Father Brown - any fans on here?

Silhouette Man

Are there any fans of Father Brown by G.K. Chesteron on here?

The new TV series started today at 2.10pm on BBC 1.

Any fans here of the earlier TV series with Kenneth More or the BBC Radio 4 plays with Andrew Sachs?

Thunderpussy

I'm a big fan of Agatha Christie, I've read all the Miss Marple and some of the Poirot. So
I do enjoy the Fr Brown TV series but do feel it's a bit Dumbed down as so far I've been
able to solve them all quite quickly.
I have heard some of the BBC4 Fr Brown plays and seem to remember them as being
a little more complicated.
Still it's much better than all the antiques and House buying shows they put on during
daytime.

Napoleon Plural

There's an old hardback edition in a Charing Cross bookshop currently.

AA Gill wrote about it in the Sunday Times Culture section last weekend, said it's very much a Catholic priest first and foremost, puts God at the front of everything, unlike CS Lewis.

Caught one episode this week, where he is up against some newfangled (for its time) cult. Not really a whodunit, more a howdoneit as the villain is main obvious. It's ok a bit Midsomer Murders. The lead could be a bit more charismatic, he's not really inhabiting the role but then again priests these days just don't come with that aura of goodness and unimpeachable wisdom that they used to have, you may as well focus it around a 1970s BBC DJ.

Silhouette Man

Napoleon Plural wrote:

There's an old hardback edition in a Charing Cross bookshop currently.

AA Gill wrote about it in the Sunday Times Culture section last weekend, said it's very much a Catholic priest first and foremost, puts God at the front of everything, unlike CS Lewis.

Caught one episode this week, where he is up against some newfangled (for its time) cult. Not really a whodunit, more a howdoneit as the villain is main obvious. It's ok a bit Midsomer Murders. The lead could be a bit more charismatic, he's not really inhabiting the role but then again priests these days just don't come with that aura of goodness and unimpeachable wisdom that they used to have, you may as well focus it around a 1970s BBC DJ.

Yes, I think they've updated the Father Brown stories to the 1950s from the 1910s/1920s. I've only seen two episodes as yet - 'The Hammer of God' and 'The Bride of Christ'.

Napoleon Plural

I caught a bit of the new episode and it doesn't work imo. The lead actor reminds me of ex Channel 4 racing tipster John McCirrick, he has that kind of brash pomposity. The problem with unofficial detectives like Miss Marple is that of course they have no business asking questions of anyone, so you have to get past that. They must have a certain charm, conversational smoothness, so that if anyone refused to engage or cooperate, they would look very shifty indeed. But this actor, well, you'd just want to tell him to eff off, and you'd be in your rights to, he just seems like a busybody, with reverse charisma. He looks like the sort of pompous bloke that John Nettles in Midsomer Murders would come up against. It was the same with the recent actress to play Miss Marple, she had a hawkish way about her, you wouldn't even want to confide in her what you had for dinner.

Silhouette Man

Napoleon Plural wrote:

I caught a bit of the new episode and it doesn't work imo. The lead actor reminds me of ex Channel 4 racing tipster John McCirrick, he has that kind of brash pomposity. The problem with unofficial detectives like Miss Marple is that of course they have no business asking questions of anyone, so you have to get past that. They must have a certain charm, conversational smoothness, so that if anyone refused to engage or cooperate, they would look very shifty indeed. But this actor, well, you'd just want to tell him to eff off, and you'd be in your rights to, he just seems like a busybody, with reverse charisma. He looks like the sort of pompous bloke that John Nettles in Midsomer Murders would come up against. It was the same with the recent actress to play Miss Marple, she had a hawkish way about her, you wouldn't even want to confide in her what you had for dinner.

I see what you mean - not a fan, then?

The actor playing Father Brown was from The Fast Show...which was nice!

Napoleon Plural

It's watchable somewhat, but not compelling. Anyway, I'd have thought you were more into the books. Have you seen the versions with Kenneth More or Alec Guinness.

Silhouette Man

Napoleon Plural wrote:

It's watchable somewhat, but not compelling. Anyway, I'd have thought you were more into the books. Have you seen the versions with Kenneth More or Alec Guinness.

Yes, I've only just recently bought the Complete Stories of Father Brown from Wordsworth Classics!