Set during the early 1950s in the fictional Cotswold village of Kembleford, Father Brown is the seemingly ordinary and unassuming priest at the local parish. A kind hearted soul, Brown nevertheless possesses a keen eye for detail and a nose for sniffing out suspects, so it's no wonder he tends to get involved in any wrongdoing in the area, much to the dismay of the local police inspector who often ends up following the wrong leads until the clever clergyman sets him right.
Helping Brown out on his sleuthing quests from time to time is Sidney Carter, a crafty local lad. Although Carter has a background of petty crime and black market activity, his sly, streetwise know-how often proves invaluable and Brown eventually employs him as the church's handyman to try and keep him on the straight and narrow.
The show is based upon the character of Father Brown created by G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936), a prolific writer, critic and theologian, but only loosely follows his short stories and has added mostly original tales since the start of the show.
Father Brown had not been seen on TV since 1974, when actor Kenneth More portrayed him for a single series, but producer John Yorke was inspired to resurrect the character after hearing a radio documentary about G. K. Chesterton presented by former MP Ann Widdecombe.
And so, the puzzle-solving priest, brilliantly embodied by actor and comedian Mark Williams, has made a welcome return to our screens and proved a huge hit with the viewing public. Five series of the show have aired to date. Will there be any more? Well, you'll just have to keep the faith...