The Brokenwood Mysteries

The Brokenwood Mysteries is a New Zealand detective, drama television series that premiered on Prime in 2014.[3] The programme is set in the fictitious New Zealand town of Brokenwood and was filmed in the greater Auckland region.[1] Tim Balme conceived the series and is lead writer with Philip Dalkin, James Griffin and Greg McGee.[1]

The Brokenwood Mysteries
Filming of the second episode of Series 2, at Helensville
Genre
Directed by
  • Murray Keane[1]
  • Mike Smith
  • Katie Wolfe
  • Oliver Driver
  • Josh Frizzell
  • Aidee Walker
  • Michael Hurst
Starring
Composers
Country of originNew Zealand
Original languageEnglish
No. of series6
No. of episodes24 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Kelly Martin
  • John Barnett[1]
Producers
  • Chris Bailey[1]
  • Sally Campbell
  • Tim Balme
Cinematography
  • Rewa Harre
  • Marty Smith
Running time90-99 minutes
Production companySouth Pacific Pictures
DistributorAll3Media
Release
Original networkPrime (2014–19)
TVNZ 1 (2021–)[2]
Audio formatStereo
Original release28 September 2014 (2014-09-28) –
present
External links
Website

The cast includes Neill Rea as Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd, Fern Sutherland as Detective Kristin Sims, Pana Hema Taylor as Jared Morehu, Shepherd's Māori neighbour, Nic Sampson as Detective Constable Sam Breen and Cristina Ionda as Dr. Gina Kadinsky, medical examiner.

Synopsis

Detective Inspector Mike Shepherd is sent from Auckland to Brokenwood to investigate a local police officer. With a possible murder investigation underway that might link the two, Shepherd takes charge. After the investigation Shepherd reassesses his life and decides to stay on indefinitely, even though it means a demotion to Detective Senior Sergeant. Brokenwood is a seemingly quiet country town where Shepherd, who has an unconventional approach to police work, is assisted by local Detective Kristin Sims, who is precise and efficient at her job, to solve murders. As the series progresses the working relationship between the two moves from rocky to functional as they begin to appreciate each other's talents.[4]

Setting

The fictional town of Brokenwood has a population of about 5000, and is located some 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the coast. It is in a farming area, with crops ranging from wheat to viticulture, and the surrounding area is home to many people who have escaped city life (from retirees to alternative lifestylers).[5] Though the exact location of Brokenwood is not stated, it was largely written[6] and filmed in small towns immediately to the north of Auckland. The real-life town of Warkworth doubles as Brokenwood,[7] and the Brokenwood Police Station is a 1911 building that was the Helensville Post Office. In "Sour Grapes", Shepherd and Sims are seen travelling into Auckland across the Auckland Harbour Bridge, which would confirm that Brokenwood is also located to the north of the city. In the same episode, it is mentioned that it takes two and a half hours by road to get from Brokenwood to Auckland. This would put Brokenwood considerably further north.[8] A map shown in "Catch of the Day" locates Brokenwood close to the settlement of Whangarei Heads, at the northern end of Bream Bay.

Cast

Main
  • Neill Rea as Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd:[9] a detective who decided to settle down in Brokenwood for a more peaceful life. He has many personal secrets, including multiple marriages, and a nephew with Down Syndrome, as well as a love for country music and his Holden Kingswood classic car. He often pursues criminals in a way that seems odd to his colleagues.
  • Fern Sutherland as Detective Kristin Sims: a cynical and intelligent young woman who has had many dating misfortunes. She is often irritated by Shepherd's methods and his blunt manner, but she gradually learns to appreciate his skills.
  • Nic Sampson as Detective Constable Sam Breen: a young officer who often has embarrassing or awkward visits with suspects.
  • Cristina Ionda as Dr. Gina Kadinsky: a medical examiner. She is a highly eccentric Russian woman who often talks about how things were in Russia, and doesn't quite understand "the English humour". She appears to be attracted to Shepherd.
  • Pana Hema Taylor as Jared Morehu (series 1–3; guest series 5; series 6-Present): Shepherd's Māori neighbour. As a local who has many friends and interests, he often finds himself involved in the murder investigations.
  • Rawiri Jobe as Kahu Taylor (series 4–5): Jared's brother's cousin and a self-employed plumber.

