“Better than Grantchester”: 7 “hidden gem” James Norton dramas to watch on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more

There’s no doubt that if James Norton is in the cast, we’re going to tune into whatever he’s starring in. Whether he’s terrifying us as Happy Valley’s Tommy Lee Royce or charming us as the formidable fixer Sean Rafferty in House Of Guinness, he always steals the show. We’ve worked our way through his back catalogue to bring you his lesser-known must-see dramas that you’ll want to tune into this week.

From a period murder mystery drama that’s even better than Grantchester, to a brilliant biographical film about the pioneers of IVF treatment and a mind-bending psychological thriller – we’ve got something for whatever mood you might be in. So, remotes at the ready, here are seven hidden-gem James Norton dramas to watch this week on Netflix, ITV, the BBC and more.

Death Comes To Pemberley

Imagine Jane Austen collides with an Agatha Christie murder mystery and you have Death Comes To Pemberley – which, in our opinion, is even better than Grantchester. It's 1803, six years after Pride And Prejudice, Elizabeth (Anna Maxwell Martin) and Darcy (Matthew Rhys) are preparing to host their annual Lady Anne Ball at their impressive Pemberley estate. The guests include Georgiana Darcy (Eleanor Tomlinson) and her two potential suitors – Colonel Fitzwilliam (Tom Ward) and Henry Alveston (James Norton), an impressive young lawyer. However, a bloodcurdling scream brings the festivities to a halt. Lydia Wickham (Jenna Coleman) tumbles from a carriage crying murder, transforming what should have been a lavish celebration into a gripping whodunit. Death Comes To Pemberley is available to watch now on U.

Flatliners

In this sci-fi remake of the 1990 film, five medical students become obsessed with discovering what happens when you die. Troubled Courtney (Elliot Page) recruits her classmates Jamie (James Norton) and Sophia (Kiersey Clemons) to conduct an experiment where they use defibrillation to stop her heart for a minute. When she wakes up euphoric, she wills the others, including Ray (Diego Luna) and Marlo (Nina Dobrev), to try it – however, the groups keep pushing the limits and extending the time period that they’re out for. Suddenly, things take a dark turn – and they all face haunting visions revolving around trauma they’ve tried to suppress. Flatliners is available to watch now on NOW.

Joy The Birth of IVF

For a feelgood watch, this biographical drama takes us back to 1978, when the world’s first ever successful IVF birth took place. The first ‘test-tube baby’, Louise Joy Brown, was the result of years of tireless work and research from surgeons, scientists and embryologists. But until Joy, the story has been told through a male lens, often neglecting the instrumental role of Jean Purdy (Thomasin McKenzie), a young nurse and embryologist who assisted scientist Robert Edwards (James Norton) and surgeon Patrick Steptoe (Bill Nighy) in pioneering the revolutionary process. Joy The Birth of IVF is available to watch now on Netflix.

To Walk Invisible

Now we’re travelling back to the 1840s for the story of the literary legends, the Brontë sisters. The drama follows Emily (Chloe Pirrie), Charlotte (Finn Atkins) and Anne (Charlie Murphy) as they cope with their brother Branwell’s (Adam Nagaitis) descent into alcoholism, while discovering writing could be their escape. Norton makes a memorable cameo appearance as a Duke of Wellington toy soldier during the sisters’ childhood games. This scene hints at how their extraordinary imaginations would later define their lives. To Walk Invisible is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.

Things Heard & Seen

This chilling film shows a darker side of James as he plays George, the husband to New York artist Catherine (Amanda Seyfried). After George lands a job as a professor at a liberal arts college, they swap Manhattan for a secluded country home upstate. Catherine’s forced to ditch her dream city life and career, and soon uncovers a darkness lurking in both the walls of the spooky home she inhabits – and in her marriage to George. Things Heard & Seen is available to watch now on Netflix.

Playing Nice

It’s time for another mind game. This drama follows former journalist Pete (played by James) and his wife Maddie (Niamh Algar), a chef, as they live out a seemingly perfect life in Cornwall until they cover a devastating secret. Their son Theo isn’t theirs biologically – he was switched with another child at birth. Then, they come face-to-face with his biological parents Miles (James McArdle) and Lucy (Jessica Brown Findlay) and face an impossible dilemma. Do they keep the son they’ve raised and loved for three years, or do they reclaim their biological child? Playing Nice is available to watch now on ITVX.

Belle

Inspired by a remarkable true story, Belle follows Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the illegitimate and biracial daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral (Matthew Goode), who’s raised by her aristocratic relatives. Trapped between prejudice and privilege, Dido finds herself torn between two suitors – aristocrat Oliver (James Norton) and idealistic lawyer John Davinier (Sam Reid). As romance blooms, she becomes embroiled in a landmark legal case that could help challenge slavery in England. Belle is available to watch now on Disney+.