BritBox, the streaming service from BBC Studios and ITV offering the largest collection of unmissable British entertainment in North America, announced the cast and start of production on their Original commission, Sister Boniface Mysteries which will premiere exclusively on BritBox in 2022. Lorna Watson (Watson & Oliver), Max Brown (Downton Abbey), Jerry Iwu (Halal Daddy), Miranda Raison (MI-5), and Ami Metcalf (Allied) are set to star as the leads of the light-hearted murder mysteries series, a spinoff of the wildly popular and beloved Father Brown.
Set in 1960s rural England, this entertaining detective drama follows the investigations of Sister Boniface of St Vincent’s Convent – nun, moped rider, wine maker and part-time forensic scientist. The popular character, brought to life by Lorna Watson, first appeared on screens in the Father Brown episode “The Bride of Christ”. Created by Jude Tindall (Father Brown) and produced by BBC Studios Drama Productions, the ten-episode series will also see a special appearance from Mark Williams (Father Brown, Harry Potter).
Sister Boniface Mysteries delves into the crimes that take place in the aptly named town of Great Slaughter, where the police rely heavily on their secret weapon, Sister Boniface. At a time when police forensics is rudimentary, Sister Boniface is at the forefront of this field. With a PHD in chemistry, I.Q. of 156, plus a knack for finding clues hidden in plain sight – this nun knows the devil is in the details.
In her role as official Police Scientific Advisor, Boniface works alongside the dashing maverick Detective Inspector Sam Gillespie, played by Max Brown, and Detective Sergeant Felix Livingstone portrayed by Jerry Iwu. Felix was supposed to be on secondment to the Metropolitan Police but an administrative error lands him in Great Slaughter. A cast of eccentric local characters combined with his boss’ reliance on a nun leave him reeling. Although as Detective Inspector Sam points out, that “Nun” ensures they have the highest clean-up rate in the county.
Miranda Raison, seen in the BritBox Original series Dark Heart, joins the cast as Ruth Penny, a hard-nosed investigative journalist and editor of the Albion Bugle. Ami Metcalf will play the role of Peggy Button, the young, unshakeable police constable. In addition to other credits, Metcalf recurred in Heidi Thomas’s Upstairs Downstairs, also among BritBox’s popular drama titles.
The cast also includes Belinda Lang, Sarah Crowden, David Sterne, Virginia Fiol, Ivan Kaye and more as supporting roles.
The series will join BritBox’s latest Original mysteries including Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, The Mallorca Files, Grace, Traces, The Bay and the upcoming Hope Street.
“Since Lorna Watson as Sister Boniface 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,” stated Creator Jude Tindall.
“We’ve been looking forward to this at BritBox since we first read the script and are excited to share it with our BritBox community, especially fans of Father Brown. Lorna brings Sister Boniface to life in such a charismatic way, we know her delightful performance will be enjoyed by all” stated Head of BritBox North America, Emily Powers.
“Sister Boniface is an eccentric, charming, witty crime-solver with a forensic eye for detail. With the series set in the fabulous 1960’s bucolic English countryside, it’s a family viewing treat,” stated Executive Producer, Will Trotter.
Sister Boniface Mysteries has been commissioned by BritBox North America and comes from the award-winning team behind hit series like Father Brown and Shakespeare & Hathaway. It is produced by BBC Studios Drama Productions, created by Jude Tindall (Father Brown, Shakespeare & Hathaway) and executive produced by Will Trotter (Father Brown, Shakespeare & Hathaway, Doctors). Peter Bullock (Father Brown) is the Series Producer and Neil Irvine (Father Brown, Shakespeare & Hathaway) is the Script Producer. BBC Studios Distribution is the global distributor for the series