The loveably quirky Father Brown (Mark Williams) cycles back on to the screens for a fourth series of mysteries in the sleepy Cotswold village of Kembleford.
Once again, he is aided by no-nonsense parish secretary Mrs. McCarthy (Sorcha Cusack), glamorous socialite Lady Felicia Montague (Nancy Carroll) and her chauffeur Sid Carter (Alex Price).
In this series a man missing for years returns just as his wife is about to remarry, but when he’s found dead, suspicion falls on those closest to him. The village gets a dose of Hollywood glamour when a film crew arrives.
And Sid’s romance with a brewer’s daughter gets complicated when he finds out she’s not only married and he is also her alibi for the night her father is murdered.
EPISODE GUIDE:
Episode 1: “The Mask Of The Demon” airs Saturday, April 30 at 8 p.m. - In black and white, dashing Henry meets Virginia in the hallway of Castle Hellion. Romantic chemistry builds between them, until Virginia asks for her line and it becomes clear we're on set of "Demon Brides," a horror B-movie directed by odious Vivian Wolsey. He berates 'Virginia', actually his wife Bebe and tells the new and younger apple of his eye Paulette to demonstrate how a line can be delivered with more innocence.
Meanwhile Mrs. McCarthy is up in arms about such ungodliness being filmed in Kembleford until Lady Felicia introduces her to her old chum and film star Rex Bishop who Mrs. McCarthy clearly has a crush on.
At a set tour the following day they discover Vivian's dead body with a demon's death mask stuck on his head. Father Brown is left wondering who is responsible and why would a successful actor like Rex star in a film like this?
Episode 2: “The Brewer's Daughter” airs Saturday, May 7 at 8 p.m. - A disheveled Sid wakes in his caravan to find a beautiful young woman Grace hurriedly getting dressed. She thanks him for a great night and mentions that her father owns the local brewery.
As Grace returns there she's horrified to see her lifeless father being carried out by firemen. When Sid later finds out that Grace is married she explains that she doesn't love her husband, her father arranged it so Harry would invest in the brewery. Sid is smitten once more.
Yet when a petrol can is found and the head brewer Martin claims he saw her last night before the fire, Grace is arrested by Inspector Mallory for her own father's murder.
Knowing Grace was with him but unable to say why, Sid asks for Father Brown's help to find the real culprit before time runs out for Grace.
Episode 3: “The Hangman's Demise” airs Saturday, May 14 at 8 p.m. - As Thomas Lightman is about to be hanged, he tells his executioner Henry that he didn't do it and whispers something in his ear. Henry deliberates then does his duty.
A year later at Edie and Henry's silver wedding anniversary, Thomas' mother Iris tells Henry that Thomas didn't kill his sweetheart Vera and she's heard it was someone called Max. Henry snaps and tells her to leave before progressing to get drunk and staggering out without giving a speech.
Meanwhile his best friend George asks Mrs. McCarthy out for lunch and, rattled, she declines. But when she finds George in Henry's garden the next day to accept his invitation she sees Henry collapse after drinking the tea that George made him.
When Father Brown arrives Mrs. McCarthy tells him that Henry's cup was spiked with Hemlock and that he only has hours left to live...
Episode 4: “The Crackpot of the Empire” airs Saturday, May 21 at 8 p.m. - Uncle Mirth emerges from St. Mary's church in a tailcoat and bowler hat, clutching a ventriloquist's dummy. As police officers follow and restrain him, Father Brown apologizes for his part in having him committed but Uncle Mirth calls him 'Judas'.
Two years later an invitation to his welcome home party intimates that Father Brown is forgiven, as Uncle Mirth's brother Henry's visit confirms. However as a jolly Henry leaves he becomes breathless and drops down dead, clutching his chest.
Saddened, Father Brown decides to go to the party to give Uncle Mirth the bad news, with Mrs. McCarthy as moral support. Yet when Father Brown arrives at the location for the party, a derelict building, he finds a death certificate with his own name on.
The party guests enter the building to find themselves trapped - and a film from Uncle Mirth tell them that everyone there is going to die...
Episode 5: “The Daughter of Autolycus” airs Saturday, May 28 at 8 p.m. - Marianne is kidnapped from her lodgings at Oxford University by Nero Hound, an enemy of her estranged father Flambeau.
Meanwhile it's reported that the Pope's Coronation gift to the Queen, the Pelagius Cross, will visit Gloucester en-route to Buckingham Palace accompanied by two papal envoys, Cardinal Bonipogio and Cardinal Papillon.
When Bishop Reynard decides to put the cross on display, Father Brown one of the few who knows what Flambeau looks like, offers to keep watch at the reception.
