Father Brown

It is wonderful to see Father Brown move into its seventh series, the show is quite wonderful, it's such easy viewing, it's funny, of course it's intriguing, it's just a great family show. Of course I love the heavy and complex mystery dramas on virtually every week, but there are times when you just want to sit back and watch a cosy, safe murder mystery. Forty five minutes of engaging, entertaining mystery, a genre which had seemed almost dead. Mark Williams has managed to inject something into the character of Father Brown, his performances are superb, he's a joy to watch, as are all of the cast. There have been a few duff episodes, but for every bad one there's a quality one, the likes of The Owl of Minerva and The Bride of Christ, they are great viewing. It comes as no surprise to me that the show is a big international success, I love it.

I loved the early seasons. The introduction of Inspector Mallory made it less enjoyable, however. It isn't that he's a character we love to hate - that is pretty much a necessity in this type of show. It's that he is painfully overplayed, which is incredibly distracting. But if you can ignore his intrusion, the rest of the characters and the stories are a delightful way to step away from reality for a while. A lighthearted and clever show that I will often put on in the background as I'm working on projects.

We much more enjoyed the seasons staring Nancy Carroll as Lady Felicia and Tom Chambers. The character of Bunty is rather uninteresting and one dimensional, and Inspector Mallory is a stereotypical idiot. Also, the character of Syd is much missed in storylines, as well. Although Father Brown is, all in all, good entertainment, I do miss the earlier seasons.

I'm 28 and Canadian and i adore this show. How they manage to make a show about death, crime and mystery so charming, heartwarming and enjoyable is really remarkable. Most crime shows are so dark, bloody and upsetting. This show leaves you feeling happy, light hearted and a great feeling about humanity. Father brown is kind, smart and a really good person. Mrs M is my favorite, she's simply hilarious,strong willed and awesome. Although characters change or come and go, some good some bad, the final product is a great show. I've compared it to Murdoch but honestly i like this show better. Interesting, fun, suspenseful, and very enjoyable! Most people seem to need blood and violence and female nudity to make a good crime/mystery show but to me it's very refreshing to see innocence and integrity in a modern show. This show is great for kids or elderly. I'm up to season 8 and it's as good as ever! Can't wait for more.

Love father Brown, but season 11 is beyond boring. I used to look forward to new episodes, but this year I barely bother. It feels like Father Brown's actors just said "let's get through this year, pay us, and then we can retire." I love mysteries, police procedurals, etc. And just enjoy the ride without trying to figure out "who dun-it. But these episodes are so simplistic, I know who's done it without even making an effort.

The biggest problem, of course, was getting rid of Bundy and lady Felicia. There is now no access to the upper class with their peculiarities, their wealth, waywardness, mansions, free morals and the humor. No love/hate relationship between Mrs. McCarthy"s british steadfastness vs Lady Felicia aristocratic snootiness and Bundy's new found post-war bohemian wildness.. And all these quirky characters working with and against a setting featuring mid-century Catholic priest was the basis of Father Brown.

The two new protagonist, Mrs. Devine, a WW 2 war widow and new secretary and her assistant waif, although cute, really don't bring anything to the show...just middle class 1950 boredom. No drama, no tension, no surprises. So murders are no surprise either. The only brightness in this show is the wardrobe with the giant billowy skirts and tons of petticoats. Even the romance between Chief Inspector and Mrs. Devine is lackluster.

Flambeau finally shows up, and I was looking forward to his input, but this episode too was predictable and boring. Actually there is no mystery. The bad guy killed the guard.

Watch and rewatch seasons 1 to 10, jewel, or Mrs. McCarthy's strawberry but skip season 11. I never thought it could be this bad, Don't waste your time on season 11. . I would not be surprised if this show gets cancel, nobody is making an effort here.