Father Brown cycles back on screen to solve more mysteries in the sleepy Cotswold village of Kembleford in this charming series based on the short stories by G.K. Chesterton.
Each episode sees the inimitable priest investigate a crime in his own particular way, using intuition and psychology.
In Season 5, a Duke and Duchess visit the village at Christmas time, but the community is thrown into chaos when the couple’s baby boy goes missing.
When a female author is murdered, Father Brown turns to her novels for guidance. And when a boxer is found dead in suspicious circumstances, Father Brown uncovers a well-planned betting sting.
It’s a story full of deceit and betrayal, but who has been playing whom?
EPISODE GUIDE:
Episode 1: “The Star Of Jacob” airs Saturday, April 8 at 8 p.m. - Canon Fox (Roger May) pays a visit to inform Father Brown (Mark Williams) and Mrs. McCarthy (Sorcha Cusack) that the Duke of Frome, John Langton (Ray Coulthard) will be attending Christmas Mass at St. Mary’s.
This year the Bishop wants everything done by the book and Canon Fox will be there to make sure it all goes to plan...
Lady Felicia (Nancy Carroll) is delighted to welcome her cousin the Duke, his wife Diana (Zannah Hodson) and baby David to stay at Montague.
Later at the Yuletide ball Inspector Mallory (Jack Deam) is informed that the infant is missing. With a ladder against the nursery window, the Inspector surmises that the baby has been kidnapped; all they can do now is wait. Can Father Brown find the child in time for Christmas?
Episode 2: “The Labyrinth Of The Minotaur” airs Saturday, April 15 at 8 p.m. - An intruder enters Lady Felicia’s bedroom, snapping on the light to reveal her niece Bunty (Emer Kenny). She’s gone on the run after being photographed with a married man – can she stay with her favorite aunt?
Felicia asks Father Brown and Mrs. McCarthy to look after Bunty while she attends business in London. They visit Davina, Lady Malmort (Frances Barber) to see how wayward girl Ruby (Caitlin Drabble) is faring as the new maid. Davina’s son Bobby (Ed Cooper Clarke) is thrilled to see Bunty, insisting she stay for dinner.
That night Bunty finds Ruby in her room trying on a stole, which Bunty gives to her. The next morning Bunty discovers Ruby’s crumpled body outside and when Bunty’s blood-stained stole is found, Inspector Mallory arrests her as the prime suspect...
Episode 3: “The Eve Of St John” airs Saturday, April 22 at 8 p.m. - Lillith (Hara Yannas) walks through eerie Crows Wood with a feeling she’s being followed. She runs and trips, crashing to the ground. As she turns to face her attacker a stone bears down on her head...
Months later at the Kembleford parish council meeting Anglican Reverend Allsworthy (Oliver Gilbert) and Methodist Minister, Reverend Gillespie (John Sessions) report that the clergy have been tasked to form a committee to report about the moral threat of a coven in the village.
Father Brown points out that witches aren’t Satanists. However when the village drunk spies on an initiation ceremony in the coven, he’s terrified to see High Priest Eugene (Ken Bones) raise a sword to Dione's (Estella Daniels) breast.
When Inspector Mallory finds blood there the next day it would appear that the witches are not quite as benevolent as they maintain...
Episode 4: “The Chedworth Cyclone” airs Saturday, April 29 at 8 p.m. - Father Brown drops into Chedworth Boxing Club and sees London gangster Dennis Nelson (Martin Kemp) set Jeb (Chris Gordon) up for a crack at the Southern Area Belt at Cheltenham Town Hall.
As Dennis leaves, washed up fighter Roy (Nicholas Cass) begs him for a fight but all Dennis can offer is some door work. As the big fight approaches Roy angrily spars with Jeb and blood is drawn. Trainer Teddy (Bill Fellows) smells the whisky on Roy’s breath and tells him he’s finished at the club.
At the Red Lion, Father Brown and Bunty observe a bookie’s runner collecting bets – there’s plenty of money on Jeb to win. The next morning Father Brown and Teddy discover Roy’s body at the bottom of the stairs at the boxing club. When the police find blood upstairs a murder inquiry is opened... with Jeb as the prime suspect.
Episode 5: “The Hand Of Lucia” airs Saturday, May 6 at 8 p.m. - As notorious author Lucia Morrell (Hetty Baynes) shouts at some removal men outside her new house, a vase is dropped on her head from high above... Bunty is shocked to hear about the attack.
Lucia said in an interview she would reveal who Lulu, her sadistic former lover, was based upon in her next novel so perhaps someone was trying to protect their identity? Father Brown studies a list of 20 possible options and deduces that Lulu is most likely Lady Ursula.