However Father Brown is surprised to find Flambeau at St. Mary's with a photograph of his kidnapped daughter inscribed: the jewel for her life.
Flambeau asks for Father Brown's help to steal the cross. Will the priest turn thief in order to aid his old adversary?
Episode 6: “The Rod of Asclepius” airs Saturday, June 25 at 8 p.m. - Mrs. McCarthy comes to regret accepting a lift from Lady Felicia when her new sports car veers off the road into a tree. They find themselves in adjoining beds at the local cottage hospital, stuck there for days while they await operations.
Lady Felicia suggests a transfer to Harley Street but chief surgeon Sir Malcolm is sure she wouldn't want to give a mixed message about her support for the National Health Service.
Meanwhile at the presbytery Father Brown and Sid's newfound freedom is at an end when the formidable Mrs. Steele arrives, as locum parish secretary in Mrs. McCarthy's absence.
The next day a routine operation inexplicably goes wrong when Mrs. Garrity dies on the operating table. Nurse Fletcher comes to the conclusion that it was actually murder, but before she can say any more she is murdered by a masked and gowned figure holding a scalpel...
Episode 7: “The Missing Man” airs Saturday, July 2 at 8 p.m. - Thirteen year old Milly can barely contain her upset as Father Brown weds her mother Meg to her father's brother Geoffrey.
However she's elated when the ceremony is interrupted by the return of her presumed dead RAF pilot father, Ned after eight years. His story of working as a spy fools no one but Milly and his father Arthur seems to wish his son really had been killed in battle during the war.
When he overhears that Ned is about to explain why he really disappeared, Arthur cleans his gun with menacing intent. The next morning Meg screams when she finds Ned on his bed with a gunshot wound to the temple, Arthur's gun in his hand.
Inspector Mallory thinks it's suicide but Father Brown points out there that are no powder burns on his hand, this was murder.
Episode 8: “The Resurrectionists” airs Saturday, July 9 at 8 p.m. - As Father Brown and Mrs. McCarthy search for mushrooms they stumble upon a road accident where a motorcyclist, Alexander has been decapitated.
Father Brown's attempts to pray for the deceased are rebuked by Doctor Harris as undertakers hurriedly place the body inside a hearse.
When Alexander's mother Ruth says a few words at his funeral she's angered by the presence of her old enemy Peter and shouts at him to leave. In the flat above Peter's undertakers Catherine chastises him for going, accusing him of deliberately provoking Ruth.
Later that night, Ruth's son Iain sees something out of the window, his face registering surprise then disbelief. Outside he frantically searches then collides with someone we don't see.
The next day Mrs. McCarthy tells Father Brown he'd better see this. Alexander's grave has been dug up - the coffin lies open and the body has vanished...
Episode 9: “The Sins Of The Father” airs Saturday, July 16 at 8 p.m. - Robert Twyman tells psychoanalyst Mordaunt that he's received a letter urging confession of something he refuses to talk about. If he doesn't confess, the letter claims his son will be murdered tonight.
Later Robert collects his son Calvin from the variety show rehearsal, where his opponent Rosie is keen to find out what piece he's playing on the piano. Calvin says it's a surprise.
Father Brown watches Mordaunt give a talk in the village hall, where he suggests to Lady Felicia that singing publicly is her way of gaining the attention her husband doesn't offer. Confronted with that notion, Lady Felicia finds she can no longer sing.
Meanwhile another letter arrives at the Twyman house, this time nothing but sheet music for Calvin. Later as he practices at the piano a shadow appears behind him and hands tighten around his neck. Calvin slumps to the floor, strangled to death...
Episode 10: “The Wrath of Baron Samedi” airs Saturday, July 23 at 8 p.m. - Haiti, night. At a frenetic ceremony Voodoo Priest Emmanuel summons the spirit of the dead Baron Samdi, who takes possession of a female vodouisant. Emmanuel wants Baron Samdi's blessing to do something worse than death to the Englishman that stole his love...
Sometime later a jazz band are stranded in Kembleford, comprising of Haitian singer Yveline, saxophonist Joseph, his son and bassist Tommy and Caribbean drummer Lloyd. B&B owners turn them away but a passing Father Brown is only too happy to let them stay at the presbytery, much to Mrs. McCarthy's chagrin.
When Emmanuel finds them there to take back Yveline Joseph stands his ground and claims they're getting married.
Later that night Father Brown wakes to the sound of breaking glass. Everyone converges in the kitchen, where they find a dead chicken on the floor, it's throat cut. Yveline is certain this is a warning...
A BBC Drama production in association with BBC Worldwide.
