Ojciec Mateusz

Ojciec Mateusz
The title character, Father Mateusz
Genre	Detective show
Based on	Don Matteo
Developed by	Krzysztof Grabowski Film Group Baltmedia Baltmedia Sp. z oo
Starring	Artur Żmijewski Piotr Polk Michał Piela Kinga Preis Maciej Musiał Sławomir Orzechowski Piotr Kozłowski Łukasz Lewandowski Aleksandra Górska Tamara Arciuch
Theme music composer	Michał Lorenc
Country of origin	Poland
Original language(s)	Polish
No. of seasons	19
No. of episodes	251
Production
Production location(s)	Sandomierz
Release
Original network	TVP1
Picture format	16:9
Original release	November 11, 2008 – Ongoing
External links
Ojciec Mateusz

Father Mateusz with his familiar bike

Inspector Możejko and Aspirant Nocul

Natalia Borowik

The Bishop

Grandma Lucyna and Michał

The Verger Piotr

Father Mateusz visiting the Bishop. From left: Father Mateusz, Father Jacka and the Bishop

A scene from the show

Ojciec Mateusz (Father Matthew) is a Polish television series. It was produced initially in 2008 by Krzysztof Grabowski and Film Group Baltmedia for TVP. In 2009, the production of the show was taken over by Baltmedia Sp. z oo (which is owned by ATM Grupa).

Ojciec Mateusz is a Polish version of the Italian detective series Don Matteo broadcast in Italy by Rai Uno and also in Poland by TVP1, TV Puls, Religia.tv and AXN Crime.

The show is set in Sandomierz, although scenes in the church are recorded in Glinianka near Otwock, the vicarage in Anin in Warsaw, and the office of the bishop is filmed in the Nieborów Palace. In the fourth series, some episodes take place outside of Sandomierz, including in Kielce, Bałtów, Krzyżtopór, Busko-Zdrój and Opatów, as well as Ćmielów, Wąchock and Zalew Sielpia.

The pilot episode was aired on November 11, 2008 on TVP1. Regular broadcast of the series began on December 7, 2008. Repeats are broadcast on TVP1, TVP Polonia, TVP HD and TVP Seriale.

Plot

Ojciec Mateusz is about the adventures of a Roman Catholic priest who, after returning from a mission to Belarus, is sent to work in a small parish. As a pastor, together with a friendly policeman, he solves mysteries and gives help to his parishioners, as well as all those who are in need.

Each episode is a separate story.

Main characters

• Father Mateusz Żmigrodzki (Artur Żmijewski) – a Catholic priest. After years of working in Belarus, he returns to Poland and takes a job as a priest in Sandomierz. He has a unique talent in solving crimes, which leads him to delve into many mysteries. He is extremely brilliant, intelligent and perceptive, in episodes in which he doesn't help to solve the case, he is often seen confessing the offender just before he or she gets arrested.
• Deputy Inspector Orest Możejko (Piotr Polk) - a police inspector. He is overbearing and always convinced he is right about his cases. He was initially skeptical about Father Mateusz's talents. He is an non practicing catholicatheist.
• Aspirant Mieczysław Nocul (Michał Piela) - an Aspirant in the police and one of Orest Możejki's staff. At the beginning of the show was a junior policeman, but has been gradually promoted. He is a friend of Father Mateusz and co-operates with him, in some episodes he actually solved the cases himself alternatively to father Mateusz,meeting him as he tried to make the offenser acknowledge his guilt and repent.
• Natalia Borowik (Kinga Preis) - housekeeper at Father Mateusz's rectory. Grumpy, funny, loyal and devoted to the priest. Her musings often bring Father Mateusz inspiration for solving criminal problems.
• The Bishop (Sławomir Orzechowski) - the bishop of the Diocese. He has known Father Mateusz for years and after the Father's return to Poland entrusts him with his new role in Sandomierz. Despite reports on the unconventional behaviour of Father Mateusz, often fuelled by the secretary - Father Jacek - he has full confidence in Father Mateusz and turns a blind eye to his detective work, although Mateusz does not overstep his boundaries and takes his job as a catholic priest above everything else.
• Lucyna Wielicka (Aleksandra Górska) and Michał Wielicki (Maciej Musiał) – the inhabitants of the rectory. After their eviction from their home, and much to the dismay of Natalia, Father Mateusz decided to take the family under his roof, they are treated as his relatives .
• Waldemar Grzelak "Bug" (Eryk Lubos) - a former prisoner. He currently lives in the rectory with Father Mateusz, he meet him in prison when he was Wrongfully accused of committing an offense, he became one of Mateusz'es friends .
• Justyna Malec (Tamara Arciuch) - the former Mayor of Sandomierz and now Editor-in-chief of the local newspaper, former love interest of inspector Orest Możejko.
• Daria - Dominik's mother. She is a journalist and travel a lot, current wife of Orest Możejko.
• Dominik - Orest Możejko and Daria's son.

Cast

Series

Episode list

Source^[1]

Father Mateusz for Sandomierz

As a result of the floods that hit central Europe in 2010, a charity concert was held in Sandomierz's Old Town on June 19, 2010 to help those who had suffered. A number of actors including Artur Zmijewski, Kinga Preis, Michael Piela, Piotr Polk and Tamara Arciuch from Ojciec Mateusz, musicians Andrzej Piaseczny, Artur Gadowski, Łukasz Zagrobelny, and bands including Big Cyc, Pectus, and Blue Café participated.

Artur Zmijewski led concert along with journalist and TV presenter Paulina Chylewska and the event was broadcast on June 19, 2010 on TVP1.

Awards

• The "Telekamera 2011" for Best Drama weekly awarded for 2010 by the readers of the weekly "Tele Week" in February 2011.

See also

• Don Matteo

Bibliography

• Filmweb (in Polish)
• FilmPolski (in Polish)
• Official program page (in Polish)

References

External links

• Ojciec Mateusz on IMDb
• Official program page (in Polish)