Sister Boniface Mysteries (2022– ) User Reviews

Quite a charming watch.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 20 February 2022]

As we wait for news on a new series of Father Brown, we're given a very unusual spinoff series. Having appeared and impressed in just one episode, the bespectacled, enthusiastic Sister Boniface gets her own series.

It is definitely worth a watch, don't go expecting anything too serious, or heavy, it's arguably lighter than even Father Brown.

It's light, it's funny, it looks beautiful, some wonderful guest actors, and a nice regular cast. I was particularly happy to see Belinda Lang, what a class act she is, the prickly housekeeper is as far from Bill Porter as you can get.

It really does develop as it progresses, I enjoyed the first episode very much, and the last few in particular.

I would have loved it if Mark Williams had appeared in a couple of episodes, that would have been a nice touch. His presence was very much welcome.

Roll on Series 2.

Charming, 8/10.

Gets better with each episode!

[[e-mail] · 8/10 · 17 February 2022]

I was disappointed with the sterile portrayal of Sister Boniface in the first episode. But the character is developing more with each episode. The support characters are wonderfully cliched. Theres a ruggedly boyish detective, a liberated, feminist reporter, a tough, no-nonsense Mother Superior,a super cockney nun and the priggish land lady (can't believe it's Belinda Lang!). Rounding out the cast is a very pleasant Caribbean detective and a lovable junior policewoman. Is it intense highbrow drama? Not by a long shot. It is fun, silly, lighthearted entertainment and I look forward to the next episode!!

Absolutely habit-forming!

[coachellacanuck · 8/10 · 10 February 2022]

I loved this character when she appeared in Father Brown so I was delighted to see this spin-off. It is wonderful light, amusing British TV. Some of the dialogue makes you giggle. Occasionally you laugh out loud: "We took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. They never said anything about sobriety." Looking forward to each week's episode.

An enjoyable way to spend some time

[TheDudeReviewsStuff · 9/10 · 17 April 2023]

First point, this is not an Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, nor Colin Dexter mystery series. Don't go into watching expecting Poirot, Holmes, or Morse. Much more like a Father Brown mystery. Sit back, enjoy the light comedy and watching how the cast figure out whodunit.

Lorna Watson brings a nice bit of humor to the good Sister, who manages to crack the case each episode using whatever is on hand. Max Brown as Sam GIllespie provides the requisite slightly inept Police Inspector. Ami Metcalf is slowly maturing into the role as Peggy Button adding a nice touch as she doesn't always get what is going on at first, but is becoming a good officer with the help of the Sister and Inspector. Jerry Iwu hopefully gets more opportunities to take a lead as DS Felix Livingston.

Overall a nice light-hearted detective series. Just don't go in expecting a mystery worthy of one of the great authors. It is fun in its own right.

Pleasant pastoral setting; Disappointing themes

[bpirwin · 6/10 · 7 March 2022]

As with Father Brown, a constant stream of anachronistic political correctness injected into a mystery set in the 1950s quickly becomes irritating.

In order to post this review I must type 150 characters. I apologize for making you read this far.

Get your head around it and it works.

[hindsonevansmike · 8/10 · 15 April 2022]

We have so many tropes here in this unexpectedly-spirited new arrival on BBC in early 2022.

We have the knowledgeable religious person (a nun who originated in series one of "Father Brown")

We have some kind of reverse Windrush Generation for 1960 - a detective from the West Indies, transferring in to Scotland Yard in London, who arrives on a (nicely-preserved) steam train in the west country village of Lower Slaughter (don't ask!) and settles into the ranks of the local constabulary.

The village detective depends upon the nun (who has a chemistry PhD and worked in Bletchley park during World War 2 (did I mention this is set in 1960?) Giving us some kind of reverse "death in paradise" homage to "In the heat of the night" (which would be filmed five years later...

And yet - it works!. Intellectually un-taxing, this is material and storylines which would probably pop up in the 8PM Sunday "Heartbeat" slot on British TV a decade back.

The early 1960s scene is beautifully crafted and, with a ten-episode first season (and confirmation in Q1-2022 that a series two will be commissioned) I predict that we shall be enjoying this 2020s creation for some time to come.

I wonder who will start the fanfiction storylines?

Fun original start but so many gay plots/characters gets boring and inaccurate for the era/setting

[SunnyDaise · 7/10 · 29 April 2022]

Really enjoyed the first few episodes - funny and great to see women take the lead - but later the series got boring with 2 episodes being about homosexuality, which is on every show these days. S2 has even more - which is excessive for the era and semi-rural setting. The same thing happened with Madame Blanc Mysteries - both series need to focus on the path they set up ie strong women not go off on a trendy tangent of gay men that many other dramas are already covering anyway. SBM does best when it focuses on the cultural things of the time eg Sound of Music / Blue Peter spoof etc - and of course Father Brown's cameo is great.

