see below
To mark the centenary of the first publication of GK Chesterton's Father
Brown stories, BBC One Daytime has commissioned a new 10
part drama
series to be made by the BBC in Birmingham.
Developed by Tessa Finch, head of
development for BBC Vision Productions
and John Yorke,
controller of drama production, the new series will be
made at the BBC Birmingham drama village.
Executive Producers are Will Trotter and John Yorke. The
producer is Ceri Meyrick.
The
series, based on the fictional priest's early criminal investigations, features
Father Brown, the kindly cleric with his large umbrella and numerous brown paper
parcels. Outwardly bumbling and unworldly, this priest detective possesses a
sharp intelligence and limitless knowledge of men's evil.
With Salford in the ascendent, the BBC
is keen to show that BBC Birmingham is still in business.
John Yorke says; "This new commission
will see investment in Birmingham,
which is home to the
award winning Doctors, now in its 12th year, and
the award winning Land Girls,
which has just had its third series aired
to an average of
1.6 million viewers. This is good news for BBC
Birmingham
and shows the BBC's commitment to the city."
Speaking about the commission, BBC Controller of Daytime Liam
Keelan
says; "We're excited by the opportunity to bring a
great literary
character to life and to introduce a new
original high quality drama to
viewers on BBC Daytime."
Set in the
first half of the 20th century, Father Brown's world is
quintessentially English: drawing rooms in large country
houses,
gentlemen's clubs and secret gardens, as well as
foggy London streets,
railway stations and rural parish
churches.
Father Brown will be
filmed next year and screened on BBC One Daytime in
2013.
This is a
co-production between BBC One Daytime and BBC Worldwide.