The television industry faced great uncertainty in 2020.
Grantchester returns to ITV soon after an extended absence caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but co-star Robson Green has admitted he had doubts over whether the new episodes would be able to go before cameras.
The crime drama set in Cambridgeshire follows DI Geordie Keating (Green) and Reverend William Davenport (Tom Brittney) as they work together to solve difficult cases.
Series five concluded in February 2020, just prior to the pandemic, with ITV waiting several months before officially confirming a sixth instalment of Grantchester that summer.
This time was likely used to work out the logistics of filming a television drama in a pandemic environment, with restrictive new safety measures required to minimise risk of infection.
“I didn’t think it was going to happen,” Green told press. “I was making documentaries and I thought drama won’t be able to be made, especially looking at the theatre world where everything had unfortunately closed down.
“When I got the call that they’d worked out a system where, under COVID protocols we could make the show, it was fantastic! I was so glad to be back filming with everyone.”
Filming wasn’t without its challenges, with Green explaining he had some “anxiety” about acting during the pandemic, as wearing masks during rehearsals limited what expressions were possible.
He continued: “I couldn’t process what was actually happening, I was questioning my job. I had always thought eyes were the window to the soul but you need to see the whole picture so that was really difficult initially.
“However, there was a team there who were committed to getting the story told and when you see the outcome and the result of what we filmed, you would never know there was a pandemic going on, it’s extraordinary.”
ITV seems to be making up for lost time as the broadcaster has already renewed Grantchester for series seven, so we can expect plenty more from Geordie and the Reverend next year.
Grantchester series six premieres later this year on ITV. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.