adaptation of WISH YOU WERE DEAD premiered. The nationwide stage play tour included a successful Gala Night at Brighton’s Theatre Royal. An all-star cast includes George Rainsford, who returns to the stage after eight years as Ethan Hardy in BBC One’s Casualty, Clive Mantle, much loved for many roles including Casualty, Game of Thrones and the iconic ‘puddle’ scene in Vicar of Dibley and the multi-talented actress, novelist, podcaster and winner of I’m A Celebrity, Giovanna Fletcher (until 29th April 2023). See more information on tour dates here.

The paperback edition of the most recent bestselling Roy Grace title, PICTURE YOU DEAD, will be out in the UK on 11 May and the nineteenth book in the series, STOP THEM DEAD, will be published in hardback in by Pan Macmillan on 28 September 2023.

Further praise for GRACE

‘A very effective appetite-whetter… The unpretentious storytelling makes this an easy watch, helmed by the always watchable Simm.’ – The Mail on Sunday, Pick of the Day

‘It’s a good’un... John Simm was pleasingly understated as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and the adaptation was well done by Russell Lewis, creator of ENDEAVOUR. Richie Campbell was great as Roy’s colleague, DS Branson, bringing just the right amount of energy to proceedings... If ITV can find room in the schedules, another Grace instalment would go down nicely.’ – Anita Singh, The Telegraph

‘Roy Grace doesn’t have any obvious gimmick to mark him out, but he swiftly establishes himself as a solid addition to the Sunday-night pack… Chilling.’ – James Jackson, The Times, Critic’s Choice

‘Grace and Branson’s race to find Michael made for truly nail-biting TV and there were great performances, with Simm as watchable as ever as the shrewd, yet vulnerable Grace… With more to come later this year… I’ll certainly be tuning in.’ – Gwendolyn Smith, The i

‘There is a reason why Peter James’s novels have sold all over the world, and one of the main ones is that… Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is a well-written and believable character… Simm makes for a likeable lead and the atmospheric Brighton setting is well used.’ – Sarah Hughes, The Sunday Telegraph, The Very Best of the Week Ahead

‘Simm gives [Roy Grace] a winning sense of humour beneath all the grit… Campbell is smooth foil, playing Branson quietly enough that Simm doesn’t have to be enormous to stand out. Brighton’s mix of pretty shoreline, faded glamour, criminal past and contemporary hipsterism makes it a ripe spot for some murder. The action feels rooted in its setting…It’s almost inconceivable Simm hasn’t already been in a long running franchise… and I expect the wait’s over.’ – Ed Cumming, The Independent

‘Few people do moody, angst-ridden men better than John Simm, who takes on the role of Grace. With so many books in hand, this series could run and run.’ — The best television shows in the UK this April, Prospect Magazine

About Peter James

Credit: James Clarke

Peter James is the international bestselling author of many award-winning novels, translated into thirty-seven languages with worldwide sales of over twenty-one million copies. His Brighton-set Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series has given him nineteenth consecutive Sunday Times Number Ones. In 2015 WH Smith customers voted him the Greatest Crime Author of All Time and in 2016 he was awarded the coveted CWA Diamond Dagger, a lifetime achievement award for sustained excellence. In 2018 he received a Specsavers Honorary Platinum Bestseller Award.

In addition to his career as a novelist, he has produced several films, including The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes. He also co-created the hit Channel 4 series Bedsitcom, which was nominated for a Rose d'Or.

Successful nationwide tours of the stage plays of THE PERFECT MURDER (2014) and DEAD SIMPLE (2015) have packed theatres in dozens of British cities, and garnered magnificent reviews and NOT DEAD ENOUGH opened to full houses and acclaim in 2017. January 2019 saw the opening of the stage tour of THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL, with the sequel THE SECRET OF COLD HILL published in October 2019. The stage play of LOOKING GOOD DEAD toured the UK in 2021. The WISH YOU WERE DEAD stage play is currently touring the UK.

Visit Peter’s website

Follow Peter on Twitter and Instagram

ITV commissions new series of Grace

We are delighted to announce that ITV has commissioned a new series of GRACE, the popular television show based on the internationally bestselling Roy Grace series by Peter James.

