I’ve been looking for a binge-worthy comfort mystery series for a long time, but for some reason I’ve always shied away from Grantchester (2014-). That all ended last week when I finally sat down and decided to give it a shot. Twenty episodes later, I’m hooked and have become something of a Grantchester convert.
Set in the early-1950s, the first four seasons of show focuses on hottie war-hero turned village vicar, Sidney Chambers (played by the gorgeous James Norton) and his complex relationships with his parishioners, neighbors, lovers, and above all, his BFF Detective Inspector Geordie Keating (played by one of my favorites, Robson Green). Since I haven’t yet gotten to the fourth season where Norton’s character is replaced by another hottie vicar (as is always the case with British shows… they inevitably rotate whichever character you fell in love with for someone else), I’ll be focusing this post on a fashion overview of the first three seasons, which take place between the years 1952 and 1955, give or take. Each episode explores Sidney’s messy interpersonal connections, which he tries to studiously avoid by distracting himself with solving the murder of the week. It’s charming, just trust me.
Now, the 1950s aren’t usually a period in fashion that I usually get excited about, but there’s a lot in Grantchester that has me rethinking my stance on the clothing in that decade. According to IMDB, Emma Fryer (The Great) was the costume designer for Season 1, and Sam Perry (A Gentleman in Moscow) took over for Seasons 2 and 3. I didn’t really notice any major shift in costume continuity between the two designers — both seemed to have maintained the same level of quality and aesthetic to make the change over between the first two seasons imperceptible. While the menswear is surprisingly varied for an era that really didn’t have a lot of variation, the women’s clothes are predictably the most interesting aspect of this show.
You can catch Grantchester (2014-) on PBS if you’re in the states! Watch it and tell me what you think in the comments!
Find this frock flick at:
I’m a little torn by the mention of ‘Anti German bigotry’ – on the one hand it’s almost always unfair to hold the individual responsible for the crimes of their homeland; on the other hand given that Germany and the Germans had spent a significant chunk of the previous decade grinding across Europe, North African and points east, killing a truly chilling amount of Europeans in the process and doing their level best to subjugate all the others (Amongst other populations), it’s a trifle unfair to describe anyone holding a Serious Prejudice against that particular nationality as a ‘bigot.’
At least not in the 1950s, when this wasn’t so much ‘history’ as ‘backstory’ (Also, in all honesty it depends on the specific display of prejudice: not all prejudice is bigotry, but some of it absolutely is).
Anyway, I cop to having never watched GRANTCHESTER: I was always more of an ENDEAVOUR & FOYLE’S WAR fan.
How is it that in a modern TV series there are no blacks, lesbians, gays, queers with purple hair?)))
1) What even is this comment and 2) I guess you skimmed right past the characters of Johnny and Leonard then?
Not much purple hair in mid-century Britain. Plenty of (mostly) closet queers, and a growing number of black immigrants/citizens.
Don’t bother, it’s just another sad troll who thinks that having to see anyone who isn’t a straight, cis, white Christian represented in media is a violation of their civil rights.
You’re boring.
It’s so funny when bigots try and claim some kind of moral high ground, as if your purpose in commenting in the first place wasn’t to be insulting. Your entire premise is ignorant and primitive, and you are being treated with as much respect as your trolling deserves, if not more.
What you apparently think of as a gotcha, “what if a black historical figure was played by a white man,” is something called whitewashing. And we don’t have to imagine it at all, because it was the norm in media for most of the history of film. Characters who were literally anything other than white, whether they were entirely fictional or based on real people, were either retconned to be white or played by white actors in black, yellow, or brownface. This isn’t even something that can be weakly excused with “oh, that was a long time ago,” either. When Laurence Fishburne played Othello, it was in the first major studio adaptation of the play to star a black actor in the title role. It came out in 1995.
There is a massive difference between whitewashing and colorblind casting. If you can’t understand that difference, that’s a you problem. I do not have the time, the obligation, or the crayons to help you grasp the nuances of the history of race in media. Now go rage bait to make up for the attention you’re not getting at home somewhere else, I’ve got better things to do.
Sorry didn’t think “Fur” would sink that low. Deleted & banned!
Every vicar in this show is dishy.
So much murder!
But the evolution of Mrs C is wonderful, and Leonard’s later plot line will break your heart.
As the show transitions into the 1960s the costumes stay true.
Love, love, love this series!!!! The vicars are always HOTTTTT and the costumes are always beautiful. And yes, the acting, cast chemistry, character arcs and setting are all amazing, too!!!!
Grantchester nicely slots into my trifecta of ‘religious folk solving murders’ cozy mysteries alongside Father Brown and Sister Boniface. Though I’ll admit of the three I prefer Grantchester and Sister Boniface for how the leads work with the police, instead of constantly being at odds with them as Father Brown often is.
Green (elegant in his fashion) and Norton (those droopy lower lids…) are a great team. Amanda’s character always irritated me, though, despite her impressive wardrobe.
Me too. Amanda may have had great clothes, but she was the worst.
I devoured James Norton’s seasons in Grantchester, and was sad to see him go, but I look forward to the next dishy vicar and whomever comes after him! I had to take a break after Norton so I could exhale! I was happy to see that the hairstyles were pretty accurate through out, although Norton was often tousled! In the first season I couldn’t tell if he was blond or red-headed, depending on the indoor or outdoor lighting. By his final season, he verges on brunette! No matter. Love this series. Thanks so much, I hope you will catalogue seasons 4 thru ?
Grantchester just completed its 10th season so you have a lot of ground to make up! I think the show got better as it went along. Amanda was a pain in the ass, dithering between Sidney and her husband!
The mysteries almost don’t matter; they are the occasions for the characters to show who they are.
Busy binging this show now, excellent recommendation! And want to point out to Kendra that in the episode with the Romani people, they have legitimate lurchers (gotta love that attention to pupper detail, along with the great costumes).
Really love this show. The details are accurate. As I type this I look up and see a flat, white, structured hat exactly like the one my mother wore in the 50s. I enjoy the accuracy of the costumes to the time.