Sister Boniface Mysteries

Sister Boniface Mysteries is a British detective period television series, created by Jude Tindall, and is produced by BBC Studios and BritBox. It is a spinoff featuring the titular character introduced in an episode of Father Brown (Series 1, "The Bride of Christ"). A 10-episode first series premiered on 8 February 2022, on the BritBox streaming service,[1] and will be released in the UK on the UKTV Drama channel later in 2022.[2]

Sister Boniface Mysteries
GenreMystery
Crime
Period Drama
Created byJude Tindall
Starring
ComposerMichael Price
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes10
Production
Running time45 minutes
Production companiesBBC Studios
BritBox
Release
Original networkBritBox
Audio formatStereo
Original release8 February 2022 (2022-02-08) –
present (present)
Chronology
Related showsFather Brown

It has been renewed for a second series.[3]

Synopsis

Sister Boniface is a Catholic nun at St. Vincent's Convent in the town of Great Slaughter in 1960s Great Britain. In addition to her religious duties, she makes wine and has a PhD in Forensic science, allowing her to serve as a scientific adviser to the local police on investigations.[4]

Cast
  • Lorna Watson as Sister Boniface
  • Max Brown as Detective Inspector Sam Gillespie
  • Jerry Iwu as Detective Sergeant Felix Livingstone
  • Miranda Raison as Ruth Penny
  • Ami Metcalf as Constable Peggy Button

Supporting cast

Guest cast

Production
Princethorpe College in June 2013

Development

Father Brown executive producer Will Trotter anticipated developing a Sister Boniface spin-off as soon as Father Brown had ended. He eventually pitched the concept to Britbox.[4] The series share several writers and directors, such as Paul Gibson, Kit Lambert, Tahsin Guner and Ian Barber.

Locations

The location for St Vincent's Convent is Princethorpe College, a Catholic independent day school located in Princethorpe, near Rugby, Warwickshire, England.[5]

Episodes

Series 1 (2022)
No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
11"Unnatural Causes"Paul GibsonJude Tindall8 February 2022 (2022-02-08)N/A
Grace Pearson is discovered dead at the local fair. Sister Boniface determines death was by suffocation after her head was pushed into sawdust. Inspector Gillespie, to the bewilderment of new Detective Sergeant Livingstone, uses Sister Boniface as his scientific advisor. The investigation leads to the wealthy Bellamy children, who Pearson had lived with; their uncle had died months earlier at a dinner party of a heart attack leaving the children his fortune. A letter by Pearson to the local paper's agony aunt suggesting murder gives the Inspector and Sister Boniface cause to revisit the circumstances of the uncle's death.
22"Lights, Camera, Murder!"Merlyn RiceDominique Moloney8 February 2022 (2022-02-08)N/A
Top television spy series Operation QT is filming at the convent and when a real bullet is fired narrowly missing the leading actor Sister Boniface investigates. Together with DS Livingstone Sister Boniface works out the real target was the show producer Dick Lansky. Lansky, as producer, has many enemies on and off set and a roving eye for the actresses. Lansky is found dead in a chair electrocuted and DI Gillespie takes charge. With help from reporter Ruth Penny he is directed towards one of the actresses who had fled from Lansky's caravan. He also realises the bullet and electrocution were scenes from the episode being filmed and the last scene features a briefcase containing a bomb. Sister Boniface, who had rudimentary training in bomb disposal when she worked at wartime Bletchley Park, lends a hand.
33"Love and Other Puzzles"Ian BarberKitty Percy15 February 2022 (2022-02-15)N/A
Sister Boniface is called to examine the body of Hilary Sympson-Smythe who has died mysteriously, her face covered in cold cream and a completed jigsaw with one piece missing. A lonely hearts connection to Ruth Penny's newspaper leads Sam and Felix to investigate the male respondents. Ruth believes there is another victim who died in identical circumstances. A third victim is murdered with the only clue some mud from a shoe. Narrowing the suspects to three men and then one; but with no evidence Sam and Felix needs a potential victim and their landlady Mrs Clam volunteers. Sister Boniface and WPC Button looking for the mud's location realise the detectives have gone after the wrong man and Ruth Penny is in danger when she discovers the missing jigsaw pieces.
44"My Brother's Keeper"John MaidensKit Lambert15 February 2022 (2022-02-15)N/A

Sister Reginald's incorrigible brother Alfie Lynch, a habitual thief, turns up at the nunnery seeking help. He is put up at Mrs Clams's guest house. An art exhibition in the local gallery by egocentric artist Gerry Ardwell featuring himself as the main exhibit. The next morning Ardwell is found dead bludgeoned by a brass statue and a valuable painting stolen. Alfie Lynch is missing and Sam's main suspect. Sister Reginald pleads with Sister Boniface to find the real culprit; a task made harder when the painting is found in Lynch's room and other suspects have alibis.

