This is one of those fluffy-robe-and-slippers dramas to cosy up to of an autumn evening. It's set in the nice, safe 1950s and has such a nostalgic glow it's almost sepia-toned. Those who remember the 1950s may be scratching their heads at the likes of this, but along with 'Call the Midwife' and 'Quirke' it ticks a plethora of boxes for maximum appeal. Here we have a kindly, lovelorn young vicar (James Norton, whom we recently saw cold-bloodedly raping and killing as Tommy in 'Happy Valley') who befriends a kindly, careworn old cop (Robson Green, taking a break from angling) to solve murders in the titular sleepy English town.
This first story, based one of James Runcie's books, has a supposed suicide whom his mistress suspects was murdered. She's a suspect, of-course, as is his melancholy German widow, his business partner and his secretary.
Nothing new in the plot, so what about our hero? A former soldier in the war who drinks whisky, smokes, has a crush on a girl who's now engaged to someone else and loses at backgammon. Oh and he's open-minded in a way very few vicars - or indeed anyone else in a town like the fictional Grantchester - were in the 1950s. The preview for next week had the token black character who is musical, fun, popular, and the obvious suspect in a theft. OK, this is ITV prime-time stuff but does that have to mean anachronisms and cliches? It's not bad, but it could be so much better.
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