'Father Brown' Returns for Season 12 in January

Few things are as dependable in life. Death, Taxes, and Father Brown arriving in January of the new year, and three of them. The Mark Williams-starring series based on the early 1900s short stories by G. K. Chesterton has been debuting in January on the BBC since it first launched in 2013, and while BritBox rarely makes a point of following in the BBC's footsteps, here they do, releasing new seasons of Father Brown in January, and as a weekly series to boot. (No double-episodes here.)

Over a decade into its run, the cast changeover for the series has been in full swing since Season 9; that was the last season Sorcha Cusack was on the series as Father Brown's main sidekick,  Mrs. Bridgette McCarthy. That was also the final season for Alex Price as Sidney "Sid" Carter, who had bounced from main to guest cast and back over his time on the show's run. But as long as Williams continues to don the priestly robes and collar, the show can weather just about any casting changes one can throw at it.

In fact, the exit of the longtime supporting characters has allowed the show a soft reboot of sorts and helped it join the 21st century with a more diverse cast and stronger roles for its female characters.