A TV Gameshow Recruits Locals in 'Sister Boniface's “Let the Games Begin!”

We’ve just passed the halfway point of Sister Boniface Mysteries Season 4 as the series takes us to the glamorous yet tawdry black-and white world of English television game shows in the mid-1960s. “Let the Games Begin,” which is also the name of the on-screen TV gameshow, is as bloodthirsty as its name suggests. Hosted by smarmy Freddie Fuller (Jonny Weldon) with his lovely assistant, the ambitious Angela Ainsworth (Hayley Johnston), they are handing out teddy bears as consolation prizes to a pleasant, polite couple who have failed to win anything.. To add to their humiliation and disappointment, they are then treated to a viewing of the luxurious items they could have, but didn’t, win. The next week’s show, the last in the series, will take place in – yes, you’ve guessed it, Great Slaughter.

When the cameras are off, both Freddie and Angela drop the pretense – she’s ambitious and wants greater exposure on the show, and he’s determined not to give her an inch. He bullies his PA, Malcolm Everett (Joe Tracini), who is terrified of him. Freddie has a nefarious scheme underway with the show’s director, Giles Penistone (Bob Barrett), which will supposedly benefit them both but leave the rest of the crew jobless. Giles, however, seems to be regretting his association with Freddie.

The series arrives in Great Slaughter to audition contestants ahead of the taping, as Sister Boniface explains the show format to Felix (and by extension, us). Six people are paired up to perform frivolous tasks; the winning pair can grab as many valuable prizes as they can remember from a moving display on a conveyor belt. Felix’s reaction is priceless: “I’d rather not humiliate myself on national television.”

Reporter Norman Whalley, whose hopelessly inept romantic pursuit of Constable Peggy Button continues, also auditions in the hope of being paired with her, but to his disappointment, he draws Dottie Thimble. Hector and Vera Clam, who fortunately are friends, are the second couple, and Felix is paired with a glamorous aspiring actor, Denise Carver (Katurah Chambers). (Peggy, the only one who really seemed keen on participating, wasn’t chosen.) Norman interviews Freddy, who spins an unlikely story about his heroic war experiences after which he developed his talent as a “natural entertainer.”

Angela again makes an attempt to prove herself more than a “glamorous assistant” when Giles gives her permission to present the first challenge. If it’s okay with Freddy (which of course it isn’t), but oh well. As she goes on ahead, Freddy asks Giles if he’s told everyone about the upcoming announcement, only for Giles to claim he’s waiting for the right time. As taping begins, Freddy interviews the contestants, making snide comments to everyone; however when he reaches Dottie and her plan to renovate her Bumblebee Cafe "to make it look like a bee –yellow and black stripes" he's dumbfounded. 

After the first commercial break, Freddy decides to make the big announcement: The show is moving to America, and only he and Giles will be going with it.

The rest of the crew is in shock, but live TV does not stop for anyone. The first ludicrous challenge Angela was so keen to introduce turns out to be "Form a marching band," in which trombonists Norman and Felix actually try to play their instruments to the recorded track. At the end of the round, Hector and Vera are in the lead. (No, we’re not sure why either.) By the end of the day’s filming, Felix apologizes to Denise for all the negative things he said about how this wasn't work, and they shake hands. She is impressed that he’s raising money for a dog charity.

No one died the first day of filming, but Day Two isn't so lucky. Dressed in utterly awful cowboy gear, each couple will ride a mechanical bull while trying to catch a bean bag thrown by their partner. However, first, bull-rider champion Brad Hunter gets on to demonstrate, only for the bull to malfunction. Brad is thrown to the floor and killed in front of the entire cast. 

Now on much more familiar ground, Sister Boniface, Sam, and Felix get to work. Examination of the saddle reveals that someone has intentionally cut open the leather, exposing the wiring. Additionally, one of the prizes on display is a screwdriver set with one missing. Felix suggests the intended victim was Freddie (yes, we’re all disappointed), since between his obnoxious personality and his moving the show overseas, there were plenty of reasons to want him dead.

Sam agrees to continue the investigation during filming, and Hector offers to act as a bodyguard. As he and Sister Boniface go through the show’s staff, she recognizes Malcolm as having once been part of Archie & Malcolm. Malcolm informs her that someone has made a mess of Freddy’s dressing room. Upon inspection, Sam and Sister Boniface conclude that someone was searching the room. A drawer has been forced open, but it contains only headshot photos of Freddy and some odd flakes of wood. Sister Boniface finds a champagne bottle cork; Freddy admits he was celebrating and claims he drank the entire bottle on his own. 

The powder on the cork is makeup, and the substance left in the drawer is cedar wood, used commonly for pencils. Giles spends a lot of time with a pencil clenched between his teeth, and when challenged, confesses that he’d been in Freddy’s dressing room, searching for incriminating photos that Freddy had taken of Giles and an old flame on tour. He was terrified his wife would find out, and Freddy threatened to tell her unless Giles took him to the United States with him.