John Simm will reprise his role as Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, with Richie Campbell, Zoe Tapper and Craig Parkinson also returning to their roles of DS Glenn Branson, Cleo Morey, and DS Norman Potting respectively.

In an interview with the Radio Times, John Simm revealed that he’s ‘more than happy to keep playing [Roy Grace]’ for years to come, saying: ‘I've played loads of different characters, and I'm sure there'll be loads more coming up, I'll do other things as well. But Roy Grace is such an intriguing part and to have the whole world of the novels to immerse myself in has been invaluable. I'm more than happy to keep playing him if people want to keep watching the show.’

The new series will consist of three feature-length films, with episodes one and three written by Ben Court and Caroline Ip, and the second penned by Ed Whitmore.

Roy Grace hit TV screens around the world for the first time in 2021 when ITV’s much-anticipated adaptation, written by the critically acclaimed screenwriter and ENDEAVOUR creator Russell Lewis, premiered in March. The first episode, based on the first Roy Grace book DEAD SIMPLE, was watched by 8.8 million viewers in the UK and has since aired in countries including the USA, Canada, Japan, Norway and Finland.

Roy Grace returned to ITV in April 2022, starting with LOOKING GOOD DEAD, which like the subsequent episode NOT DEAD ENOUGH, topped the charts as most-watched UK TV show of the night. DEAD MAN’S FOOTSTEPS followed, and DEAD TOMORROW will be broadcast at 8pm on Sunday 22 May. All the latest episodes of GRACE are available to watch on BritBox and ITV Hub.

GRACE is produced by Tall Story Pictures (part of ITV Studios) and Vaudeville Productions. Along with Patrick Schweitzer (Tall Story Pictures), Andrew O’Connor (Vaudeville Productions) and Paul Sandler (Vaudeville Productions), author Peter James will be executive producing the new films. ITV Drama Commissioner, Huw Kennair Jones, will oversee production from ITV’s perspective.

The eighteenth Roy Grace novel, PICTURE YOU DEAD, will be published in hardback on the 29th of September by Pan Macmillan, and is available to pre-order now. All the Roy Grace novels are being released in new TV tie-in editions as well, as the series progresses. See more about the whole series in order here.

Praise for GRACE:

‘GRACE has earned its coveted spot among ITV’s crime perennials.’ – Gabriel Tate, The Telegraph

 ‘Simm is excellent as the melancholic copper and should get his wish to play the role for years to come.’ – Joe Clay, The Sunday Times, Critic’s Choice

 ‘There is a reason why Peter James’s novels have sold all over the world, and one of the main ones is that… Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is a well-written and believable character… Simm makes for a likeable lead and the atmospheric Brighton setting is well used.’ – Sarah Hughes, The Sunday Telegraph, The Very Best of the Week Ahead

 ‘The intricate, twist-laden plot, atmospheric south-coast location and impressive performances mean that GRACE is likely to be a hit with fans of the books and newcomers alike.’ – The Sun, Pick of the Day

‘‘Grace and Branson’s race to find Michael made for truly nail-biting TV and there were great performances, with Simm as watchable as ever as the shrewd, yet vulnerable Grace… With more to come later this year… I’ll certainly be tuning in.’ – Gwendolyn Smith, The i

‘Simm gives [Roy Grace] a winning sense of humour beneath all the grit… Campbell is smooth foil, playing Branson quietly enough that Simm doesn’t have to be enormous to stand out. Brighton’s mix of pretty shoreline, faded glamour, criminal past and contemporary hipsterism makes it a ripe spot for some murder. The action feels rooted in its setting … It’s almost inconceivable Simm hasn’t already been in a long running franchise… and I expect the wait’s over.’ – Ed Cumming, The Independent

 ‘The first TV adaptation of the first of bestselling author Peter James’ Brighton-based Roy Grace detective novels impressed on its debut last year. But with the second episode last week, there was a huge sense that the whole thing stepped up a gear. The actors actually started to become those characters that we have been reading about across 17 brilliant novels so far; and importantly, we also started to get a genuine sense too of the relationships between them. Tonight, the Grace series, with its third episode, took maybe its biggest leap so far: the one that fully establishes it as a thrilling series which is now fully into in its stride – a series with the legs to run and run for as long as Peter James is prepared to keep writing the novels… The series is now absolutely required Sunday night viewing… complex without being convoluted; at the extreme ends of human behaviour but also thoroughly rooted in our humanity.’ – Phil Hewitt, Sussex Express