Meanwhile Lucia visits Lady Ursula (Carol Royle) and asks for money as she can’t get a publishing deal. Lucia threatens to tell her son James (Kris Olsen) about their sordid past but Lady Ursula threatens her – she knows what she’s capable of.
Later when Father Brown and Bunty arrive at Lucia’s they learn that not only has she been murdered, but that her hand has been chopped off...
Episode 6: “The Eagle And The Daw” airs Saturday, May 13 at 8 p.m. - Father Brown visits a women’s prison to hear confession from Katharine (Kate O’Flynn) a woman waiting to be hanged for the murder of her husband. Under the seal of the confessional she tells him that she’s arranged the death of her former lover, Raymond (Benjamin Fisher). Was that terribly naughty of her?
Father Brown visits Raymond only to be startled by a gunshot – revealed to be Raymond scaring away an eagle. Raymond is packing up to leave Kembleford and entrusts Father Brown with a revolver inside a wooden box. His feelings of shame about Katharine give him dark thoughts and he doesn’t trust himself with it.
Father Brown crosses paths with Inspector Mallory, on his way to investigate the gunshot, who observes the gun box. When the Inspector finds Raymond’s body with a bullet wound to the head, he only has one suspect in mind...
Episode 7: “The Smallest Of Things” airs Saturday, May 20 at 8 p.m. - Father Brown arrives at a police event and runs into Inspector Mallory who clashes with his former boss DCI Webb (Colin Mace).
Mrs. McCarthy is shocked to see dioramas of murder scenes – what sick mind comes up with something like this? Wilber Lesser (David Yelland) says his daughter Agnes (Mariah Gale) does, as a teaching tool in the art of crime detection, they’re remarkable.
Later Agnes takes Father Brown to her workshop and shows him a diorama depicting the death of her mother, who fell down the stairs. When Agnes displays it for all to see, Wilbur loses his temper. As everyone files away DCI Webb, who was the original investigating officer, spots something in the diorama and takes it.
Soon after he’s found dead, a carpenter’s awl stabbed into his chest. With blood found on his coat, the prime suspect is Inspector Mallory himself, who is arrested for murder...
Episode 8: “The Crimson Feather” airs Saturday, May 27 at 8 p.m. - Mrs. McCarthy is delighted to have her daughter Joselyn (Eva Feiler) visit but Father Brown suspects there’s something untoward about her unscheduled appearance. Meanwhile at the Crimson Feather Club, manager Maurice (William Travis) lends some money to one of his dancers, Verity (Letty Butler). She’s going to be a very busy girl paying it off...
The next morning Mrs. McCarthy finds that Joselyn has disappeared – only a note and long red feather remain. Bunty examines the feather and says that one place springs to mind... Bunty infiltrates the club and is employed as a dancer, spotting Joselyn inside.
Father Brown manages to persuade Maurice to let him have a word with her but in her dressing room they find Verity’s dead body. Janek (Peter Stark) a polish bouncer stands over her with bloodied hands, but is he really responsible for her death?
Episode 9 “The Lepidopterist’s Companion” airs Saturday, June 24 at 8 p.m. - As Father Brown approaches Kembleford’s mobile library, Ada (Holly Bodimeade) emerges to ask for help. Margaret (Elizabeth Berrington) lies under a pile of books, pinned beneath a metal shelving unit. Father Brown is relieved to find that she’s still alive.
With Margaret now safe in bed, Mrs. McCarthy insists that she help in the mobile library until Margaret’s better. Her husband Graham (Andrew Greenough) shows them out through his photography shop, bumping into his scruffy assistant Lewis (Thomas Pickles).
Later Lewis tells Father Brown that he has a secret in the confessional, before running out. That night Graham and Margaret are woken by crashing below. Downstairs, Graham swings a cricket bat in the dark and it connects with a sickening thud. When he turns the lights on, Lewis lies at his feet, dead.
Inspector Mallory believes it’s reasonable self-defense but Father Brown suspects it’s not quite that simple...
Episode 10: “The Alchemist’s Secret” airs Saturday, July 1 at 8 p.m. - Professor Ambrose (James Laurenson) goes to see his old friend Father Brown to ask for help - he’s been followed ever since he came into possession of the diary of the university’s architect.
It claims that the location of the alchemist’s secret is hidden in a riddle – the key to the lock to the door. Mrs. McCarthy and Bunty accompany them to Gloucester University where Principal Malcolm (Danny Webb) allows student Timothy (Richard Southgate) to borrow a ceremonial key.
When the absent minded Professor goes missing, Father Brown sees if he’s with Timothy. He’s saddened to find Timothy’s body in his bedroom, his head bashed in with a polo mallet.
When the key that Timothy took turns up in the Professor’s room, Inspector Mallory arrests him for murder, leaving Father Brown determined to prove his innocence.