Recurring
  • Colin Moy as Simon Hughes: area police commander and close friend of DSS Shepherd.
  • Karl Willetts as Frankie "Frodo" Oades: a former mechanic who later starts his own ice cream vending business.
  • Phil Peleton as Neil Bloom: a local pharmacist who later becomes the first gay mayor of Brokenwood.
  • Elizabeth McRae as Mrs. Jean Marlowe (series 2–present): a kindly older woman who often engages in gossip after a murder.
  • Shane Cortese as Dennis Buchanan (series 2–present): a defence lawyer who often crosses swords with the police.
  • Jason Hoyte as Ray Neilson (series 2–present): the proprietor of a local pub, and the co-owner of the "Lord of the Ringz" tours.
  • Roy Ward as Reverend Lucas Greene (series 2–3, 5): a local Anglican priest who thinks well of others out of Christian charity.

Guests

Several well-known New Zealand actors and actresses have appeared in episodes of The Brokenwood Mysteries, among them:

Episodes

Series overview
SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1428 September 2014 (2014-09-28)19 October 2014 (2014-10-19)
2427 September 2015 (2015-09-27)18 October 2015 (2015-10-18)
3430 October 2016 (2016-10-30)20 November 2016 (2016-11-20)
4429 October 2017 (2017-10-29)19 November 2017 (2017-11-19)
5428 October 2018 (2018-10-28)18 November 2018 (2018-11-18)
6410 November 2019 (2019-11-10)1 December 2019 (2019-12-01)

Series 1 (2014)
No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateN.Z. viewers
(thousand)
11"Blood and Water"Mike SmithTim Balme & Philip Dalkin28 September 2014 (2014-09-28)191.34[10]
Detective Inspector Mike Shepherd is sent to Brokenwood to investigate the death of a farmer whose body has been found by two local fishermen.
22"Sour Grapes"Josh FrizzellTim Balme5 October 2014 (2014-10-05)131.25[11]
The annual Brokenwood wine show is disrupted when the body of the guest judge, a well-known wine critic, is found dead in a fermentation vat.
33"Playing the Lie"Michael HurstJames Griffin12 October 2014 (2014-10-12)164.59[12]
A morning round of golf for several prominent members of the Brokenwood Golf Club is interrupted when one of the club's organisation committee is found dead in a sand bunker, her face covered in blisters.
44"Hunting the Stag"Mike SmithTim Balme19 October 2014 (2014-10-19)141.98[13]
A stag party in two senses of the word as three friends, one of whom is about to be married, go deer hunting in the bush, but only two return—the groom-to-be having been shot in the head.

Series 2 (2015)
No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateN.Z. viewers
(thousand)
51"Leather & Lace"Mike SmithNick Ward & Tim Balme27 September 2015 (2015-09-27)116.16[14]
The Brokenwood rugby club's coach is found dead—naked and tied to the goalposts. A second body is soon discovered.
62"To Die or Not to Die"Murray KeaneTim Balme4 October 2015 (2015-10-04)97.16[15]
A cast member in The Brokenwood Theatre Society's production of Hamlet collapses and dies after a performance. But the smell of poison leads Shepherd to believe that he has not "shuffled off this mortal coil" without help.
73"Catch of the Day"Mike SmithGreg McGee11 October 2015 (2015-10-11)109.73[16]
When a severed human hand is discovered in a crayfisherman's catch, Shepherd and his team need to discover whose it is and whether its owner is still alive.
84"Blood Pink"Josh FrizzellTim Balme18 October 2015 (2015-10-18)117.114[17]
A touring musician is found electrocuted in what initially looks to be a suicide. As Shepherd investigates, he finds things are murkier than they first appeared.

