Faced with a crime rate you wouldn't usually expect in a Cotswold village, "Father Brown" season 12 sees our favourite God-appointed sleuth back in the crime solving business with Chief Inspector Sullivan (played Tom Chambers) along to help with any potential jurisdictional issues.
Here's how to watch "Father Brown" season 12 online from anywhere with a VPN — and potentially for free.
"Father Brown" season 12 premieres on Friday, January 10 at 2 p.m. GMT (9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT) on BBC One. It will also be available on BBC iPlayer.
• WATCH FREE — BBC iPlayer (U.K.)
• U.S. — Britbox
• Canada — Britbox
• Australia — Britbox
• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk free
Mark Williams will have played G.K. Chesterton's beloved Father Brown character 130 times by the end of this season (with season 13 already confirmed) – read on for interview – and yet the show is still in no danger of running out of steam. The murder victims just keep on showing up.
There is a medieval death and a secret mission on behalf of the Vatican to get your teeth into here, plus the wedding of Sullivan to Mrs Devine (Claudie Blakley) that was promised at the end of the last season. Surely, nothing could stop that happy event going ahead?
Read on to find out how to watch "Father Brown" season 12 online, on TV and from anywhere.
How to watch "Father Brown" season 12 for free in the U.K.
How to watch 'Father Brown' season 12 from abroad
Thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network), "Father Brown" season 12 should be available to Brits no matter where they are. The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you find yourself. Our favorite is NordVPN – find out why in our NordVPN review.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple, just follow these steps.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're away from the U.K. and want to view a U.K. service, you'd select U.K. from the list.
3. Sit back and watch the show. Head to BBC iPlayer to watch "Father Brown" season 12 episodes online and on-demand.
How to watch 'Father Brown' season 12 in the U.S.
"Father Brown" season 12 arrives in the U.S. on Britbox on Thursday, January 23.
However, if you are a Brit in the States for work or on vacation you can catch the show for free and earlier by using a VPN such as NordVPN, choosing U.K. from the list and selecting BBC iPlayer.
How to watch 'Father Brown' season 12 in the U.K.
How to watch 'Father Brown' season 12 online and on-demand in the U.K.
If you live in the U.K. then "Father Brown" season 12 drops on Friday, January 10 at 2 p.m. GMT on BBC One. It will also be available to stream on BBC iPlayer. You'll need a valid TV license, naturally.
If you're not in the U.K., you can still catch the show by using one of the best VPN services, such as NordVPN.
How to watch 'Father Brown' season 12 in Canada
"Father Brown" season 12 will be available on BritBox in Canada on Thursday, January 23.
However, if you are a Brit in the Great White North for work or on vacation and can't wait that long, you can catch the show earlier on your domestic streaming platform by using a VPN such as NordVPN.
How to watch 'Father Brown' season 12 in Australia
"Father Brown" season 12 will be available on BritBox in Australia on Thursday, January 23.
However, if you are a Brit working or on vacation Down Under you can catch the show earlier on your domestic streaming platform by using a VPN such as NordVPN.
Can I watch 'Father Brown' season 12 in New Zealand?
There is no release date for "Father Brown" season 12 in New Zealand but it will almost certainly end up on SKYGo NZ very soon. Check out season 11 on there right now for a catch up.
If you are a Brit currently there for work or vacation and can't wait that long you can catch the show on your domestic streaming platform by using a VPN such as NordVPN.
'Father Brown' season 12 cast
- Mark Williams as Father Brown
- Claudie Blakley as Mrs Devine
- Tom Chambers as Inspector Sullivan
- John Burton as Sergeant Goodfellow
- Ruby-May Martinwood as Brenda Palmer
- Nancy Carroll as Lady Felicia Montague
- John Light as Monsieur Hercule Flambeau
- GUEST STARS include: Denis Lawson, Simon Day, Colin McFarlane, Angela Rippon, Anita Dobson, and Felicity Montagu.
'Father Brown' season 12 Episode guide
Season 12 Episode 1: "The Battle of Kembleford" - Father Brown investigates when a medieval murder is committed at a battle re-enactment.
S12 E02: "The Kembleston Players" - Father Brown investigates when rehearsals for ‘A Most Perfect Murder’ are derailed by a dramatic death.
S12 E03: "The Horns of Cornnunos" - Father Brown investigates when rehearsals for ‘A Most Perfect Murder’ are derailed by a dramatic death.
S12 E04: "Invisible Friends" - Father Brown investigates when murder threatens to derail the live broadcast of agricultural radio drama The Muckles.
S12 E05: "The Cup of Calabria" - Father Brown and Flambeau hunt for a priceless holy relic as a new nemesis lurks in the shadows.