The contestants, still in their Western clothes, practice for their three-legged egg and spoon race, and Vera shouts at Hector for manhandling her. But Felix and Denise are enjoying themselves, laughing and chatting. Felix shares his story with her – how he was seconded to Scotland Yard, but somehow ended up in Great Slaughter. But it’s his home now, and he’s happy. She remarks how cheerful Malcolm is now, after complaining about Freddy for so long. Sam, Felix, and Sister Boniface learn that Malcolm sees being fired as fortuitous. The show, not Freddy, pays his salary, so he will leave as soon as he receives his final paycheck.

For what it's worth, the score so far: Norman/Dottie: 9. Felix/Denise: 8. Hector/Vera: 7. This means Hector and Vera are out, and given consolation prizes of teddy bears, and Felix is informed that the honor of the Great Slaughter Police is now his responsibility.

Sam and Sister Boniface confront Freddie about his blackmail attempts, but are more concerned with finding out who wants to hurt him. He’s dismissive of their concerns and insists they must keep taping. Vera comes in behind him to complain that her teddy bear is torn. It has, in fact, been stabbed in the back, to hide a screwdriver, the one used to damage the mechanical bull. No prints appear on the fibre, but there are threads from a velvet fabric. 

Sister Boniface has discovered that the foundation on the cork belongs to Angela, not Freddy. She confesses to Sam and Sister Boniface that she accompanied him to his dressing room with the champagne, believing that going to the United States with him would advance her career. Instead, he seduced and then insulted her, destroying her confidence in her career. She knows it gives her a motive, but denies any plan to hurt or kill him. Back on the set, Felix and Denise are high-key flirting when Sam and Hector return, this time with very good dog Rex, who Sister Boniface coos over. 

(In one of her creative flights of fancy, she imagines Rex’s life in retirement, with Hector and Felix waiting on him in a tropical paradise.)

The contest continues with the final round, Felix/Denise vs Norman/Dottie, and we get a mini-proto-Strictly style challenge, where the two couples have a tango-off. Felix is shy, but Denise is happy to teach him... until Sister Boniface points out Denise’s velvet ribbon, and she’s taken in for questioning. Sam has checked her background and discovered that her half-sister Jodie was Freddy’s former assistant before Angela. Another of Freddy’s conquests, she had to leave when her pregnancy became obvious. Freddy claimed he’d support her and the baby, but he abandoned her. Denise admits she went to his dressing room, but found someone else was already there, so she left. She didn’t get a chance to talk to him, let alone kill him.

Felix wonders if Denise was using him as a way to get to Freddy and threatens to quit, but Hector pressures him to stay for the sake of the police dogs. As much of a joy as it is to see Norman with a rose clenched between his teeth, everyone is entranced by Felix and Denise expressing the passion and desire that characterize a tango. They are all angry, disappointed, and betrayed. As everyone watches the contestants dance, Sister Boniface tells Sam that the velvet fibers are not a match for Denise’s ribbon.

The match for the purple velvet comes from the interior of Malcom’s cigarette case, and Sister Boniface and Sam head right for him. Malcolm grabs a knife and goes in search of Freddie as they follow, trying to persuade Malcom to back off. Malcolm confesses that his former partner, Archie, had foolishly boasted about wartime exploits in the regiment that Freddie served in on an evening out with colleagues. Freddie publicly shamed Archie by revealing it was all lies – Archie had been a conscientious objector. Archie’s humiliation destroyed his career, and he died.

(It’s more or less implied that Malcolm and Archie were lovers, which would certainly be tempting to a blackmailer.)

Sister Boniface reminds Malcolm that as a conscientious objector, Archie had stood for peace, and killing Freddie would be an insult to his name. He backs down and is arrested.

Denise and Felix are declared the winners, and Freddie heads backstage, readying to leave for the United States. However, as he packs, Giles shows up and says he isn’t going with him. He’s going home to confess to his wife. Also, since Giles isn't going, Freddy won’t be going either. There’s the little matter of Freddie’s contract, and it’s time for some new blood in the show. Freddie misses his cue to finish out the show, and Angela takes up the challenge, additionally announcing she will be the new host of Let the Games Begin.

Sister Boniface, Hector, Sam, Felix, Dotty, and Vera gather to celebrate in the pub garden. Dotty and Vera are delighted to choose prizes from Felix’s efficient plunder of the items on the conveyor belt. As for Denise, Felix feels it’s too soon, and certainly too soon after the game show misunderstandings for the relationship to resume, at least right now. (Maybe next season?) Hector is very pleased at how much the kennel fund has raised. He makes a lovely speech about a colleague who has always served superbly, and Felix has a smile on his face until he realizes Hector is talking about Rex.

Sister Boniface has solved another successful case. Really, the only regrettable thing about this episode is that the murder victim wasn’t Freddie.

Sister Boniface Mysteries Season 4 continues with new episodes every week on Tuesdays on BritBox through the end of September. Seasons 1 through 3 are currently streaming on BritBox. Seasons 1 and 2 are also available on select PBS Passports for members to stream; check your local service.