Jack Deam left Father Brown alongside some of his fellow actors, presumably due to scheduling conflicts.
Father Brown has certainly had a difficult few years following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but the show seems to have returned full-force.
Unfortunately, a few notable cast members, including Jack Deam, who had played Inspector Mallory on the show, decided not to reprise their roles in the show’s10th season.
What happened to Father Brown?
2020 was a difficult year for television shows. The production and filming restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus caused worldwide delays.
This includes production for the ninth season of the beloved British detective show, Father Brown, which was originally meant to air late in 2020, with several years.
Fortunately, the show eventually managed to get back on track and this ninth season did eventually start airing January of 2022. This was followed be a 10th season, which started airing shortly after, in 2023.
The BBC has even decided to renew Father Brown for an 11th season, which has reportedly already begun filming and is set to start airing in 2024.
Why did Jack Deam leave Father Brown?
Although Father Brown managed to overcome the issues posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and has continued its decade-long run on television after the 2020 rough patch, the show’s cast has not remained the same throughout this whole ordeal.
When the 10th season of Father Brown finally returned to BBC One in 2023, a few notable characters were missing from the cast.
Some of the actors who chose not to reprise their roles in the series’ 10th season include Sorcha Cusack (who portrayed the role of Mrs. Bridgette McCarthy), Emer Kenny (who played Bunty Windermere) and of course, Jack Deam (who played Inspector Gerald “Jerry” Mallory).
Deam’s Inspector Mallory had originally joined the cast of Father Brown in 2016 as a replacement for the previous Inspector Sullivan.
But his open-minded and enthusiastic take on this character quickly set him apart as a fan-favorite on the show, until his departure in 2022.
Deam, like the other actors who decided to leave the show so soon after its big return, has never publicly confirmed his reasons for leaving Father Brown.
But John Burton (who plays Sergeant Goodfellow on the show) did address this issue on X (Twitter). Burton explained in a post from December 2022 that the changes in the Father Brown cast really came down to artist availability.
Although this does not provide an exact reason for why Deam left the show so unexpectedly, it does give some indication that scheduling conflicts and other projects may have been at the heart of his decision.
What Jack Deam has been up to since he left Father Brown
Jack Deam has had an incredibly successful career, even outside of his role as Inspector Mallory. He is also well known for his roles in shows like Life on Mars, Playing the Field, Coronation Street and many more.
Since his departure from Father Brown, Deam has continued acting in the crime and detective drama genre. This includes roles like Robert Falstone from the murder mystery series, Vera, and Duncan Darwin in the crime drama, Ridley.
All about the current Father Brown cast
There is no doubt that fans have felt the absence of characters like Mrs. Bridgette McCarthy, Bunty Windermere and Inspector Mallory since they parted ways with the series at the end of season nine.
But many of the other old-favorite characters did reprise their roles in the tenth season of the show.
This includes Mark Williams (as Father Brown), Claudie Blakley (as Mrs. Devine), John Burton (as Sergeant Goodfellow), Nancy Carroll (as Lady Felicia) and many more.
What to expect from Father Brown season 11
Season 11 of Father Brown is yet to receive an official premiere date from BBC One, but since the filming of this season has already begun, fans can expect the season to start airing in January 2024.
This season will see Mark Williams once again reprising his starring role as Father Brown.
Neil Irvine, the show’s executive producer, confirmed that this 11th season will feature 10 episodes filled with even more unpredictable twists and turns than the 10th. Father Brown’s 11th season will also welcome a few notable guest stars.
These include Sylvester McCoy (who fans may recognize from Doctor Who), Ingrid Oliver (who also has roles in Watson and Oliver and Doctor Who), Ian Gelder (from Game of Thrones and His Dark Materials) and John Light (who fans may know from shows like Around the World in 80 Days and Murder in Provence).
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