Like TV's Father Brown? You'll love spin-off Sister Boniface on Drama
Detective dramas are ten-a-penny these days, so it takes a real twist in the tale to make a crime-solving show with a difference. Well, Father Brown writer Jude Tindall has done just that with his new spin-off show, Sister Boniface Mysteries .
As far as USPs go, how does a Vespa-riding sleuth in a wimple sound? Yes, you guessed it – Lorna Watson is reprising her role as Sister Boniface, the nun with a knack for solving crimes.
Sound good so far? Here’s everything you need to know about the show – from where it’s set to who it stars – which airs every Friday at 9pm on Drama - or stream now on UKTV Play.
What isSister Boniface Mysteriesabout?
Forget CSI-style forensics: this crime series is set in the 1960s. Great Slaughter’s police department’s secret weapon for solving murder mysteries is “nun” other than Sister Boniface of St Vincent’s Convent.
With a PhD in forensic science and an IQ not far off that of Einstein, Sister Boniface is perfectly placed to help the unorthodox efforts of Detective Inspector Sam Gillespie and his aggrieved sergeant, Felix Livingstone.
Boniface knows the devil is in the detail, and spotting clues hidden in plain sight is this superstar sleuth’s forte. Her first case? A woman found stuffed in the Aunt Sally at a local festival. Cause of death: asphyxiation by sawdust in the lucky dip.
The cast ofSister Boniface Mysteries
As far as casts go, this new crime series boasts a line-up with some pretty impressive CVs. Lorna – who appeared in the first series of Father Brown – makes her small-screen comeback as Sister Boniface (above).
Series creator Jude explains: “Since Lorna bounced so joyfully into season one of Father Brown , I always had a plan to bring her back. Now that plan has come to fruition, I couldn’t be more thrilled.”
DI Sam is played by none other than Max Brown. Downton Abbey fans will recognise the dapper detective from the 2019 movie, in which he played Thomas Barrow’s long-awaited love interest, Richard Ellis.
Joining him is Sex Education star Jerry Iwu, who plays DS Felix. Having had his secondment to the Met Police messed up due to an admin oversight, Felix begrudgingly joins the force in Great Slaughter.
Where are the Sister Boniface Mysteries set?
The 12-part drama is set in the aptly named town of Great Slaughter – a (thankfully) fictional settlement in rural England with a serious crime problem. Sister Boniface resides at St Vincent’s Convent, which houses her fully equipped lab along with a small circle of winemaking nuns.
Although DS Felix might not agree with DI Sam’s God-fearing aide, the latter knows that having the super sleuth on his payroll helps him maintain the “highest clean-up rate in the county”.
Watch the Sister Boniface Mysteries every Friday at 9pm on Drama or stream now on UKTV Play.
