Grantchester's Robson Green talks unexpected James Norton reunion: "It was just beautiful"

After James Norton was spotted on the set of Grantchester back in August, there was some speculation that Reverend Sidney Chambers could pop up during the show's 11th and final season, which is set to air in 2027.

The character last appeared in season 4, episode 2 of the ITV crime drama in 2019, which centres on the unconventional crime-fighting partnership between the local vicar and Robson Green's DI Geordie Keating in the Cambridge village of Grantchester.

During the season, Reverend Chambers left to begin a new life in the United States with Civil Rights activist Violet Todd (Simona Brown), with Tom Brittney's Will Davenport stepping in to take his place.

Cameo hopes were quickly dashed, however, when RadioTimes.com was informed that Norton is not expected to feature (although that could be a cover story to preserve the surprise). Instead, he had simply swung by to say hello to his former colleagues, which they spoke about during a recent press Q&A ahead of Grantchester's upcoming 10th season.

"That was nuts," said Green of their unexpected reunion. "I’m sat next to Kacey [Ainsworth] and we're all having dinner in a restaurant, and we're all there just reminiscing, of course, and talking about our favourite subject... ourselves [laughs].

"And this guy walks in, very tall, incredibly charismatic, sits in the corner, starts reading a book. And I'm thinking, 'That can't be... that cannot be James Norton?'

"And it was James Norton. And he turns around and he goes, 'WTF!' And we go, 'WTF!' And we sit down and reminisce. And then James came to our [wrap] party, and Tom [Brittney, who played Will Davenport] came to our party, and there I am."

Green then joked that it "proved Geordie had a thing for vicars", before sincerely noting: "It was just beautiful. The stars were aligned that evening.

"And it was joyous on so many levels, and [executive producer] Emma [Kingsman-Lloyd] gave us just a knockout speech there, just reminding us all of what a beautiful journey it's been. And that [Norton appearing] was crazy. That was pure coincidence. Kacey couldn’t speak."

Ainsworth agreed – and said it was like they had "conjured him up".

"He said he hadn't even been in that restaurant for about two, three years, and he just had literally popped in to have a quick bite to eat before he was going to the theatre," she added.

"So it was an incredible bit of magic that we will forever attribute to the fact that Grantchester was so wonderful. It can do that, it can create magic.

"So if you want a bit of magic in your life, that's what you've got to do, you've got to watch this."

But Norton and Brittany are long gone, with Rishi Nair's Alphy Kottaram the latest vicar to team up with Geordie to solve crimes in the picturesque village.

"But they must also support each other through changing times, family struggles and personal secrets," reads the season 10 synopsis.

"Alphy feels like he’s found a home, but he’s forced to confront secrets he’s kept close to his chest. Will he be able to let anyone fully in, or must he confront truths about himself first?"

"This is Geordie and Alphy's first big series together," said writer Daisy Coulam. "It's about that friendship, which is basically the centre of every series, really, but it's about Geordie... discovering that Alphy maybe isn't quite the glass half full guy that he seems to be, that there might be something more going on under the surface."

Read more:

• Grantchester's Charlotte Ritchie explains why she doesn't watch show
• Grantchester's new priest got advice from Tom Brittney on "looking after Robson Green"

Nair echoed that, revealing that Alphy is "going through a lot" in season 10.

"He has to face his past again and open up boxes that he thought he had dealt with and locked away," he expanded. "They resurface and so, like anybody when you're dealing with stuff like that, your relationships with the people that you know, like Geordie, are affected."

Grantchester seasons 1-9 are available to stream on ITVX in the UK. Season 10 will arrive in the UK in 2026.

Add Grantchester to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.