Hit ITV crime drama in talks to air first ever Christmas special ahead of its return to screens this weekend
A HIT crime drama is in talks to air its first ever Christmas special ahead of its return to ITV.
Grace will make its highly anticipated comeback to screens this Sunday night with its fifth series.
The detective drama – created by author Peter James and adapted from his best-selling novels – follows Detective Superintendent Roy Grace.
Series four ended with Roy’s estranged wife Sandy taking her own life – and the revelation that he has an eight-year-old son, Bruno.
Ahead of series five, Grace’s creator Peter has revealed he’s held discussions with ITV about a Christmas special.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, he said: “ITV and me have had some discussions about a standalone or Christmas special.”
While nothing concrete has been agreed, Peter added that he’s also considered a Grace spin-off.
He explained: “If I had to spin-off anybody it would be Glen Branson, Roy’s sidekick who is played by Richie Campbell.
“He came about when I was out with the police way back in the 90s and I was put in the patrol car for the day and this great big tall black guy with a shaven head called Glen Douglas.
“I really liked him and I asked him how old he was and he said 32. I said ‘oh and you’re still a PC? are you going to go for a promotion’ and he said he’d only been in the police for a year and it was his first week out of probation.
“He was a night club bouncer and said ‘when my kid was born, I looked down at him when he was in his cot and I though one day you’re going to go to school and somebody is going to ask what your dad does for a living and I want you to say something you’re proud of’.”
Peter, 76, added: “I just thought, you’ve got to be a character, he would be a good sidekick.
“The real-life Glen knows and he’s absolutely delighted.”
John Simm, 54, has been playing Detective Superintendent Roy Grace since 2021.
Meanwhile, ITV previously confirmed Grace would return for a sixth series on the channel.
Grace returns this Sunday at 8pm on ITV1 and ITX.
Crime dramas on ITVX
Crime drama buffs have a wide selection of choices on ITVX - here is a selection of some of the programmes available to binge.
- Professor T: Based on a Belgian TV series of the same name, former Death in Paradise lead Ben Miller plays the title character. Professor Jasper Tempest is a criminologist with OCD who helps the police solve crimes. The cast also includes Emma Naomi, Barney White and Andy Gathergood.
- The Beast Must Die: This series follows a mother’s grief for her son, who was killed in an accident. Nicholas Blake’s novel of the same name has been adapted for the programme. Stars include Cush Jumbo, Jared Harris, Billy Howle and Geraldine James.
- Red Eye: Starring Richard Armitage, Jing Lusi and Lesley Sharp star in this six-part thriller, which mostly takes place during an all-night flight between London and Beijing. With dead bodies piling up and a mystery to unravel, the heroes must work fast to get to the truth.
- The Twelve: This Australian drama originally aired as a miniseries in 2022, with the episodes dropping in the UK in February 2023. Four months later, the show was renewed for a second season. Jurassic Park star Sam Neill stars in the leading role of barrister Brett Colby.
- Manhunt: Martin Clunes stars in this drama based on true murder investigations. Series one focused on the death of Amélie Delagrange, which took place in 2004, while the second depicted the search for serial rapist Delroy Grant.