BritBox Sets Premiere Date for Tenth Anniversary Season of 'Father Brown'

Mystery series are a staple of the British entertainment industry, so much so at you might be forgiven for wondering if every English citizen just happens to be a part-time crime solver on the side. Because if you go by what you see on the screen in these series, pretty much anyone can apparently partner up with their local constabulary to help bring criminals to justice, from restaurant owners and book publicists to PR professionals and retirees. Or, in the case of the long-running cozy mystery series Father Brown, a Roman Catholic priest who....also happens to solve crimes. (It's true, the vicars of Grantchester are not alone in their penchant for mixing spiritual and temporal duties in this way.)

Based loosely on the short stories by G.K. Chesterton, Father Brown is set during the 1950s and stars Mark Williams (Harry Potter) as the titular man of the cloth. As the series' tenth season begins, it's 1954 in the sleepy Cotswold village of Kembleford and new characters and familiar friends are Father Brown's team of sleuths. Dashing Chief Inspector Sullivan (Tom Chambers) has returned to town and immediately catches the eye of the lively new parish secretary, Mrs. Devine (Claudie Blakey), while plucky new housekeeper Brenda (Ruby-May Martinwood) finds herself joining in on her boss's crime-solving activities.

Fan favorites John Burton (Doctors), Nancy Carroll (Murder in Provence), and John Light (North and South) are all returning alongside Williams. But as many viewers have likely already heard, Season 10 does have some notable absences, including Sorcha Cusack (A Discovery of Witches) as Mrs. McCarthy, Jack Deam (Ridley) as Inspector Mallory, and Emer Kenny (Karen Pirie) as Bunty Windermere.