Breaking news: Filming for the fourth season of “Sister Boniface Mysteries” begins

Filming for the fourth season of “Sister Boniface Mysteries” begins

LONDON – Thursday 11 July: Filming has begun on the fourth series of the hugely popular BBC Studios drama Sister Boniface Mysteries, a BritBox International and UKTV co-production directed by Jude Tindall. The series will also return in December as a feature-length Christmas special, written by Jude Tindall and directed by Paul Gibson.

Lorna Watson is back as TV’s favourite Vespa-riding, crime-solving Catholic nun alongside Max Brown as DI Sam Gillespie, Jerry Iwu as DS Felix Livingstone and Ami Metcalf as WPC Peggy Button. Season four guest stars include Les Dennis (Coronation Street), Katherine Kingsley (The Larkins), Martyn Ellis (Renegade Nell), Mina Anwar (The Sarah Jane Adventures), Ed Birch (The Witcher) and Daniel Laurie (Call the Midwife).

Due to popular demand, this year’s full-length festival performance is again linked to the Great Slaughter Amateur Dramatics Society (GSADS) pantomime. This year it’s Cinderella, and with the appointment of a star director, the pressure is on to deliver the biggest and best performance yet. Rehearsals begin, but soon the cast are dying like flies. Can Sister Boniface catch the killer before he strikes again? Will the GSADS give audiences the festive theatrical treat they deserve? And, most importantly, can Sam and Felix perform a polka on a pantomime horse?

Elsewhere in the series, a stubborn horse gets out of control on the set of a game show, a murderous scarecrow stalks the streets of Great Slaughter, the Scots take over the town, a femme fatale falls to her death in a botched stunt and, to top it all off, CC Lowsley (Robert Dawes) has organized something called “team building.” Meanwhile, Reverend Mother Adrian (Carolyn Pickles) is keeping a secret that could tear the sisters’ lives as they know them apart…

Lorna Watson says: “It’s great to be back with the gang for series four. I feel very lucky to be part of such an amazing show and can’t wait to get started solving crimes in the Cotswolds sunshine.”

Neil Irvine, Executive Producer at BBC Studios, said: “I’m thrilled that television’s favourite forensic nun is returning for a fourth series. The alchemy created by Jude, Lorna and our wonderful cast and Midlands crew continues to delight viewers worldwide. In this series, a serial killer is on the loose at the Christmas pantomime and a threat to the monastery itself. I can’t wait for audiences to find out if this is the end for St Vincent’s…”

Robert Schildhouse, President of BritBox North America and Managing Director of BritBox International, said: “Sister Boniface Mysteries is a BritBox classic and we are excited to bring our eager audiences a new season of crime, roguery and 1960s pranks.”

Emma Ayech, Channel Director for Drama at UKTV, said: “I’m delighted that Sister Boniface Mysteries is back for another season and a second Christmas special. One of UKTV’s most successful titles, the first Christmas special was a huge hit with our audience and the third season, which returned to Drama & UKTV Play earlier this month, continues to captivate viewers. Get ready for more detective fun with our favourite nun – there’s never a dull moment in Great Slaughter!”

Sister Boniface Mysteries is co-produced by BBC Studios Drama Productions for BritBox International and UKTV. Script producer is Dawn Coulson-Beckett. Executive producers are Neil Irvine for BBC Studios, Stephen Nye and Robert Schildhouse for BritBox International and Claire Hookway for UKTV. The show was ordered by Emma Ayech, Channel Director, for U&DRAMA and Emily Hall, Global Acquisitions Executive for UKTV & BBC Studios, closed the deal. BBC Studios is handling international sales.

Filming takes place in and around the Cotswolds and the fourth series of Sister Boniface Mysteries will air next year on BritBox International and on UKTV’s U&Drama in the UK.

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Notes for editors:

About Drama

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+1 Sky 243, Virgin Media 226, Freeview, 60

On demand on Sky, Virgin Media and UKTV Play

Free-to-air channel Drama is committed to bringing the UK the best drama. From historical to contemporary, family shows to comedy, the channel is a treasure trove of beloved classics and modern dramas with stories that viewers can fully immerse themselves in.

With programmes such as familiar favourites ‘Call the Midwife’, ‘The Bill’, ‘New Tricks’ and ‘Silent Witness’, as well as brand new and exclusive hits ‘Sister Boniface Mysteries’, ‘Whitstable Pearl’ and ‘Signora Volpe’, this is the channel where viewers can escape from everyday life and indulge in a handpicked selection of the country’s most celebrated TV dramas.

The channel’s offering has also been expanded in recent years with the UKTV Original TV adaptation of Robert Thorogood’s best-selling novel The Marlow Murder Club. In this two-part series, Samantha Bond plays the sober, crossword-solving and wild swimmer Judith Potts, alongside Jo Martin, Cara Horgan and Natalie Dew.

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U will be home to thousands of hours of free content across a wide range of genres including: Drama (Annika, Holby City, Madam Secretary, Sister Boniface Mysteries, A Million Little Things), Comedy (Meet the Richardsons, Red Dwarf, Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, We Are Not Alone), Entertainment (Big Zuu’s Big Eats, David Mitchell’s Outsiders, QI, Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable, World’s Most Dangerous Roads) and Reality TV (Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, MasterChef Australia, Katie Piper: Jailhouse Mums, Secrets of the London Underground, Bangers & Cash). U will also give viewers access to exclusive shows, award-winning originals, premiere acquisitions and cult BBC programs.

About UKTV

UKTV has been a leader in branded television for over 30 years, entertaining the nation with much-loved programming. Its leading brands – Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday – cover comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama and are delivered to audiences via UKTV Play, Sky, Virgin Media, NOW, Freeview and Freesat, and to Irish viewers via Sky, Virgin Media, Eir, Vodafone and NOW. Channel and content availability varies by platform. UKTV’s content is also available to UK viewers via dedicated FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Freevee Pluto TV and Virgin Media.

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BritBox is a digital video-on-demand subscription service that streams the best of British television to viewers around the world. BritBox offers the UK’s most popular programmes, from brand new commissions to gems, across a wide range of genres including critically acclaimed dramas, crime, classic comedies and powerful documentaries, alongside reality hits and entertainment.

BritBox is available across multiple platforms including the web, mobile, tablets, streaming devices and connected TVs. The offering in each market showcases the depth and breadth of British creativity. With the backing of the BBC providing a pipeline of exceptional content, BritBox is home to a wealth of titles from its parent company (BBC Studios), in addition to all-new original commissions from UK production companies created specifically for BritBox and third-party acquisitions. BritBox.com | Press: BritBoxInternational.com

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BBC Studios is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group with revenues of £2.1 billion (2021/22: £1,630 million). Able to take an idea seamlessly from concept to screen and beyond, the company is based around two business units: the global Content Studio, which produces, invests in and distributes content worldwide, and Channels & Streaming, which includes BBC branded channels, services and joint ventures in the UK and internationally. The company produces around 2,500 hours of award-winning British programming each year, with over 80% of BBC Studios’ total revenue coming from non-BBC clients such as Discovery, Apple and Netflix. Its content is internationally recognised across a wide range of genres and specialisations, with brands such as Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, Top Gear, the Planet series, Bluey and Doctor Who. BBC.com is BBC Studios’ global digital news platform, providing up-to-date international news, in-depth analysis and features.

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