Sister Boniface Mysteries

Sister Boniface Mysteries is a British cosy mystery detective period comedy drama television series, created by Jude Tindall, which is produced by BBC Studios and BritBox. It is a spin-off of Father Brown, as the Sister Boniface character was introduced in a Father Brown episode (Series 1, Episode 6: "The Bride of Christ"). A 10-episode first series premiered on 8 February 2022, on the BritBox streaming service,[1] and released in the UK on the UKTV Drama channel later in 2022.[2] Sister Boniface Mysteries was commissioned for a second series[3] which began streaming in the US on Britbox on 3 April 2023.

Sister Boniface Mysteries
Series title against a blue background
Genre
Created byJude Tindall
Starring
ComposerMichael Price
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes20
Production
Running time45 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkBritBox
Audio formatStereo
Original release8 February 2022 (2022-02-08) –
present (present)
Related
Father Brown

Premise

The series is set in England during the early 1960s. Sister Boniface is a Catholic nun at St. Vincent's Convent in the fictional town of Great Slaughter in the Cotswolds. In addition to her religious duties at the convent, 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]

The three regularly featured police officers are Detective Inspector Sam Gillespie (revealed in episode 9 to be a former army officer), Detective Sergeant Felix Livingstone (on secondment from the police force of the Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda), and Constable (WPC) Peggy Button.

Cast

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 John Maidens, 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 found dead at a local festival. Detective Inspector Sam Gillespie, to the bewilderment of newly arrived Detective Sergeant Felix Livingstone, uses Sister Boniface as his scientific adviser. She determines that Pearson died by suffocation after her head was pushed into sawdust. The investigation leads to the three Bellamy siblings, at whose home Pearson was a housemaid. Their wealthy uncle died of an apparent heart attack at a dinner party six months earlier, leaving the siblings his large mansion and fortune. However, the discovery that Pearson wrote a letter to the local newspaper's agony aunt suggesting murder gives the police 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, who 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, Gillespie is directed towards one of the actresses who had fled from Lansky's caravan. He also realises the bullet and electrocution reflected 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 Gillespie and Livingstone 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 to one, but with no evidence, Gillespie and Livingstone need a potential victim to attract the killer. Their landlady Mrs Clam volunteers. Looking for the mud's location, Sister Boniface and WPC Button 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. At an art exhibition in the local gallery, egocentric artist Gerry Ardwell features 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 DI Gillespie'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 DI Gillespie to the home of minister of defence, Charles Stratham, where guest Mary Sparkes was found dead at the bottom of a staircase. Quickly assessing Sparkes has been murdered by poisoning, Gillespie and DS Livingstone have to identify the murderer among the persons in the house: one is reporter Ruth Penny, disguised as a maid and looking for a scoop. Others in the house are Stratham's wife and guests actress Jocelyn Kelly and her husband screenwriter Anthony Kelly. Also present is the ministry of defence's chief scientific advisor professor Azim Thomas, for whom Sparkes was secretary. Sister Boniface discovers a sophisticated binary poison was used while Ruth uncovers an affair between Stratham and Sparkes. A missing secret document concerning Britain's next generation of nuclear missiles 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 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. Gillespie and Livingstone investigate the rivalries among the band, their conniving manager and Wallis' pregnant secret wife, who 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. WPC 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. More tests by Sister Boniface reveal the victim had been murdered with a cultivator and buried in a caustic soda mixture. She finally identifies the body as Sidney Jackson, who owned the allotments and who disappeared the day before selling them to a supermarket chain. DI Gillespie arrests Peggy Button's father after discovering the murder weapon in his allotment shed and his use of caustic soda in his butcher's shop. DS Livingstone discovers that Frank Harsden was physically abusing his daughter Jenny and that Jackson was the father of her 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, including Sister Boniface, competing for a cash prize. Contestant Gladys Tibbs dies during the recording, and Sister Boniface determines she was poisoned by belladonna berries added to her own cake - a cake that should have been tasted by Gladwell. Sam and Felix uncover animosity among the contestants, television crew and Gladwell's husband. Sister Boniface discovers Reverend Mother's favourite carp, Colin, dead in the convent pond near a growing belladonna plant and a fragment of paper containing part of a recipe. The recording delayed, Sam and Sister Boniface have to prevent another murder while the show is broadcast live.
99"Sister Town"Dominic KeaveyOliver Frampton8 March 2022 (2022-03-08)N/A
Great Slaughter's twinning with a German town is met with animosity by some members of the twinning committee and townsfolk. Karl Fischer, the German mayor, with his wife Elsa and a group of German soldiers led by General Udo Von Stark arrive for the ceremony. An attempt on Fischer's life kills Ellis Everett, who was opposed to the twinning. Sister Boniface discovers a handkerchief soaked with sweat and smelling of acetone, indicating diabetes. General Stark tells Sam and Felix that Karl insisted on twinning with Great Slaughter. Mayor and committee member Iris Heartley met and fell in love with Karl when she was a nurse in the POW camp where he was confined after being shot down in the war. Karl admits participating in the bombing of Coventry, something of which he is now ashamed. Diabetes tests conducted on all the suspects are negative, but Peggy Button's mentioning that her vitamin C tablets were stolen gives Sister Boniface a key clue. Ruth Penny discovers Sam and Karl Fischer have much in common.
1010"Crimes and Miss Demeanours"Dominic KeaveyJude Tindall8 March 2022 (2022-03-08)N/A
The United Britain beauty contest comes to Slaughter Abbey, and one of the three favourites is found dead in the swimming pool. Sister Boniface deduces murder from a blow to the back of the head. To the annoyance of Sam, Detective Chief Inspector Winner is sent from Scotland Yard to oversee the invesigation, but Felix sees this as his chance to transfer to Scotland Yard. The investigation reveals the victim was disliked by her fellow contestants, whom she looked to have disqualified for breaking contest rules. Sister Boniface determines the victim was murdered by a stiletto heel. Winner and Felix arrest Miss Glasgow, who won her title by default when the winner was disqualified, after her sash is found near the pool with the victim's blood on it, even though it was not there when WPC Peggy Button searched the area. Sam and Sister Boniface look for the owner of the stiletto, and a burnt birthday card confirms a motive for murder.

Series 2 (2023)

Series 2 began streaming in the US on 3 April 2023.

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"Don't Try This at Home"UnknownUnknown3 April 2023 (2023-04-03)N/A
2"The Shadow of Baron Battenberg"UnknownUnknown3 April 2023 (2023-04-03)N/A
3"The It Girl"UnknownUnknown11 April 2023 (2023-04-11)N/A
4"The Book of Shadows"UnknownUnknown11 April 2023 (2023-04-11)N/A
5"St George's Defence"UnknownUnknown18 April 2023 (2023-04-18)N/A
6"A Tight Squeeze"UnknownUnknown18 April 2023 (2023-04-18)N/A
7"Stiff Competition"TBATBA22 April 2023 (2023-04-22)TBD
8"Dead Air"TBATBA22 April 2023 (2023-04-22)TBD
9"Stage Fright"TBATBA29 April 2023 (2023-04-29)TBD
10"The Good Samaritan"TBATBA29 April 2023 (2023-04-29)TBD

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". BritBox North America. 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  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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