 ‘LOOKING GOOD DEAD is an undeniably fun ride. The central mystery itself is gripping and well-paced, doling out bits of information at just the right time to keep things engaging, while Simm and Campbell make for a strong on-screen pairing. Simm in particular is naturally charismatic in the role, making Grace at once unknowable yet also deeply empathetic at the same time… action sequences are thrillingly executed, and the overall story resolution is satisfying, while leaving enough character threads hanging to allow for development across the rest of the season… I was hooked and came away wanting more.’ – James Hibbs, Radio Times

‘It’s so, so good. I nearly missed my train stop!’ – Zoe Ball, The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, BBC Radio 2, interviewing John Simm who plays Roy Grace in GRACE on ITV

 About Peter James:

Peter James is the international bestselling author of many award-winning novels, repeatedly occupying the Number One slot on the Sunday Times bestseller charts in both hardback and paperback. Peter writes both thriller standalones and the hugely popular Brighton-set Roy Grace series, now adapted for ITV.

Peter’s books have been translated into thirty-eight languages, with worldwide sales of over twenty-one million copies and his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, set in Brighton, has given him 19 consecutive Sunday Times Number Ones. In 2015 WH Smith customers voted him the Greatest Crime Author of All Time and in 2016 he was awarded the coveted CWA Diamond Dagger, a lifetime achievement award for sustained excellence. In 2018 he received a Specsavers Honorary Platinum Bestseller Award. Peter James has also written two books based on true crime stories, with former senior detective Graham Bartlett.

 The 16th Roy Grace, FIND THEM DEAD, was a UK Number 1 in both hardback and paperback, spending four consecutive weeks at Number 1 in paperback, and reaching Number 5 in Australia and Canada too. In 2021 Peter James repeated the hardback and paperback Top Ten double with LEFT YOU DEAD and standalone thriller I FOLLOW YOU.

Successful nationwide tours of the stage plays of THE PERFECT MURDER (2014), DEAD SIMPLE (2015,) NOT DEAD ENOUGH (2017) and THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL (2019) have packed theatres in dozens of British cities, and garnered magnificent reviews. Several other Peter James novels are optioned for film and in further development.

Visit Peter’s website

Like him on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram

RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCED FOR SECOND INSTALMENT OF GRACE TV SERIES

Roy Grace is returning to television screens on Sunday 24th April at 8pm on ITV in a new feature-length episode titled LOOKING GOOD DEAD. It is the second and final episode of the first GRACE series, with filming already complete on the second series which is due to be released later this year.

LOOKING GOOD DEAD begins with an act of kindness and ends in murder. Tom Bryce finds a CD on a train and, wanting to do the right thing, tries to return it to its owner. However, this act of kindness has unforeseen consequences – it means he witnesses a vicious murder. Despite him and his family being threatened by the killers, he bravely makes a statement to the murder enquiry team – which is headed by none other than Detective Superintendent Roy Grace. Whilst battling his own demons Roy must solve this disturbing murder and protect the sole witness from meeting the same grisly end as the first murder victim.

You can watch the trailer here.

Roy Grace hit TV screens around the world for the first time in 2021 when ITV’s much-anticipated adaptation, written by acclaimed screenwriter and Endeavour creator Russell Lewis, premiered in March. It is produced by Second Act Productions and Tall Story Pictures, both part of ITV Studios, and Vaudeville Productions.

The brilliant cast includes John Simm (Life on Mars, Strangers, Doctor Who) as Roy Grace, and Richie Campbell (Top Boy, Liar, Small Axe), as Detective Sergeant Glenn Branson. The first episode, based on the first Roy Grace book DEAD SIMPLE, was watched by 8.8 million viewers in the UK and has since aired in countries including the USA, Canada, Japan, Norway and Finland.

