Actor Mark Williams’ verdict on Sunday night slot shift for BBC drama series Father Brown

The Link and Father Brown star Mark Williams’ ambition is to be a Sunday night sensation.

The 55-year-old is the star of BBC’s big daytime drama hit Father Brown.

The third series, with an extra batch of episodes because of its success, screened last month.

And now the first two series are being rerun in the same early afternoon slot to please fans.

Many have said the classy drama about the crime-solving cleric from G.K. Chesterton’s novels is too good to be “wasted” on daytime telly.

And when I suggest a Sunday night slot sounds right up its street, the affable actor is in no mood to disagree.

“I think it should be in that Monarch Of The Glen and Heartbeat-type slot,” says Mark.

“But I’m not really allowed to say. There are lots of well-paid people at the BBC who tell us what they want and when they want it.

“I think the reason it looks good is that we know what we’re doing.

“We don’t spend time messing around with shots of people driving through villages. Our scripts are very tight and our actors are exceptional.

“There’s no flap. I think we make a lot of contemporary costume shows look slow and I’m very pleased about that.”

Murder mystery fans lap up the series and Mark says his screen alter ego has become more than a personal favourite, he’s a role model too.

“He’s a great character with so much to him,” confides the actor.

“He can be delicate and caring and I’m very fond of him. He’s taught me a lot about tolerance and not judging people.

“I don’t think I was too much like that but I don’t even begin to go there now. The series has largely grown through word-of-mouth, we didn’t have any publicity until this last series.

“I’ll sit down and watch it and so will my wife, Diane. Not because I’m in it, but because it’s a good programme with a good story.”

The series is filmed in the Cotswolds and Mark recalls being buttonholed by an American tourist who just had to say how much she felt she knew his kindly cleric.

With Mark’s impressive CV, he never knows which of his many projects will attract attention.

He was a member of the manic Fast Show alongside Paul Whitehouse.

And for the millions of Harry Potter fans he’ll forever be Arthur Weasley, dad of Ron, in the movies.

He also found himself recognised by another legion of dedicated fans, those of Doctor Who, for his role as the father of Rory, husband of Karen Gillan’s TARDIS companion Amy Pond.

Now he has a new role quiz show host. Mark’s back on BBC1 in the daily show The Link, which had a successful first series last year.

“One of the things that really appealed was I’d never done it before,” says Mark.

“That’s always seductive as was not having to learn any lines. I also like meeting people and you get to meet so many contestants.

“We were recording four in a day, which is an endurance test, but you’d know there were six people you’d not met before coming along in a minute. That was lovely.”

Mark’s well aware that he’s following in a long tradition and his quiz show education goes way back in time.

“I grew up watching the Golden Shot and the Generation Game. In fact, I go back to Michael Miles and Take Your Pick.

“I’ve never really been that much of a quiz show watcher, though, but my stepson is a huge fan so he was thoroughly pleased that I’m doing one.”

There’s no shortage of quiz show faces known for other things, from Bradley Walsh and Alexander Armstrong to Nick Knowles and Jeremy Vine.

And Mark says Nick, who has hosted Who Dares Wins, had some timely advice.

“He told me that you mustn’t ever play the game yourself,” laughs Mark.

“That way you make Freudian slips and start answering questions for people.”

The Link, BBC1 weekdays 3pm.