Neither actor has given reasons for leaving "Father Brown," but it seems to boil down to a desire for change. Both have simply moved on to new roles.

Alex Price, who played the petty criminal-turned-chauffeur Sid, has a pretty high-profile stage gig, playing an aged Draco Malfoy in "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child." While plays are often seen as a step down from film and TV work, starring in anything Potter-related, particularly in London, will always be a special case.

Nancy Carroll, who played the glamorous (and amorous) Lady Felicia in "Father Brown," has stuck with television, appearing in two somewhat similar productions. Most recently, she's been appearing in the TNT drama "Will," a period historical-literary drama set in England (much like "Father Brown") -- it tells the story of the early days of a young William Shakespeare. Earlier this year she appeared in four episodes of "Prime Suspect: Tennison," a '70s-set prequel series to the classic cop show "Prime Suspect," based on the mystery novel series by Lynda La Plante.

The common thread here is literature -- all these roles are based on books. That says something about the British culture industry (although "Will" is produced by an American channel, it's filmed in Wales, set in London and features mostly British actors), but it also says something about the actors' backgrounds.

"Father Brown" is still what they're known for, and it, too, is literary. It's based on the classic detective novels by G.K. Chesterton, and it also plays around with historical setting -- the novels were set in the early 1900s but the show's producers moved the setting forward to the 1950s.

While neither Price nor Carroll has made an official statement saying they left to pursue these new opportunities, it seems likely, given the way their characters exited the show. Their departures were not essential to the plot in any way, suggesting that it was the actors' choice.

Indeed, in Lady Felicia's farewell episode, we're introduced to her niece, Bunty (Emer Kenny, "EastEnders"), who is clearly there to take over the plot functions of both characters. She's a little bit wild and uncouth like Sid, but also a glamorous young woman who gets into trouble like Felicia.

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