I agree up to a point. I was irritated in the last series when Scarlet Moffat kept bursting into tears when walking over a stile or something (can't remember the detail). That did feel contrived. I could understand people being overwhelmed by things like the sunlight on the causeway in the most recent one, but it has to be convincing, and SM wasn't.
I thought the last series had slightly more interesting people. Nick Hewer is always good value, and the woman who used to play John Deed's daughter was thoughtful about her Jewishness. Laurence Llwellyn-Bowen and the others all had something to offer, too. In this one, Jane Middlemiss was knowledgeable about the saints, and Ashley Banjo is known for his faith, but most of the others had less to say. Hermione Norris was considered in her views, and the Jewish guy with the colourful hair was interesting about Reform Judaism, but Patsy Kensit and the others (not sure of their names) either didn't say much or were edited out.
I do enjoy the programmes though. I usually see them on Sundays, which is my day for pottering and knitting in front of the TV. I don't want anything too demanding, but need enough to keep my interest, and this fits the bill. The Northumberland scenery was lovely in this series, and I might watch it again on iPlayer.