Cosy crime series Father Brown continues to go from strength to strength, with a 12th season about to be released and a 13th having already been commissioned.
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RadioTimes.com went on set to watch the filming of season 12 along with other press, and spoke with Mark Williams, who plays the titular priest and crime solver, who reflected on the show's continued popularity.
Williams said: "Well, people keep saying they're surprised that it's a success, and I get a bit like, 'Why? Why are you surprised?'
"We take great care. We have great casts. We have a team of writers, we don’t just have one writer, so that means that we have a very varied and kind of ambitious 10 episodes, where we're not relying on one person to generate everything.
"We’ve got a very committed team who have been with us for a long time. So I don’t really see any reason why it wouldn’t be a success.
"Also, we’re absolutely committed to telling the story. It's not about making points or being new, it’s about telling the story every week."
Father Brown. BBC Studios/Gary Moyes
The new season will see all of the central cast returning, including Williams, Tom Chambers, Claudie Blakley, Ruby-May Martinwood and John Burton.
Martinwood also spoke with RadioTimes.com and other press, and revealed one change which has been made for the new batch of episodes: "I think what they're doing for the first time ever, really, is they're following on episode storylines, so there's a through line now, which hasn't really happened before.
"Obviously with Miss D and the inspector, and Eddie and Brenda, there’s a bit of a follow-through line now, which I think is great because it keeps people hooked."
One of the storylines the season will track is the upcoming wedding of Chief Inspector Sullivan and Mrs Devine, after the proposal at the end of season 11.
This will come to a head in the season finale, when a surprise visit from Sullivan's father throws their preparations into turmoil.
Father Brown returns on Friday 10th January at 2pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
