The cast of season 9 of “Grantchester” will experience a big change… Tom Brittney has indeed announced his departure from the British series where he has camped pastor Will Davenport since 2019.
Bad news for Grantchester fans: Tom Brittney, who played pastor Will Davenport since 2019, will leave the English series at the end of season 9, the filming of which has just begun. The actor wants to focus on new projects.
Masterpiece, which produces the series, has already revealed the name of its replacement. It will thus be Rishi Nair (Hollyoaks) who will have the heavy task of slipping into the skin of a new charismatic pastor named Alphy Kotteram.
“I’ve had some amazing times as Will Davenport over the past five years.,” Tom Brittney said in a statement. “I was able to solve cases with my best friend, and work with the best actors and the best team. I will miss it. But it’s time to pass on the baton, as it did for me, and I’m delighted to have Rishi join the Grantchester family.”
A feeling shared by Rishi Nair who declared himself “delightedto join the series. “The welcome and support I have received has been extraordinary. […] I can’t wait to get started and can’t wait for Grantchester fans to meet Alphy and find out what the writers have in store for him.”
Although PBS has not yet confirmed how many episodes of season 9 Tom Brittney will appear in, there is a good chance that his departure will take place during a double episode that will open the season and in which he will share scenes with Rishi Nair.
Will made his first appearance in the first episode of Season 4, which aired in 2019. He crossed paths with Sidney Chambers (played by James Norton), Grantchester’s original pastor, at a lecture on the role of religion in the struggle for civil rights.
At the end of this double episode, Sidney decided to leave for the United States after falling in love with the daughter of a reverend from Alabama, who had come to England for the conference. Will therefore took his place, helping Geordie in his investigations.
The broadcast of Grantchester season 8 started from Sunday July 9 in the UK. However, French fans will have to be patient before discovering the final season of Tom Brittney since season 7 is still unpublished in France.