Photo credit: ITV
DEAD IF YOU DON’T, the first episode of Series 5 of the hit Brighton-based detective drama GRACE, aired on Sunday 6th April on ITV. GRACE is based on the internationally bestselling Detective Superintendent Roy Grace books by Peter James.
The opening episode achieved average viewing figures of 3 million, an increase of 500,000, surpassing ITV1’s slot average of 2.6 million viewers. GRACE dominated the evening’s other television offerings on BBC1, BBC2, Channel 4 and Channel 5 with a 26.6% share of viewing across the channels between 8pm and 10pm.
Series 5 sees the return of John Simm as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace for another four feature length films (4 x 120 minutes) which will continue to air on ITV1 and ITVX. Also reprising their roles for Series 5 are Richie Campbell (Top Boy, Stephen) who plays DS Glenn Branson, Zoë Tapper (Liar) as Cleo Morey, Laura Elphinstone (Chernobyl) as DS Bella Moy, Brad Morrison (Outlander) as DC Nick Nicholl and Sam Hoare (The Castaways) as ACC Cassian Pewe.
Further episodes of Series 5 will be based on books from the Peter James series: DEAD AT FIRST SIGHT, NEED YOU DEAD and FIND THEM DEAD.
The opening episode of GRACE, based on the first Roy Grace novel, DEAD SIMPLE, was broadcast in March 2021. It was a TV Pick of the Day across all the major UK newspapers, appeared on ITV 1’s prime Sunday night slot and viewing figures quickly reached more than 8.8 million, with glowing reviews.
The second series was broadcast in 2022, starting with LOOKING GOOD DEAD, which like the subsequent episode NOT DEAD ENOUGH, topped the chart as most-watched UK TV show of the night. DEAD MAN’S FOOTSTEPS and DEAD TOMORROW followed. The popular streamer Britbox brought the GRACE series to US and Canadian viewers in 2021, followed by further world territories. The third series, DEAD LIKE YOU, DEAD MAN’S GRIP and NOT DEAD YET, began airing in March 2023 and the fourth series based on DEAD MAN’S TIME, WANT YOU DEAD, LOVE YOU DEAD and DEAD LIKE YOU was broadcast in September 2024.
The 20th book in the series, ONE OF US IS DEAD, will be published in paperback by Pan Macmillan on 10th April 2025. The 21st novel in the Roy Grace series will be published in October 2025.
Photo credit: Mark Dixon
About Peter James
Peter James is the international bestselling author of many award-winning novels. Peter writes both thriller standalones and the hugely popular Brighton-set Roy Grace series.
Peter’s books have been translated into thirty-eight languages, with worldwide sales of over twenty-three million copies and his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, set in Brighton, has given him 20 Sunday Times Number Ones. In 2015 WH Smith customers voted him the Greatest Crime Author of All Time and in 2016 he was awarded the coveted CWA Diamond Dagger, a lifetime achievement award for sustained excellence. In 2018 he received a Specsavers Honorary Platinum Bestseller Award and in 2024 he won four Silver Nielsen Bestseller Awards. Peter James has also written two books based on true crime stories, with former senior detective Graham Bartlett.
Peter took part in the launch podcast of the Queen’s Reading Room in January 2024, having had the Grace series featured on the Royal Reading Room previously. He appeared on the podcast again in June 2024, where he was named one of Her Majesty’s favourite crime writers and Roy Grace her favourite fictional detective!
Praise for GRACE
‘A stirring return’ – TV Times, 5-star review
‘Truly nail-biting TV and there were great performances, with Simm as watchable as ever as the shrewd, yet vulnerable Grace… With more to come later this year… I’ll certainly be tuning in.’ – Gwendolyn Smith, The i
‘There is a reason why Peter James’s novels have sold all over the world, and one of the main ones is that… Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is a well-written and believable character… Simm makes for a likeable lead and the atmospheric Brighton setting is well used.’ – Sarah Hughes, The Sunday Telegraph, ‘The Very Best of the Week Ahead’
‘Darkly compelling’ – Tim Oglethorpe, The Daily Mail
‘Simm gives [Roy Grace] a winning sense of humour beneath all the grit… Campbell is smooth foil, playing Branson quietly enough that Simm doesn’t have to be enormous to stand out. Brighton’s mix of pretty shoreline, faded glamour, criminal past and contemporary hipsterism makes it a ripe spot for some murder. The action feels rooted in its setting… It’s almost inconceivable Simm hasn’t already been in a long running franchise… and I expect the wait’s over.’ – Ed Cumming, The Independent
‘Few people do moody, angst-ridden men better than John Simm, who takes on the role of Grace. With so many books in hand, this series could run and run.’ – Prospect Magazine, ‘The best television shows in the UK this April’
‘Simm plays the lead with elegant understatement’ – Mail On Sunday
‘A very effective appetite-whetter… The unpretentious storytelling makes this an easy watch, helmed by the always watchable Simm.’ – The Mail on Sunday, ‘Pick of the Day’
‘Roy Grace doesn’t have any obvious gimmick to mark him out, but he swiftly establishes himself as a solid addition to the Sunday-night pack… Chilling.’ – James Jackson, The Times, ‘Critic’s Choice’
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