Great mystery drama. Thankyou Sister!

[colinrogers1 · 8/10 · 17 February 2022]

Father Brown has matured after multiple series and based on a famous book by a famous author. Sister Boniface is a breath of fresh air. It's not brow beating your idea of religion or Catholicism. Great script, swift and solid plots keep the story driving along smoothly. The characters are great as are the actors. Always good to have period dramas, they seem to pluck at peoples nostalgic heartstrings like FB . Unlike Agatha Raisin or Shakespeare & Hathaway it deals with back stories lightly and concentrates on the plot. The main point is that Sister Boniface is a likeable character. Do not review this after one episode. It's unfair. It's a great tonic. Highly recommend!

Health and Safety Advice.

[pollysmith · 7/10 · 12 June 2022]

In shows like these, I think it is reasonable that there should be a lot of leeway given in terms of criticism as to how realistic the show is, which is of course, not very. However, that said, I would suggest, the episode where it is presented in a positive light to stand around and pray ( because of the power of prayer ) rather than leave the building with the ticking bomb seems rather ill advised.

Charming but a bit disappointing

[gee-15 · 5/10 · 2 March 2022]

Lorna Watson is fun as Sister Boniface and seems to have charisma to spare. The other cast members are fine as well and the production values are good. But something just doesn't work here. I think there are three problems. One, the writing just isn't as good as it could be. Mysteries shouldn't be boring but when you find yourself fast forwarding through a mystery, something is amiss. Second, there is nothing "nun like" in the character of Sister Boniface (aside from wearing a habit). She could be a librarian, a housewife or a pharmacist and it wouldn't change the plot lines one bit. In Father Brown, his Catholicism is regularly invoked so that (most of the time) you know it's a priest solving the mystery. Third, and most oddly, Sister Boniface doesn't seem to be the focus of the series. She plays pathologist, yes, and is ever present but she feels a bit sidelined at times. But it's a nice little time waster if you've nothing better to do.

Sister Boniface is sidelined and reduced in scope

[Playananda · 10/10 · 19 February 2022]

Unlike Father Brown, Sister Boniface is not the center of the show. The center of gravity is the on the two detectives. I loved her character in Father Brown, with lots of charm and wit, but here she's more one dimensional. They need to make her the center of the show, and with more depth of character. Sister Boniface was colorful in Father Brown, and flat in this show. I've given it five stars, because it has potential. If the creators are reading this, please do better!

Dreadful

[fieldvictoria · 2 March 2022]

Yes, it's pretty, yes the costumes instil Sunday evening style swooning nostalgia, however, the acting and plot lines are appalling. Think Father Brown with less credulous storylines, complete with wooden acting and a direct attempt to entertain that falls totally from the mark. I have never ever left a review, but this is absolutely awful. So bad it lets down the pretty sets and nostalgic costumes. Such a shame, I was looking forward to this!

Why isn't Boniface the lead?

[cmcwallace-51863 · 7/10 · 20 March 2022]

Entertaining show, though the simplistic plots aren't as gripping as I'd like. More to the point though, the show is called "Sister Boniface Mysteries," but she's merely a secondary character responding to or in the service of others. It's really about the tension between the detective inspector and the reporter.

The stories are light bordering on boring. Even "cozy crime" should have some suspense. "Father Brown" stories manage the balance well.

Light-hearted feel good escapism murder mysteries, just repetitive

[jimdbs · 5/10 · 10 March 2022]

As the title says, the vibe of the show is pretty light hearted and the setting is quite idyllic and sort of alt-historical (early 20th century England). So, there is an appealing escapism aspect to this show that keeps bringing me back.

That said, how the stories play out, the way they investigate and figure out who did it, etc. Has gotten quite repetitive. It's identical in every episode so far. This is not Sherlock or Poirot level. It can also come off as too light hearted, well goofy, sometimes, think they could dial that back some but it varies by episode.

Like many mystery shows, Sister Boniface doesn't solve the mysteries on her own, there are 2 official detectives plus a tabloid news reporter who all play parts gathering clues. Sister Boniface just always plays the most important part piecing everything together towards the end. Most of the acting is pretty good given the nature of the show.

Liking this so far...

[esskayjayiii · 8/10 · 5 March 2022]

Five episodes in, and I'm liking this spin-off of Father Brown. They've given Sister Boniface credibility with a PhD and an official capacity as a consultant to the police. Where Father Brown is encumbered with a tiring and self-important (buffoonish) police inspector who resents and rejects input, Sister Boniface has a DI that appreciates her input yet exudes confidence in his own investigative work while appreciating input from his "staff." So far, so good... and enjoyable!

