After 11 years of chasing killers in ITV’s Grantchester, Robson Green has a confession: his beloved character, Detective Inspector Geordie Keating, might just be the worst policeman on television.
As the long‑running drama heads toward its final chapter, Robson insists the real sleuths of the Cambridgeshire village aren’t the police at all, they’re the vicars.
“In 11 years, there have been 78 murders in Grantchester. The vicar solved 77 of them. That makes me the worst detective in history,” Robson laughs. “So next year I’m switching careers – I’ll be playing a serial killer!”
A show nearing its curtain call
Filming wrapped last month on the final series, which will air in the UK sometime in 2027. Series 10 has already aired in the US, and will be heading to ITV in 2026. Robson, who has embodied DI Keating since 2014, admits the cast is still in denial about the end:
“We’ll be talking about it for years. Working on Grantchester was just a joy. You turned up on set and felt good about yourself. That’s what I’ll miss.”
The cast and crew gathered at Cambridge’s Magdalene College (see below) to reflect on the show’s success, crediting the city’s atmospheric locations for helping Grantchester win fans worldwide.
An accidental detective
Robson only landed the role thanks to a twist of fate. While filming Strike Back in Thailand in 2013, production shut down after lead actor Sullivan Stapleton suffered a serious accident. Suddenly available, Robson’s agent pushed him toward Grantchester.
“I wasn’t meant to be in it. I was playing a lieutenant colonel in special forces. Then I read the books – a vicar, a detective who drinks for Britain, smokes 80 a day, and raids the sweet trolley. I thought, ‘That’s me!’”
Chemistry, Comedy, and Columbo
From the start, Robson’s pairing with James Norton’s jazz‑loving vicar Sidney Chambers struck gold. Their odd‑couple dynamic echoed classic detective partnerships, with Robson drawing inspiration from Peter Falk’s Columbo: “That’s why I wore the same suit for 11 years. Now it hangs in a shrine at home.”
Humour was always part of the mix. Robson recalls a late‑night burial scene where a supporting actor accidentally broke wind mid‑take: “We completely lost it. That’s Grantchester – even in the darkest moments, there was laughter.”
Fans, Family, and Farewell
The show’s reach has been remarkable. During a Las Vegas promo event, Robson and co‑star Rishi Nair were mobbed by 2,000 fans – “like a Taylor Swift concert,” he says. Yet the approval that matters most comes from his 91‑year‑old mum Ann, who watches religiously with her friends in their North East mining village.
Not everyone is as kind. Green chuckles about his mum’s neighbour Rose: “I hope you weren’t paid for that!”
It is never goodbye
As Grantchester prepares to bow out, Robson hopes the series will live on in viewers’ hearts. Writer Daisy Coulam offered the perfect send‑off: “Nothing really ends. The River Cam will keep flowing, swans will keep swimming, and if you look hard enough in a Cambridge pub, you might just see an ex‑copper and a vicar sharing a pint.”
For Robson, that sentiment says it all: Grantchester may finish, but its spirit will never fade.
RTS East are delighted to welcome to Cambridge the cast and crew from hit series Grantchester!
Wednesday 19 November 2025 @6.30pm – Cripps Court Auditorium, Magdalene College
In this event, hear exclusive insights into the creation of one of Britain’s most beloved television series. We are thrilled to be welcoming creator and writer Daisy Coulam, executive producer Emma Kingsman-Lloyd, director and actor Al Weaver who plays Leonard Finch, and stars of the series, Rishi Nair who plays Alphy Kottaram and Robson Green who plays Geordie Keating.
Television presenter and former Channel 4 multi-platform commissioner Kate Quilton will be moderating the evening.
This event promises to dive into the behind-the-scenes process of creating the series: from its conception based on the The Grantchester Mysteries novels by James Runcie, to pitching and producing the show for ITV.
As the Grantchester team prepare to air their eleventh and final series, they’ll be reflecting back on how the series has evolved and remained so popular with its audience for over a decade. There will be an opportunity near the end of the evening for audience questions, as well as time to mingle together over a complimentary drink.