Episode 11: “The Sins Of Others” airs Saturday, July 8 at 8 p.m. - Recently released from prison, Sid buys a gun outside his caravan. The next day Father Brown reunites Sid with Bunty and Mrs. McCarthy, who insists on cooking him a hot meal.
When Sid leaves suddenly, Father Brown follows him to a function where Edward Reece (Simon Shepherd) is honoring his latest judicial appointee Giles (David Reed). Sid confronts Giles, his former defence barrister, accusing him of burying a witness statement which suggests that his supposed victim of assault was coerced into incriminating Sid.
Edward sees the commotion and orders Sid and Father Brown off the property. But Sid runs back and as Father Brown follows a scream is heard. Giles has been killed, a broken champagne glass in his throat.
When Edward’s son Randolph (Alex Felton) tells Inspector Mallory that Sid did it, Sid is quickly arrested. Can Father Brown clear his name this time?
Episode 12: "The Theatre Of The Invisible" airs Saturday, July 15 at 8 p.m. - Father Brown accompanies Mrs. McCarthy to a heat for the BBC Radio Quiz "Up To You" in the village hall. Producer Jeremy ushers them through, where Richie (Arthur Bostrom) is the announcer, Joyce (Jessica Turner) sings the theme tune and Barney (John Henshaw) is the ebullient quiz master.
Curmudgeonly landlady Mrs. Rudge (Lynda Baron) is unfairly eliminated while Bunty and Mrs. McCarthy sail though to go head to head on the live show next week. Afterwards at her boarding house, Mrs. Rudge is vile to the BBC cast and reveals she’s even read Richie’s salacious diary.
Later when Jeremy returns with Bunty they’re shocked to find the guesthouse on fire. As Mrs. Rudge’s corpse is removed, Inspector Mallory pronounces it an accident but when Father Brown looks closer he finds a device in the chimney designed to block it. Mrs. Rudge was murdered...
Episode 13: “The Tanganyika Green” airs Saturday, July 22 at 8 p.m. - Father Brown welcomes Aldous (Richard Huw) and his daughter Grace (Pepter Lunkuse) to Kembleford, who are visiting for the County Fair. They’ve recently moved from Tanganyika and are on the lookout for a medical school for Grace.
Excited about the antiques marquee, Mrs. McCarthy can’t wait to have her heirloom broach valued. At the Red Lion, Bunty offers a room at Montague to antiques expert Wynford (Miles Jupp) who isn’t happy with the accommodation at the inn.
The next morning Grace finds her father’s body the floor of his room. As Father Brown comforts her, Inspector Mallory arrests Grace, accusing her of giving her father sleeping pills that interfered with his malaria medication, after she found out that he could no longer fund her education.
Father Brown however believes Grace’s grief is genuine and is determined to find the real culprit...
Episode 14: “The Fire In The Sky” airs Saturday, July 29 at 8 p.m. - William (Nick Dunning) chases his daughter Charlotte (Allegra Marland) through the dark woods behind his house. His vision distorts and he falls to his knees. The next day, Father Brown and Mrs. McCarthy visit a disorientated William who says that Charlotte’s gone.
Later Charlotte staggers into the police station, shouting that "it’s trying to get out." She loses consciousness and is taken to Kembleford Cottage Hospital where Dr Ashley (David Sturzaker) and nurse Alisha (Kiran Sonia Sawar) treat her.
When a young man Sean (Sam Jackson) arrives to see how she is, William erupts, telling him to go. Father Brown discovers that Sean was William’s gardener who was recently sacked. That night William panics as he sees an alien shape through the window.
The next day his body is found in a locked room and Father Brown suspects he’s been poisoned...
Episode 15: “The Penitent Man” airs Saturday, Aug. 5 at 8 p.m. - Flambeau (John Light) is incarcerated under suspicion of murder. When Father Brown visits him he denies killing his cohort Flynn (Callum Dixon) and asks the priest to hear his confession if he’s convicted.
Flynn’s wife Peggy (Emma Pallant) later tells Father Brown that she witnessed Flambeau dragging Flynn’s body to the river and throwing it in.
At the presbytery, Mrs. McCarthy thinks that Flynn is still alive and has framed Flambeau. Father Brown leaves the surveillance to her and Bunty while he attends Flambeau’s pretrial hearing. He’s shocked to hear Flambeau plead guilty then be sentenced to death by hanging.
Meanwhile, Bunty and Mrs. McCarthy spy Flynn through the window at Peggy’s house and manage to escape after they’re seen.
However Father Brown has realized that Flambeau isn’t the victim in all of this, he’s the architect. But what if his plan backfires?
FATHER BROWN Season 5 is available for purchase in iTunes.
CREDITS:
A BBC Drama production in association with BBC Worldwide. Producer is Caroline Slater. Executive Producer is Will Trotter (LAND GIRLS, THE CORONER).