Peter himself has filmed several cameos for the new series, and the Duchess of Cornwall, who is a big fan of James’ novels, visited the set of GRACE in Brighton last Autumn.

The first episode of GRACE is on BritBox and ITV Hub, with its trailer available to watch here.

The eighteenth Roy Grace novel, PICTURE YOU DEAD, will be published in hardback on the 29th of September by Pan Macmillan, and is available to pre-order now. All the Roy Grace novels are being released in new TV tie-in editions as well, as the series progresses. See more about the whole series in order here.

About Peter James

Peter James is the international bestselling author of many award-winning novels, repeatedly occupying the Number One slot on the Sunday Times bestseller charts in both hardback and paperback. Peter writes both thriller standalones and the hugely popular Brighton-set Roy Grace series, now adapted for ITV.

Peter’s books have been translated into thirty-eight languages, with worldwide sales of over twenty-one million copies and his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, set in Brighton, has given him 19 consecutive Sunday Times Number Ones. In 2015 WH Smith customers voted him the Greatest Crime Author of All Time and in 2016 he was awarded the coveted CWA Diamond Dagger, a lifetime achievement award for sustained excellence. In 2018 he received a Specsavers Honorary Platinum Bestseller Award. Peter James has also written two books based on true crime stories, with former senior detective Graham Bartlett.

 The 16th Roy Grace, FIND THEM DEAD, was a UK Number 1 in both hardback and paperback, spending four consecutive weeks at Number 1 in paperback, and reaching Number 5 in Australia and Canada too. In 2021 Peter James repeated the hardback and paperback Top Ten double with LEFT YOU DEAD and standalone thriller I FOLLOW YOU.

Successful nationwide tours of the stage plays of THE PERFECT MURDER (2014), DEAD SIMPLE (2015,) NOT DEAD ENOUGH (2017) and THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL (2019) have packed theatres in dozens of British cities, and garnered magnificent reviews. Several other Peter James novels are optioned for film and in further development.

Visit Peter’s website

Like him on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram

Praise for GRACE:

‘It’s a good’un… I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a good idea to make this a stand-alone film... John Simm was pleasingly understated as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and the adaptation was well done by Russell Lewis, creator of Endeavour. Richie Campbell was great as Roy’s colleague, DS Branson, bringing just the right amount of energy to proceedings.’– Anita Singh, The Telegraph

‘Grace and Branson’s race to find Michael made for truly nail-biting TV and there were great performances, with Simm as watchable as ever as the shrewd, yet vulnerable Grace….’ – Gwendolyn Smith, The i

‘A very effective appetite-whetter… The unpretentious storytelling makes this an easy watch, helmed by the always watchable Simm.’ – The Mail on Sunday, Pick of the Day

‘Roy Grace doesn’t have any obvious gimmick to mark him out, but he swiftly establishes himself as a solid addition to the Sunday-night pack… Chilling.’ – James Jackson, The Times, Critic’s Choice

‘Simm is excellent as the melancholic copper and should get his wish to play the role for years to come.’ – Joe Clay, The Sunday Times, Critic’s Choice

‘There is a reason why Peter James’s novels have sold all over the world, and one of the main ones is that… Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is a well-written and believable character… Simm makes for a likeable lead and the atmospheric Brighton setting is well used.’ – Sarah Hughes, The Sunday Telegraph, The Very Best of the Week Ahead

‘The intricate, twist-laden plot, atmospheric south-coast location and impressive performances mean that GRACE is likely to be a hit with fans of the books and newcomers alike.’ – The Sun, Pick of the Day

‘Simm gives [Roy Grace] a winning sense of humour beneath all the grit… Campbell is smooth foil, playing Branson quietly enough that Simm doesn’t have to be enormous to stand out. Brighton’s mix of pretty shoreline, faded glamour, criminal past and contemporary hipsterism makes it a ripe spot for some murder. The action feels rooted in its setting…It’s almost inconceivable Simm hasn’t already been in a long running franchise… and I expect the wait’s over.’ – Ed Cumming, The Independent

‘Few people do moody, angst-ridden men better than John Simm, who takes on the role of Grace. With so many books in hand, this series could run and run.’ — Prospect Magazine, ‘The best television shows in the UK this April’

FILMING COMMENCES IN BRIGHTON FOR NEW EPISODES OF ITV DETECTIVE DRAMA, GRACE, BASED ON BESTSELLING ROY GRACE SERIES BY PETER JAMES

We’re delighted to announce that three brand new GRACE films, adapted from international bestselling author Peter James’s award-winning novels, have commenced filming in Brighton with John Simm in the lead role of the tenacious detective.

