Father Brown

1974

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1
6.9| 0h30m| TV-PG| en| More Info
Released: 26 September 1974 Ended
Producted By: BBC Drama Productions
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

Father Brown was a Catholic priest who doubled as an amateur detective in order to solve mysteries.

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BBC Drama Productions

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Reviews

Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.
Brightlyme i know i wasted 90 mins of my life.
WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.
Bessie Smyth Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.
jonfrum2000 I've been listening to the BBC radio adaptations of the Father Brown stories with Andrew Sachs in the lead role. I have to say I much prefer Sachs' version of Father Brown, but this series is perfectly good with Kenneth More in the role. Considering when the series was made, the production is reasonably good, and the acting, while occasionally stiff, is fine overall. Some changes are made from the stories, which I have no problem with. Of the episodes I've seen so far, none have been damaged by the changes. It is important that Father Brown is a Catholic priest, and not just another amateur detective, and in this sense some of the religious reference seem to have been taken out of the stories. This subtracts from the distinctive flavor of the stories, but it plays fine on television.You won't get the production values or the acting found in the later Christie series, but these are well worth trying if you favor British detective/mystery series. I'm certainly happy I found them, and I'll be watching them one per night until I've through the lot.
BaronBl00d First-rate adaptations in their time of G. K. Chesterton's clerical detective Father Brown. The series which aired in 1974 unfortunately has only 13 episodes in it. Having re-watched them all again(having seen them probably in the late 70s on Mystery I think), the stories, the detective, and the productions all hold up today with rather small problems. Yes, these episodes are somewhat stagy and plodding at times - much like the stories can be. Father Brown is no Sherlock Holmes when it comes to action nor does he have the hubris one associates with Hercule Poirot or a Lord Peter Whimsey. He is more like an accelerated Miss Marple in both action and demeanor. Kenneth More plays the priest to perfection I think. Father Brown was a very inconspicuous character in the stories, but that just won't do for television if you want any viewers. More gives Brown some warmth, charisma(as earlier stated by another reviewer), and roundness as a priest and as a human being. He makes this series work and is incredibly fun to watch. The episodes are very faithful in most cases to the source material with some changes, but each episode has solid direction, good character acting, a puzzle albeit at sometimes a complicatedly-woven one, and More at its center. Some of the stellar episodes are: The Eye of Apollo in which Father Brown matches wits with a religious huckster, The Three Tools of Death which is about death from a very intriguing manner, and The Arrow of Heaven - again a rather neat little mystery. Throughout the episodes you will see the likes of actors such as: Ferdy Mayne(The Fearless Vampire Killers - vampire), Benard Lee(M in James Bond films), Shelia Keith(Pete Walker films like House of Whipcord and Frightmare and one scary actress just in general), and Dennis Burgess plays Hercule Flambeau in several episodes. If you are the mood for a thought-provoking mystery, try a little priest.
boomcoach If, like my wife and myself, you have run through the BBC's various Christie series, these are a good find. They are a bit dated, but I prefer a good story to a click production. More is an excellent Father Brown, soft-spoken, witty, but sharp and persistent.These stories are from a bit earlier in the mystery genre than most adaptations, and this dates the series as much as the productions. Chesterfield's stories tend to be more "howdunit" than "whodunit", with the focus less on the characters than on the murder itself. This can be a problem, at times, but it can be very good, especially when combined with good characters.
Vaughan Birbeck I saw the series when it was first broadcast in the UK in 1974. I can't remember it ever being repeated which is perhaps why it has slipped from public memory. The stories also share the problem of the original material: Father Brown seems to pop up everywhere for no real reason, never in an established location with a regular supporting cast. Viewers like to become familiar with characters and their surroundings.I have just managed to obtain the complete series on DVD and I'm pleased to find they hold up very well. Some of the technical aspects are a little dated: camera movements and editing have a definite 1970's feel, as does the abrupt jump from video in studio scenes to very grainy 16mm film on location. The series was a prestige project for Lew Grade's ATV (taking on the BBC in the 'classic literature' department). Grade was so determined to cast Kenneth More (who didn't feel he had a very priestly image) that he personally telephoned the actor every day for almost a year, saying: "Good morning, Father. How's Father Brown this morning?" Finally More gave in and replied: "Bless you, my son."More's performance, of course, is the axis around which all the stories revolve. He has great charm and a wonderful way with witty one-liners (I almost suspect More ad-libbed these). He can also suggest Father Brown's knowledge of human nature and our capacity for evil, showing how the priest is more saddened than shocked when this is revealed (such as the coin collector/miser in "The Head of Caesar"). Another highlight is his intellectual duel with Arnold Aylmer about the nature of evil in "The Dagger with Wings". These pieces of exposition are, for me, the highlight of the series.As you can see, I'm a real fan! If you're tired of Miss Marple and bored with Hercule Poirot. If you want classic period detective stories which aren't Agatha Christie - I'd recommend giving Father Brown a try. The DVDs will certainly make regular appearances on my player.

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