First broadcast: 1994
Stars: Sir Derek Jacobi, Sean Pertwee, Michael Culver, Mark Charnock
Creators: The screenplays are based on the crime novels of Ellis Peters aka Edith Pargeter
The lowdown: Former crusader-turned-holy man Brother Cadfael (Derek Jacobi) spends his days tending his herbal garden and creating healthy potions. Yet his keen mind and natural nosiness also make him a brilliant sleuth. He is much in demand. The stories are set between 1137 and 1142 on the Welsh borders around Shrewsbury Abbey. They are informed by contemporary events such as the battles of King Stephen and the travails of clergymen, dames, widows, shepherds and the noble born.
Memorable moments: In the episode One Corpse Too Many he is called on to bury 94 rebels executed on the king’s orders. But Cadfael realises that one corpse is unaccounted for.
Trivia: The series was filmed in Hungary because the producers could not find enough "old" landscape around the Welsh borders. They built Cadfael’s world using local craftsmen. However, filming was occasionally spoiled by trains heading towards Budapest.