Series 3 (2016)
No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateN.Z. viewers
(thousand)
91"The Black Widower"Mark BeesleyTim Balme30 October 2016 (2016-10-30)N/A
A "Lord of the Ringz" tour comes across the wife of the tour guide, wrapped in fake cobwebs and poisoned with spider venom.
102"Over Her Dead Body"Murray KeaneTim Balme6 November 2016 (2016-11-06)N/A
During the funeral for beloved local poet Declan O'Grady, an unexpected turn of events reveal that his coffin has been occupied by the corpse of an unidentified young woman. As the investigation progresses, Shepherd is led into the murky world of a local Cluedo club.
113"The Killing Machine"Mike SmithGreg McGee13 November 2016 (2016-11-13)N/A
A thief's corpse is found at a local auto repair shop, followed by the murder of the people who worked there. As Shepherd unravels the case, he realizes that the real crime may not be anything as pedestrian as theft.
124"A Merry Bloody Christmas"Murray KeaneTim Balme20 November 2016 (2016-11-20)N/A
The beloved mayor of Brokenwood is found brutally murdered in a Santa costume, and his girlfriend stuffed in the chimney... also in a Santa costume.

Series 4 (2017)
No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateN.Z. viewers
(thousand)
131"Fall From Grace"Helena BrooksPip Hall29 October 2017 (2017-10-29)N/A
When Kristin, Breen, and Gina celebrate Mike’s birthday with a picnic in Brokenwood Domain, they are witness to a fatal skydiving accident.
142"Stone Cold Dead"Murray KeaneTim Balme5 November 2017 (2017-11-05)N/A
Charity Highmore-Browne is the owner and curator of Brokenwood's Historic Village. A stickler for all things Victorian, Charity lives in a time warp. Her sudden death by an arrow brings Mike and his team into the realm of New Zealand's colonial past as they deal with a blacksmith, a missionary and the local postmaster.
153"The Scarecrow"Josh FrizzellGreg McGee12 November 2017 (2017-11-12)N/A
Philip Henderson stands next to an impressive scarecrow amidst a field of damaged vegetation. His whole crop has failed. The scarecrow may have kept the birds away but this catastrophe is something bigger.
164"As If Nothing Had Happened"Mark BeesleyTim Balme19 November 2017 (2017-11-19)N/A
Sunset Manor is a rest home in Brokenwood for the aged and bewildered. The new resident is Edward Alderston. Having recently lost his wife, his family has decided Sunset Manor is the best place for him, especially now that the Alzheimer's is taking hold.

Series 5 (2018)
No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateN.Z. viewers
(thousand)
171"Scared to Death"Murray KeaneTim Balme28 October 2018 (2018-10-28)N/A
A man is found dead on The Ghost Train. Can you die of fright, or is there a more human explanation for his demise?
182"Bride Not to Be"Katie WolfePip Hall & Tim Balme4 November 2018 (2018-11-04)N/A
The Detectives must unravel the mystery of how a bride to be ended up dead in the river during her bachelorette party.
193"Tontine"Thomas RobinsJames Griffin & Tim Balme11 November 2018 (2018-11-11)N/A
When Lester Nyman reaches the top of a local mountain after a gruelling ride and suffers a massive coronary it doesn't seem suspicious. But when Gina reveals his toxicology showed astronomical levels of caffeine in his system, Mike starts to look more closely.
204"The Dark Angel"Mark BeesleyTim Balme18 November 2018 (2018-11-18)N/A
At an abandoned mental health facility, a young couple stumble upon the body of an elderly man in the old hospital wing strapped to a trolley with electrodes connected to his temples. It would seem he was the victim of electrocution.

