Until the middle of last season, I would have voted a solid 10. However, the more recent episodes have had uneven scripts and acting. Feel they are reaching and not quite making it.(SPOILER ALERT! With the character changes this season, I see it going downhill already. Very sad.)

Kenneth More makes for a rather interesting Father Brown. His Brown while a Jesuit is more of a 21st Century humanist rather than a 20th Century priest. He is not so much a deductive reasoner as an inductive one. And he does share a quality with the master of deductive reasoning, Sherlock Holmes, in that he like Holmes does not necessary object that the criminal set his own end rather than wait to be brought to justice. Not quite an appropriate Catholic conviction. While Chesterton wrote 52 stories, this series ended with a mere 13 stories; far too few. And not all of the dramatizations are equally good but More is interesting to watch as a very erudite but self-effacing priest whose interest in puzzles makes him a rather capable detective. Nonetheless, this short but basically well executed series is worth a look. If nothing else it might bring the viewer to become a reader of Chesterton's stories.

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.

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.