Acclaimed screenwriter and Endeavour creator, Russell Lewis, has adapted the three 120-minute screenplays from the novels NOT DEAD ENOUGH, DEAD MAN’S FOOTSTEPS and DEAD TOMORROW, following much-loved character Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, a hard-working police officer who has devoted his life to the job.

John Simm on his happy return to GRACE: ‘Everyone involved with GRACE is very excited to be back in Brighton bringing the next three Peter James novels to the screen. Like the first two, they’ve been brilliantly adapted by Russell Lewis, and we can’t wait to get started.’ Simm won praise for his ‘excellent’ and ‘as watchable as ever’ performance as Roy Grace – for more details of reviews, see below, and you can watch for yourself on ITV Hub.

Richie Campbell and Rakie Ayola also reprise their roles as DS Glenn Branson and ACC Vosper following the success of the first film, DEAD SIMPLE, which aired on ITV in March 2021 and achieved consolidated ratings of 8.8m viewers, with nominations for two National Television Awards. Zoe Tapper (The One, Liar, Nightflyers) is also joining the cast as recurring character, Cleo Morey, a mortuary technician, who takes a shine to Grace.

Arthur Darvill (World on Fire, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Broadchurch) guest stars in NOT DEAD ENOUGH, which sees Grace and Branson investigating the murder of wealthy socialite and patron of local charities, Katya Bishop. Katya is wife of a prominent Brighton entrepreneur, played by Arthur Darvill, who becomes the main suspect in the investigation. The Bishops seem to have led a charmed life, until Grace digs deeper behind the respectable facade and discovers all is not what it seems. Doing so, however, places him unknowingly in grave danger.

In DEAD MAN’S FOOTSTEPS, Grace leads the inquiry into the discovery of a woman’s skeletal remains in an old storm drain. The remains are believed to be of the wife of a failed Brighton conman, who died in a plane crash several years earlier. Grace must re-trace the man's steps in the years before his death, which leads him on a murky trail through the world of Brighton's oldest crime families. But it’s not only on the professional front that Roy is chasing ghosts…

In DEAD TOMORROW, a body dredged up from the seabed of the English Channel initially appears to be a burial at sea gone wrong, but a strange incision on the victim’s body soon points to something very sinister. When two more bodies are found, news spreads like wildfire through Sussex, and Grace begins to unearth that this is part of an altogether more chilling design – one which forces him to confront the question of just how far anyone would go to save the ones they love.

Kiaran Murray-Smith (Grace, Bulletproof, Silent Witness) returns to produce the series again this year with Henrik Georgsson (Tsunami, The Bridge, Marcella) directing the first film, Brian Kelly (Poldark, The Lock and Downton Abbey) directing the second film and Kate Saxon (Endeavour, Silent Witness, Casualty) taking the helm for the third title, DEAD TOMORROW.

GRACE has been recommissioned for ITV by Head of Drama, Polly Hill, and Drama Commissioner, Huw Kennair Jones. Huw will oversee the production of the series from the channel’s perspective. A further GRACE film, LOOKING GOOD DEAD, was produced last year and is also due for scheduling on ITV, along with the newly filmed stories.

The Executive producers are Andrew O’Connor and Paul Sandler for Second Act Productions, Patrick Schweitzer for Tall Story Pictures and Michael Vine for Vaudeville Productions. Russell Lewis and Peter James will also be executive producing the new films.

ITV Studios will be responsible for the international distribution of GRACE and the new series will be exclusively available on BritBox North America.

The paperback of LEFT YOU DEAD, a Number One bestseller and the seventeenth novel in the Roy Grace series, will be published on 14 October 2021 and is available for pre-order now.