Series 6 (2019)
No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateN.Z. viewers
(thousand)
211"The Power of Steam"Oliver DriverTim Balme and Nic Sampson10 November 2019 (2019-11-10)N/A
222"A Real Page Turner"Aidee WalkerFiona Samuel17 November 2019 (2019-11-17)N/A
233"Dead Men Don't Shoot Ducks"Murray KeaneTim Balme24 November 2019 (2019-11-24)N/A
244"Dead and Buried"Katie WolfeTim Balme1 December 2019 (2019-12-01)N/A

Ratings

International
  • In France the series is shown on France 3 with a viewer average of 3.4 million each episode and has been retitled Brokenwood.[18]
  • The series has also been shown in Denmark,[18] the United States, Australia[19] and Italy.[20]
  • The series premiered in Australia on 13th Street on 27 January 2016.[21] It is also shown on the 9Gem channel.
  • The series premiered in the United States and Canada on Acorn TV.[22]
  • The series started being shown in the UK by the Drama Channel in February 2017.[23]
  • The series were shown in Bulgaria by Fox Crime Bulgaria in March 2017.
  • The series is shown in Finland by YLE in 2017–2018.[24]
  • The series premiered in Italy on Giallo on 16 April 2016 titled I misteri di Brokenwood.[25]
  • The series premiered in Germany on Das Erste on 21 July 2019 titled Brokenwood - Mord in Neuseeland.[26]
  • The series premiered in Belgium on één, on 8 May 2020.
  • The series has also been shown in Czech TV Prima titled Vraždy v Brokenwoodu.[27]

Reception and awards

Critical response to the series has been mixed, with many reviewers impressed by the plots but lamenting the occasionally hokey dialogue. The two-hour length (broadcast length with ads) of episodes has also been mentioned by some as too long for such a series.

Writing in the New Zealand Herald, critic Colin Hogg panned the series, stating that it was "a local version aiming at that grand TV detective tradition" but that its "Dialogue is clichéd, the acting aches and the locations are boring."[28] International television website "The Medium is Not Enough" was also generally negative in its review, describing the series as "genteel, New Zealand drama designed to appeal to perhaps an older demographic that likes comfortable murder-mysteries and to New Zealanders eager to watch anything that’s actually set in New Zealand and stars New Zealanders."[29]

Christine Tidball, writing for entertainment website Cheese on Toast was kinder, rating the series "charming, without being cloying, very well-written (thanks to Tim Balme) and funny, but not too funny [...] It’s also engaging, full of twists and will keep you guessing right till the end."[30]

As the series has progressed, reviews have become more positive. DVD review website High Def Standard described the first series as "uniquely thrilling TV" and "a New Zealand Midsomer Murders that isn’t afraid to venture off into Twin Peaks territory every now and again."[31] The Manawatu Standard's Malcolm Hopwood enjoyed the series but lamented episode length: "The Brokenwood Mysteries (Prime Sundays) is like our TPP negotiations. They are long, energy-sapping but satisfying if you're still awake after two hours." He added that the series was "intriguing, confusing and exhausting", and that it "deserves our support but it needs to be recorded and watched in small chunks."[32] Michael Reuben, writing for blu-ray.com, rated series one at 4 stars out of 5.[33]

The series has generally proved popular with the public, and has rated 7.0 out of 10 by reviewers on IMDb.com.

The Brokenwood Mysteries received a bronze world medal at the New York Festival's International Television and Film Awards in 2014.[18]

The Brokenwood Mysteries received a silver world medal at the New York Festival's International Television and Film Awards in 2018.[18]

Cars

Shepherd's car is a 1971 Holden Kingswood (HG series). It has a cassette player for his country music cassettes.

Music

Brokenwood Mysteries showcases New Zealand's own country and alternative rock music.[34] In the first season, Shepherd is introduced as a fan of country and western music, sharing the music with Sims while driving around in his car.[35] The music he listens to and the background music of the show are all New Zealand performers. Season two, which climaxed with the death of country singer Holly Collins, was scored by Canadian-born Kiwi-based Tami Neilson and her brother Jay Neilson.[36] Three volumes of soundtracks covering season 1, 2, and 6 of the show have been released digitally on Apple Music, Amazon and Spotify.[37][38][39][40][41][42][43]