The second year of this series is significantly better than the first

[mmwnycny · 7/10 · 21 April 2023]

Sister Boniface is coming into its own. Lorna Watson's character has much more personality this year, and exhibits charm as well as overt intellectuality. She was a bit of a cipher last year, and was somewhat disappointing. This year's plots are lively and humorous, referencing more interesting pop phenomena of the era than last year's offerings, and finally including some pagan rituals in one episode. One character has been eliminated, and others have been added who improve the unlikely camaraderie between Sister Boniface and the police. The countryside is beautiful, and the series' production values continue to be good.

Lighthearted Murder

[shechtmanamy · 8/10 · 12 February 2022]

I enjoy watching these, my only criticism is Sister Boniface is part of an ensemble cast and not really a lead. It is a nice change from the heavy drama of other crime shows, I appreciate the humor and plot lines, 45 minutes well spent!

Father Brown, Where are you ?

[ameliamentone · 6/10 · 12 February 2022]

I was excited and looking forward to see this spinoff from Father Brown. I gave it a 5 out of 10. The cast is boring, Im sorry to say. The setting is beautiful. There really is no lead, but an ensemble cast. Disappointed.

Update: I've watched all 10 episodes. It is still not Father Brown and really holds only hints of that show. The settings are beautiful, cast still for me is o.k.

Have no idea if more episodes will come out or for that matter if Father Brown is dropping new episodes. My only reason for Brit Box.

Enjoyable

[amorse-99777 · 10/10 · 2 April 2022]

A great fan of Father Brown and I find Sister Boniface just as enjoyable.

Great to see an older Father Brown in the most recent episode.

It is a good series.

Nothing wrong with a little silliness.

[xyvmscqst · 7/10 · 16 February 2022]

If one doesn't think everything has to be super accurate and serious, this series is fun. Yes, it's not Father Brown caliber, as some commenters have stated, but why does everything have to be that or better. Chill and enjoy it for what it is, a lighthearted spoof.

Disappointed with poor writing

[statoj-35920 · 5/10 · 19 April 2023]

I had great hopes for this series after first meeting Sister Boniface in the Father Brown series.

However, I find that the writer(s) severely underutilize the supporting cast, especially the African policemen who had hoped to join the Met in London but got stuck in Great Slaughter. No subplots or deeper character elements have been written for him. Why is he even on the case?

The young white (male) inspector is just a hapless pretty face.

The only supporting character (and we are a third of the way into Season 2) is the female character, Officer Button, whose compassion as well as courage have been allowed to shine.

Unlike in Father Brown, where every single supporting character has a distinct personality and you can reliably predict how they will feel in any given situation, Sr Boniface's colleagues are primarily a blank.

With the exit of the vivacious and flighty newspaper reporter, the spark has almost expired.

Very disappointing.

I love the idea

[susansundaisy · 10/10 · 26 February 2022]

She's great, father brown isn't as good as people say, and it's really bad now, so I thought this was my new thing. I like how funny it can be. I love the cast! It's a Spooks reunion. But there is no story. None. If they could get better writing, they could have a real winner.

Really wanting to like it.

[pjyxrxhc · 7/10 · 7 March 2022]

I am a big fan of father Brown and and saw Sister boniface when she appeared in one of the episodes. When I heard that she was going to have her own series, I was really looking forward to to it. I loved her enthusiasm and quirkiness in that episode. I have seen three episodes of Sister boniface so far and I'm a little letdown. She is more of a slightly serious intellectual and looses the quick witted, fun character she was in FB which what was most attractive. I agree with some of the comments that her character should have been a little more developed and we should've had a little more background as to how she came to assist the police in investigations so it would make sense. She also does seem to be on the sidelines more than the main character.

Please get her character back to the one that made her stand out in the beginning. I'm really hoping the series does well!

It's just not good.

[ryandflynn · 1/10 · 23 February 2022]

I like anything british with a murder mystery. Father Brown is one of my favorites among others. This isn't comparable to Father Brown in my opinion. Sister Boniface is so bland with nothing keeping my interest. And no interesting characters to keep me interested. A murder is a murder when it comes to these shows but it's the characters that keep me coming back. This ain't got it. And I'm genuinely disappointed. Develop some characters please.

Belinda Lang is Brilliant!

[kfboyde · 10/10 · 24 February 2023]

It took me 5 episode to figure out who Mrs. Clam was. I couldn't believe it! She usually does more elegant parts. Bravo for pulling a fast one. Sister Boniface is brilliant in the role. The whole cast is just brilliant and always leaves a smile on my face. The characters are all unique and a character unto themselves. Love British mysteries and this one is sheer delight. I can't wait for season 2 and hopefully, more to come. Love the retro style and shows the UK as it was back them. One series to not miss if you're looking for something funny and delightful. Hight recommended. Love all the cast members!