Praise for the first film in the GRACE series, DEAD SIMPLE

‘It’s so, so good… Set in and around Brighton and Sussex… The team have made it look absolutely beautiful… and they’re such great stories, brilliant whodunnits… I was hooked!’ – Zoe Ball, The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, BBC Radio 2

‘A twisty race against time… John Simm is one of those actors who makes you think: what must that be like? What must it be like to be so good at the thing you do that, when you come along, everyone just relaxes? To be so good that everyone knows they are in safe hands, knows they are going to be shown something great, knows they won’t have to mess about trying to make a little look like a lot. For viewers, he turns up and you just … believe him… And here he is again, doing his quiet, unfunky, wholly credible thing, in GRACE.’ – Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

‘It’s a good’un… I thoroughly enjoyed it… John Simm was pleasingly understated as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and the adaptation was well done by Russell Lewis, creator of Endeavour. Richie Campbell was great as Roy’s colleague, DS Branson, bringing just the right amount of energy to proceedings.’ – Anita Singh, The Telegraph

‘Truly nail-biting TV and there were great performances, with Simm as watchable as ever as the shrewd, yet vulnerable Grace… With more to come later this year… I’ll certainly be tuning in.’ – Gwendolyn Smith, The i

‘A very effective appetite-whetter… The unpretentious storytelling makes this an easy watch, helmed by the always watchable Simm.’ – The Mail on Sunday, Pick of the Day

‘Roy Grace doesn’t have any obvious gimmick to mark him out, but he swiftly establishes himself as a solid addition to the Sunday-night pack… Chilling.’ – James Jackson, The Times, Critic’s Choice

‘Simm is excellent as the melancholic copper and should get his wish to play the role for years to come.’ – Joe Clay, The Sunday Times, Critic’s Choice

‘There is a reason why Peter James’s novels have sold all over the world, and one of the main ones is that… Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is a well-written and believable character… Simm makes for a likeable lead and the atmospheric Brighton setting is well used.’ – Sarah Hughes, The Sunday Telegraph, The Very Best of the Week Ahead

‘Simm gives Roy Grace a winning sense of humour beneath all the grit… Campbell is smooth foil, playing Branson quietly enough that Simm doesn’t have to be enormous to stand out. Brighton’s mix of pretty shoreline, faded glamour, criminal past and contemporary hipsterism makes it a ripe spot for some murder. The action feels rooted in its setting…It’s almost inconceivable Simm hasn’t already been in a long running franchise… and I expect the wait’s over.’ – Ed Cumming, The Independent

‘Few people do moody, angst-ridden men better than John Simm, who takes on the role of Grace. With so many books in hand, this series could run and run.’ – ‘The best television shows in the UK this April’, Prospect Magazine

About Peter James

Peter James is the international bestselling author of many award-winning novels, repeatedly occupying the Number One slot on the Sunday Times bestseller charts in both hardback and paperback. Peter writes both thriller standalones and the hugely popular Brighton-set Roy Grace series, now adapted for ITV.

Peter’s books have been translated into thirty-eight languages, with worldwide sales of over twenty-one million copies and his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, set in Brighton, has given him 18 consecutive Sunday Times Number Ones. In 2015 WH Smith customers voted him the Greatest Crime Author of All Time and in 2016 he was awarded the coveted CWA Diamond Dagger, a lifetime achievement award for sustained excellence. In 2018 he received a Specsavers Honorary Platinum Bestseller Award. Peter James has also written two books based on true crime stories, with former senior detective Graham Bartlett.

The 16th Roy Grace, FIND THEM DEAD, was a UK Number 1 in both hardback and paperback, spending four consecutive weeks at Number 1 in paperback, and reaching Number 5 in Australia and Canada too. In 2021 Peter James repeated the hardback and paperback Top Ten double with LEFT YOU DEAD and standalone thriller I FOLLOW YOU.

Successful nationwide tours of the stage plays of THE PERFECT MURDER (2014), DEAD SIMPLE (2015,) NOT DEAD ENOUGH (2017) and THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL (2019) have packed theatres in dozens of British cities, and garnered magnificent reviews. The stage play of LOOKING GOOD DEAD is currently touring the UK. Several other Peter James novels are optioned for film and in further development.

Visit Peter’s website.

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