New Zealand musicians exhibited on Brokenwood include Tami Neilson, Mel Parsons, Delaney Davidson, Barry Saunders, the Harbour Union, Barnaby Weir of the Black Seeds, the Unfaithful Way, and Jenny Mitchell.[35] Other singers are Marlon Williams, the Warratahs, Bannerman, the Desotos, Aldous Harding, Jackie Bristow, The Fables, Ghost Town, Reb Fountain, The Eastern, and Esther Stephens.[40][41][42]

DVD releases
Title Set details Blu-ray and DVD release dates Special features
Region A/1[44] Region 2[45] Region 4[46]
The Brokenwood Mysteries - Series One
  • Discs: 2
  • Episodes: 4
 7 July 2015 (2015-07-07) 14 August 2017 (2017-08-14) 16 December 2014 (2014-12-16)
  • Interviews with the stars and head writer
The Brokenwood Mysteries — Series Two
  • Discs: 2
  • Episodes: 4
 3 May 2016 (2016-05-03) 14 August 2017 (2017-08-14) 25 November 2015 (2015-11-25)
    The Brokenwood Mysteries — Series Three
    • Discs: 2
    • Episodes: 4
    		 21 March 2017 (2017-03-21) 20 November 2017 (2017-11-20) 24 November 2016 (2016-11-24)
      The Brokenwood Mysteries — Series Four
      • Discs: 2
      • Episodes: 4
      		 27 March 2018 (2018-03-27) 18 December 2017 (2017-12-18) 7 December 2017 (2017-12-07)
      • Interviews with the stars
      The Brokenwood Mysteries — Series Five
      • Discs: 2
      • Episodes: 4
      		 5 March 2019 (2019-03-05) 17 December 2018 (2018-12-17) 6 December 2018 (2018-12-06)
      • Behind the scenes featurette
      • Picture gallery
      The Brokenwood Mysteries — Series Six
      • Discs: 2
      • Episodes: 4
      		 TBD (TBD) 17 February 2020 (2020-02-17) TBD (TBD)
      • TBD

      References
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      2. "Renewed: The Brokenwood Mysteries". TV Tonight. 17 September 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
      3. bgarrettnz. "The Brokenwood Mysteries (TV Series 2014– )". IMDb. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
      4. Lydia Jenkin (20 September 2014). "Brokenwood Mysteries: A moment of sleuth". NZ Herald. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
      5. "The Place Archived 5 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine", thebrokenwoodmysteries.com. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
      6. Manson, B. "Tim Balme's killer concept", stuff.co.nz, 27 September 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
      7. Dickey, D. "Murder mystery comes to town", The Rodney Times, 1 May 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
      8. "Travel times and distances calculator," Tourism New Zealand.
      9. "CastingKey". screencastingnz.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
      10. Regan (29 September 2014). "TV Ratings: 28 September 2014". Nielsen. Throng. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
      11. Regan (6 October 2014). "TV Ratings: 5 October 2014". Nielsen. Throng. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
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      13. Regan (20 October 2014). "TV Ratings: 19 October 2014". Nielsen. Throng. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
      14. Regan (28 September 2015). "TV Ratings: 27 September 2015". Nielsen. Throng. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
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      16. Regan (12 October 2015). "TV Ratings: 11 October 2015". Nielsen. Throng. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
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      20. https://www.superguidatv.it/misteri-brokenwood-giallo-canale-38/
      21. Purcell, Charles (21 January 2016). "New This Week (Jan 25): War & Peace, Suits, Black Sails, Bear Grylls and live sport". The Green Room. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
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      26. https://programm.ard.de/TV/daserste/brokenwood---mord-in-neuseeland/eid_281061833810355
      27. "Na Primu se chystá kriminálka z Nového Zélandu. Sledujte Vraždy v Brokenwoodu!". Prima (in Czech). Retrieved 14 June 2020.
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      34. "Music from The Brokenwood Mysteries". The Brokenwood Mysteries. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
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      42. "Brokenwood Mysteries, Vol. 3 (OST) - Various artists". Amazon UK. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
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      44. Region A/1 set:
      45. Region 2 DVD set:
      46. Region 4 DVD set:
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