Saving GRACE

JOHN SIMM on his welcome return as troubled Brighton cop Roy Grace

- SEAN MARLAND

GRACE NEW SUNDAY, 8PM, ITV DRAMA

John Simm captivated viewers during his first outing as haunted Detective Superintendent Roy Grace last year, and now he's back on the crime-solving case in Brighton as gripping ITV drama Grace returns for a full series.

The first of four feature-length episodes, Looking Good Dead, based once more on the bestselling novels of Peter James, opens with Grace and his sidekick, DS Glenn Branson (Liar's Richie Campbell), launching a murder enquiry after a woman's body is found dismembered on the outskirts of the seaside resort.

Their investigation soon leads them into the sinister, depraved world of illicit films, and as matters becomes more complex, old-school сор DS Norman Potting, played by Line of Duty's Craig Parkinson, steps in to lend a hand. Meanwhile, tough memories are stirred for Roy as he marks six years since his wife, Sandy, disappeared from their home without a trace.

TV Times joined Life on Mars' star John, 51, to go over his case notes...

Where do we find Grace at the start of the series?

He's in the doghouse because he consulted a medium, Harry Frame (played by Adrian Rawlins), during his investigation last year. That put the subsequent trial in jeopardy and now it could go either way. His boss, Assistant Chief Constable Alison Vosper (Rakie Ayola), is on at him as well, so his position is pretty precarious!

What can you tell us about this week's episode?