Features cameo by Mark Williams as Father Brown
55"Scoop!"John MaidensKit Lambert22 February 2022 (2022-02-22)N/A
Sister Boniface is called by Max to the minister of defence, Charles Stratham, house when guest Mary Sparkes is found dead at the bottom of a staircase. Quickly assessing Sparkes has been murdered by poisoning Max and Felix have to discover the murderer from the persons in the house; one is Ruth Penny, acting as a maid, looking for a scoop. Others in the house are the ministers wife and guests; actress Jocelyn Kelly and her husband screenwriter Anthony Kelly, also present is the government chief scientific advisor professor Azim Thomas for whom Sparkes was his secretary. Sister Boniface discovers a sophisticated binary poison was used while Ruth uncovers an affair between the minister and Sparkes. A missing secret document concerning Britain's next generation of nuclear missile points to KGB involvement.
66"Song for the Dead"John MaidensOliver Frampton22 February 2022 (2022-02-22)N/A
Reggie Wallis, lead singer for the pop group The Queenmakers is found dead suffering from an allergic reaction to a bee sting confirmed by Sister Boniface as murder when she finds the dead bee and Wallis' shirt collar smeared with glue and pollen. Sam and Felix investigate the rivalries in the band, their conniving manger and Wallis' pregnant secret wife he was planning to divorce. Ruth Penny finds another motive in a roadie who had committed suicide exactly two years earlier. Sister Boniface concentrates on pollen combinations found on the dead bee to locate the garden the bee had come from. Peggy Button who had a crush on Wallis finds her police career in jeopardy.
77"Dem Bones"Ian BarberMichelle Lipton1 March 2022 (2022-03-01)N/A
A skeleton found buried in Edie Paignton's allotment is difficult for Sister Boniface to identify as male or female. Paignton's husband had disappeared as had Frank Harsden's pregnant daughter Jenny he had been abusing. More tests by Sister Boniface reveal the victim had been murdered with a cultivator and buried in a caustic soda mixture. Sam arrests Peggy Button's father after finding the murder weapon in his allotment shed and his use of caustic soda in his butcher's shop. Sister Boniface finally identifies the body as Sidney Jackson who owned the allotments and who disappeared the day before selling them to a supermarket chain. Felix discovers Jackson was the father of Jenny's child.
88"Queen of the Kitchen"Merlyn RiceTahsin Guner1 March 2022 (2022-03-01)N/A
Prunella Gladwell comes to St Vincent's Convent to present an episode of her top rated cookery show involving six contestants, Sister Boniface being one, for a cash prize. Contestant Gladys Tibbs dies during the recording, determined by Sister Boniface as Bella Donna she ingested from her own cake. A cake that was to have been tasted by Gladwell. Max and Felix uncover animosity among the contestenats, television crew and her husband. Sister Boniface discovers Reverend Mother's favourite Carp, Colin, dead in the convent pond near where Bella Donna grows and a fragment of paper containing part of a recipe. The recording delayed Max and Sister Boniface have to prevent another murder while the show is broadcast live.
99"Sister Town"TBAOliver Frampton8 March 2022 (2022-03-08)N/A
1010"Crimes and Miss Demeanours"TBAJude Tindall8 March 2022 (2022-03-08)N/A

References
  1. "Sister Boniface Mysteries". Britbox.
  2. Mumm, Patrick (9 September 2021). "UKTV's Drama Channel Acquires UK Rights To 'Father Brown' Spin-Off 'The Sister Boniface Mysteries'". TV Wise.
  3. "BritBox North America recommission BBC Studios Drama Productions' Sister Boniface Mysteries".
  4. Snyder, Diane (2 February 2022). "'Sister Boniface': Crime-Solving Nun Gets the Spotlight in 'Father Brown' Spinoff". TV Insider.
  5. "Princethorpe Connect". September 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
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