Fans of the long-running, beloved mystery series Father Brown have enjoyed 11 seasons to date of the divine detective’s insightful investigations of criminal activity and dogged pursuits of the truth. With Season 12 in production and Season 13 greenlit, there’s plenty more mysteries to solve ahead. If you’re not already in the know, the series follows a Catholic priest, brilliantly portrayed by Mark Williams, as he investigates various crimes around his tiny village of Kembleford. It’s jam packed with confounding cases, kooky characters and interesting relationships… everything we love from a British mystery series!

Armchair investigators can currently follow Father Brown Mondays to Fridays at 3pm ET / Noon PT on VisionTV. Whether you’re a dedicated fanatic or just getting into it, take a look at some of these fun facts about the series as we celebrate its 11th season! Plus, longtime viewers will know that another faithful investigator connected to the Father is getting her time to shine soon. The highly anticipated Season 3 of Sister Boniface Mysteries is premiering on VisionTV Mondays at 8pm ET / 5pm PT starting June 17, 2024. 

But for now, back to Father Brown Fun!

     1. Series star Mark Williams, who plays the titular Father Brown, is perhaps most recognizable by wider audiences for playing Mr. Weasley in the Harry Potter films. 

     2. Mark Williams was surprised to be cast as the lead role in Father Brown. He was raised as a Protestant, and had to gain deeper knowledge about Catholicism from a real Catholic priest who has been a consultant on the show.

    3. After playing the character of Father Brown for so long, Mark Williams has said that he’s never bored of him. He likes to try to find new ways to play the character, and keep the rhythm of how he speaks unpredictable, like playing Jazz.

    4. The character of Father Brown, first created in 1910 in the short story series by author G.K. Chesterton, served in WWI in the British Army. It was after serving that he realized his calling to be a priest, and he served again in WWII as a chaplain.

    5. The character was based on a real priest that Chesterton met, who influenced him in his own conversion to Catholicism. He felt that the man had a deep understanding of human evil after spending so long hearing confessions.

    6. Father Brown is terrified of heights and is forced to face his fears in several episodes.

    7. Father Brown’s first name is debated among fans. In the books, the author doesn’t use a first name, instead mostly referring to him as Father J. Brown. However, in one story, he is referred to as “Paul”.

    8. Most of the filming for Father Brown has taken place in the beautiful village of Blockley – a one-hour drive from Oxford.

    9. Father Brown doesn’t own a car, rather preferring to travel on foot or on the bike he has named “Bucephalus”.

    10. Rather than seeing huge viewership numbers after its initial release, Father Brown is more of a sleeper hit and became more successful as time went on and international sales have created a worldwide dedicated fanbase.

Watch Father Brown Mondays to Fridays at 3pm ET and join us for the premiere of Season 3 of Sister Boniface Mysteries Mondays at 8pm ET from June 17 throughout this summer.