‘The Sister Boniface Mysteries’ update: New details on ‘Father Brown’ spin-off

We’ve got some more information on the upcoming Father Brown spin-off series.

BritBox announced the commission of The Sister Boniface Mysteries in February.

The brand new period drama series will feature the return of its titular character, as played by Lorna Watson (Watson & Oliver) in the first season of Father Brown.

Watson will reprise her role as Sister Boniface in ten 45-minute episodes, focusing on “light-hearted murder mysteries.”

Created by Father Brown writer Jude Tindall, The Sister Boniface Mysteries will follow the sleuthing nun as she uses advanced techniques for tracking down killers.

The official synopsis reads: “The Sister Boniface Mysteries is set in 1960s rural Warwickshire and follows the investigations of Sister Boniface, Bride of Christ, vintner, and Crime Scene Investigator. Police forensics is rudimentary by today’s standards.

“DNA is yet to be discovered. Blood testing can take days. The notion of trace evidence is in its infancy and the preservation of crime scenes is shockingly hit and miss. Fortunately the Great Slaughter Constabulary has a secret weapon in its fight against crime.

“Hidden deep in the countryside is St Vincent’s Convent, a small community of wine making nuns where ensconced in a laboratory is Sister Boniface. An IQ of 156 and a PHD in forensic science, plus an addiction to popular detective fiction and a fully equipped crime laboratory make Boniface an invaluable aid to Police investigations.

“Mud, blood, stains, hairs and fibres. If there is evidence to be found Boniface will find it. Poisons, trace evidence, blood stains, etymology. She’s more up to speed on the latest forensic techniques than the Police.

“In her role as official Police Scientific Advisor, Boniface works alongside the dashing Detective Inspector Sam Gillespie and Felix Livingstone, a high-flying Bermudian Detective Sergeant. 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’s reliance on a nun leave him reeling. Although as Sam points out, that “Nun” ensures they have the highest clean-up rate in the county.”

We very much expect Mark Williams to make an appearance as Father Brown in the first episode.

The Sister Boniface Mysteries will be available to watch exclusively on BritBox in the US.

We’re not yet sure if the series will be shown in the UK on BBC One, the British home of Father Brown, or if it will debut on the recently-launched UK BritBox.

Based on the stories by GK Chesterton, BBC One’s popular daytime crime drama launched in 2013 and returned in the UK in January.

The eighth season of Father Brown will arrive in the US later this year, ahead of a ninth season in 2021.

Father Brown is available on DVD on Amazon.