Robson Green has returned to screens as DI Geordie Keating in the tenth season of Grantchester
Sara Baalla Screen Time TV Reporter
10:52, 08 Jan 2026
Grantchester star Robson Green has paid an emotional tribute to his co-star ahead of the show’s final season. The beloved detective drama returned to ITV on Wednesday (January 7) for its tenth series.
The British crime drama was first broadcast in 2014 and followed Anglican vicar Sidney Chambers (James Norton), who investigated a series of mysterious wrongdoings in his small village of Cambridgeshire. Sidney undertook his sleuthing adventures alongside Detective Inspector Geordie Keating, played by Robson.
James left the show after season four, with Tom Brittney taking over the role of Reverend Will Davenport. Rishi Nair has since replaced Tom as vicar, Alphy Kottaram, who first arrived in Grantchester in Season 9.
Ahead of the show’s 11th and final season, which is likely to air next year, Robson disclosed the close bond he has shared with his vicar counterparts over the years. Speaking to the press last month, the actor revealed that his co-star Rishi had just spent the weekend with him in Newcastle, bonding over the Magpies’ victory against Manchester City at St James’ Park.
Grantchester has returned to ITV for its tenth season(Image: ITV)READ MORE: Grantchester viewers threaten to ‘switch off’ as they issue same plea minutes inREAD MORE: Granchester season 10 on ITV: Start time, cast list, and how many episodes
“I just know when I’m working with Rishi, and we say this a lot, when we’re working together and doing a scene together, I’m going, ‘Oh, I’m really glad I’m doing this scene with you.’ Because we always go back to the common ground of mates,” Robson explained.
“So, with Geordie and Sidney at the very start, they were living in the shadow of World War II, so they both had PTSD [through] the shared experience of World War II. And with Tom and Geordie, it was definitely father and son. But with Rishi’s character, Alphy, it’s a meeting of minds, and when we approach a scene, we always root it as two best friends talking together.”
He continued: “From the day I first met Rishi, the first thing we talked about was Man United and Newcastle United, and we still do. So, that shorthand we have off camera, whether it’s football.
“I mean, I’ve told things to Rishi as families do in this type of zone. Rishi knows more about me than most of my close family do, because, you know, I trust him enough to tell him certain things about how I’m feeling and what’s happened in my life. And he does the same, and now we’re best mates. And I just think, that’s a beautiful thing.”
Robson Green plays Detective Inspector Geordie Keating(Image: ITV)
Sharing a behind-the-scenes detail, Robson continued: “The thing a lot of people don’t know about Rishi Nair’s approach to his craft is how much he cares about it. Rishi will open his script, and the notes are so detailed, and he questions everything to get to the truth. And that, for me, gives me the energy to go forward, and for that, I love him.
“As someone who comes into this in its tenth series, he still cares so much and is so passionate about it. And that just reflects within the scenes and on the lens as well. So yeah, it’s always a joy… We laugh a lot, me and Rishi.”
Rishi shared the sentiment, saying: “I was really looking forward to going back [for season ten] These guys call it their happy place and their home, and even for me, just after one season, kind of coming back and doing season ten felt like I was coming back home. Grantchester feels like a big, warm hug every time you come to set.
“You go into work every day, and it’s such a cliche, but it really is such a joy. You’re working with people that you love and care about, and you all love and care about the show. It’s a real team effort, and as I said, we have a lot of fun. We laugh a lot, probably too much sometimes, but it’s important. I think that relationship that we all have off-screen really shows on-screen.”
Rishi Nair plays Reverend Alphy Kottaram(Image: ITV)
Robson and Rishi are joined by several returning cast members for season ten, including Al Weaver as Leonard Finch, Tessa Peake-Jones as Mrs C, Kacey Ainsworth as Cathy Keating, Oliver Dimsdale as Daniel Marlowe, Nick Brimble as Jack Chapman, Bradley Hall as DC Larry Peters, and Melissa Jones as Miss Scott.
The second episode will air on ITV tonight (Thursday, January 8), with the death of a student plunging Geordie and Alphy into a world of academic adversaries where two research groups are racing to prove and publish their newest theses before the other.
The synopsis also teases that Alphy “encounters a complication in his romantic life” – how will this setback impact his friendship with Geordie?
Grantchester season 10 is now available to stream on ITVX
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