GHOSTS of the past

RICHIE CAMPBELL and JOHN SIMM on the drama ahead for their top cops at work and at home...

- SEAN MARLAND

John Simm and Richie Campbell sit in an airless Brighton production office, swigging from their water bottles as the sun streams through a nearby window.

It’s mid-August and the acclaimed actors are spending the hottest day so far of 2024 filming scenes for ITV1’s Grace when they join TV Times on a video call to discuss Series 4 of the gritty crime drama.

‘We’re actually working on the fifth series at the moment,’ reveals John, mopping his brow. ‘We filmed the fourth one over a year ago, so you’ll have to bear with us while we remember what we were up to!’

Happily, it doesn’t take long for the pair to recollect this week’s opening story, Dead Man’s Time, which is based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Peter James.

The plot begins with a vicious robbery at the Brighton home of Aileen Daly (played by ex-Emmerdale star Carolyn Pickles), which draws Detective Superintendent Roy Grace (John), DI Glenn Branson (Richie) and the rest of their team into a puzzling investigation surrounding the theft of thousands of pounds worth of beautiful antiques.

But as Roy digs deeper, he’s soon unravelling a web of ancient grudges that leads him on a trail through the seaside resort in a quest to solve a mystery that has haunted Aileen’s brother, Gavin Daly (Hustle favourite Robert Glenister), for years.

Here, John, 54, and Richie, 41, share their case notes…

The first episode in this new four-part run is a different kind of case, isn’t it?