Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I was so impressed by James Nortons' performance in `Death Comes To Pemberley' that I decided to check out other material in which he plays a main role. This program involves Sidney Chambers an Anglican Priest and former WWII vet who is the Cannon for the Anglican church in the village of Grantchester (near Cambridge). He supplements his time between pastoral duties by assisting the local police detective solve crimes. Think of him as the ecclesiastical version of Batman. The show is less about the mysteries that Sidney solves, than it is about an examination of British society in the post war period of the 1950's. Topics include racism, the class structure in England , euthanasia, marriage and homosexuality. There is also a frank look at the life of Sidney Chambers is suffering from PTSD as a result of what happened in the war. He could clearly be defined as a progressive minister who has a great need to be of service. However as the show goes on it appears as if he entered the ministry more as a means of assuaging his guilt and making amends than a sincere desire to serve God. He clearly is a man of faith and wants to use that faith to help others. But you also get the impression that he would not be a minister if it had not been for traumatic experiences he experienced in the battlefield. Still he makes a very inspirational figure due to the fact that he is not self-righteous or preachy, and displays many human relatable human failings. In all the program is okay, but I believe that there is much missing from the book and which should have been kept in the series in order to make it move along smoother. One of the biggest problems I had with the show was his long time friend Amanda Kendall (played by Morven Christie). She comes across as very unsympathetic in the role. Like a spoilt princess who decides that she wants to marry someone at her station...yet still expects Sidney to be at her beck and call and not move on. James Norton is the best thing in the entire program. Like his character Pemberley, he cuts quite the dashing figure. I don't think that I would ever have called a man in clerical garb `sexy' until now! I could argue that it's his weakest performance. But it has much to do with the fact that Sidney often comes across as a one dimensional goody-two shoes. But still I found him admirable. Strongly recommended for those who like British costume mysteries and fans of James Norton.