S12 E06: "The Lord of the Dance" - Father Brown takes the lead when a television dancing contest turns deadly.
S12 E07: "The Deserving Poor" - Father Brown investigates when his old friend, Blind ‘Arry, is arrested for murder at an almshouse.
S12 E08: "The Sisters of Aeschylus" - When Lady Felicia invites a prestigious group of writers to Montague, her hopes of being published are eclipsed by a murder.
S12 E09: "The Puzzle of Banburismus" - Father Brown must untangle the mysteries that lie within the sewing circle when a seamstress is stabbed to death..
S12 E10: "The Blessing of the Father" - Mrs Devine and Sullivan’s wedding approaches, but can Father Brown stop a would-be killer from ruining their big day?
'Father Brown' season 12 FAQ
What has Mark Williams (who plays Father Brown) had to say about season 12?
What do Father Brown and the gang get up to in this series?
In this series, we have another Flambeau episode, and this time we are on a secret mission from the Vatican. I love the Flambeau episodes, it feels like we are in a 1950s thriller and John Light plays him to the hilt. We also have a battle re-enactment in which I got to fight a duel with an expert swordsman, although Father Brown was somewhat handicapped by only having an umbrella. We also have a long awaited wedding, although it isn’t easy getting the happy couple to the altar!
There are yet more fantastic guest stars in this series. Is this part of the appeal to working on Father Brown?
As well as my friends the regular cast, we are blessed with a wonderful set of guest stars every week! I love having new actors that bring such skill and energy to the characters our writers create. It’s one of my chief pleasures watching them work. It makes my job very joyful having such talent to play against.
How do you feel about Father Brown being in its 12th series?
We broadcast the 12th series of Father Brown this January, which means we have made 130 episodes. I was feeling quite impressed by this, I thought there can’t have been many people who’ve played the eponymous character in a series for 130 shows. Then I read about Jack Warner who played Dixon of Dock Green 432 times, so that took the wind out of my sails a bit.
Making 12 series of Father Brown has enriched my life immeasurably. There have been many friendships made and we have quite a few children born during our time filming to cast and crew which makes us a real tribe. And I give thanks to G K Chesterton’s creation because Father Brown has kept me fascinated.
What do you enjoy about filming Father Brown? Can you tell us any funny stories from over the years?
One of the pleasures of shooting Father Brown and one that I can’t really properly appreciate is the cars that we get on the shoot. In the Cotswolds we are quite close to Birmingham and Coventry which were of course the centre of British car production, so we have this amazing resource of period motors. There’s a lot of ‘ooohing’ and ‘aaahing’ over the amazing pieces of machinery we get. Long forgotten names like Armstrong Siddeley, Alvis and Sunbeam. One of the chief joys is that they’re also different, and nothing creates a feel of the period better than an old car.
My problem is Father Brown can’t drive, so I have to make do with a bike. Not that I don’t love my bike. It’s a Pashley, made in Stratford with old-fashioned drum gears it’s actually very good uphill which is a blessing. Driving on gravel is my main problem, and a lot of the big houses we film at have gravel drives. I once had to cycle in pursuit of a baddie and hit some deep gravel. We shot the scene in front of a hotel and I ended up coming to an ungraceful stop. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get off in time so I fell off sideways. A young lad in the hotel kitchen saw me keel over and collapsed in laughter. I was very happy to give that lad the best laugh of his week.
Can you tell us about some of your favourite or most memorable storylines?
Some of my favourite episodes have been the most eccentric. We had an episode about a secret society of clowns who were a kind of vigilante revenge organisation, and I enjoyed the madness of that. An episode called ‘The Smallest of Things’ featured a series of crime dioramas based on the nutshell studies of unexplained death (a tool invented in the USA to train detectives) and the ingenuity of that appealed to me. I also love the eccentric characters we get in the series; I remember Ace Bhatti as a particular favourite, who’s character strolled about the lanes wearing only a fez.
Are there any storylines which you would like to see Father Brown do?
There are stories we haven’t done yet that I hope for. Horse racing, the life of Cotswold shepherds, and I’d love to do an English Civil War story as the Cotswolds was the centre of the action.
What can you tell us about filming in the Cotswolds?
The parish church of Blockley has played Saint Mary’s since 2012, so we’ve got to know it very well and the village has always made us feel very welcome. I’ve spent so much time in that beautiful church I can’t help feeling slightly proprietorial. With apologies to Canon Dana Delap (the real vicar) I feel like it’s mine - ecclesiastically inappropriate I know.
What else can I watch on BBC iPlayer?
Lots – including "I Kissed a Girl", "The Assembly", "This Town", "The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth", "The Reckoning", "Navalny" and "The Stones and Brian Jones".
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