Produced by Central, it starred Derek Jacobi as the medieval detective and title character, Brother Cadfael.

Guest stars in this series include Christian Burgess, Michael Grandage, Steven Mackintosh, Sara Stephens, Hugh Bonneville, Toby Jones, Natasha McElhone, Jonathan Firth, Tara Fitzgerald, Sarah Badel, Jonny Lee Miller, Jamie Glover, Jonathan Hyde and John Bennett.

Guest stars in this series include Kitty Aldridge, Tom Mannion,[2][3] Crispin Bonham-Carter, Peter Guinness, Hermione Norris, and Catherine Cusack.

Reviewing the episode "The Rose Rent", Matthew Bond stated "The series does have a curiously theatrical style to it, where the rather contrived medieval bustle stops while the principal actors deliver their lines and then starts again when they have finished.

Dowell stated "thanks to some gripping stories, good production values and a brilliant performance from Derek Jacobi as the herbalist and former crusading knight, this adaptation of the Ellis Peters books became a regular viewing habit for millions".