ITV has confirmed that the production of the sixth series of the acclaimed crime drama Grace is under way.

John Simm will be seen once more portraying Detective Superintendent Roy Grace as he rejoins forces with his castmates Richie Campbell, who appears as DI Glenn Branson, and Laura Elphinstone who plays DS Bella Moy on the set of the suspense-ridden show.

The key trio has been spotted donning their forensic garb, and with a clapper board in hand, announce the initiation of filming for four new independent films. These are adaptations of the best-sellers penned by the internationally esteemed author Peter James.

Series six will deliver gripping titles derived from James's work, including: Left You Dead, Picture You Dead, and One Of Us Is Dead.

Fans will also welcome back Zoe Tapper as Cleo Morey and Brad Morrison as DC Nick Nicholl. An exciting roster of guest stars is lined up featuring Rishi Nair, Ali Khan, Gurjeet Singh, Hannah McClean, Tamla Kari, and Sara Powell, reports the Mirror.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing where Roy's journey goes in this series."

expressed John Simm, who also shared his enthusiasm about his ongoing commitment to the show, "This is the longest I've been involved in any show! But it's such a joy to do, and to be surrounded by a team like this for large chunks of the year makes it impossible to turn down."

Following the wrap-up of Series 5 on ITV1 and STV last month, viewers can stream all episodes on ITVX and STV Player.

Initial figures suggest that the first episode has amalgamated an impressive six million viewers within a span of 28 days post-broadcast.

All five series combined have tallied up a staggering 16 million streams on ITVX, while series five alone accounts for over nine million of these streams.

The series was commissioned by Polly Hill, Director of Drama, and Huw Kennair Jones, Drama Commissioner, who oversees production for the broadcaster.

Phil Hunter, Executive Producer, expressed his delight: "Grace is such a joy to make so we are thrilled at how well received series five was. It's great to be back in Brighton with our brilliant and talented cast and crew to shoot another four episodes this summer."

Grace is available for streaming on ITVX and STV Player