The reason why Olivia Vinall from Queens of Mystery did not return for a second season, is reportedly due to schedule conflicts, resulting in Florence Hall replacing her.
Queens of Mystery is the 2019 original Acorn TV hit sitcom with a murder mystery drama twist on it. In fact, it was such a hit that it spawned a second season.
While fans celebrated the fact, there was one noticeable change in casting with the second season. The second season saw a change in the title character of the show, Matilda “Mattie” Stone.
In the first season, the character was played by Olivia Vinall, but in the second season, actress Florence Hall stepped into the role due to Vinall’s reported conflicting schedule.
What is Queens of Mystery?
Queens of Mystery is Acorn TV’s original series which first premiered in 2019, with the series subsequently airing on Channel 5, which arguably resulted in its continued success.
The comical murder mystery series was created by the acclaimed Julian Unthank, who is also behind shows like Robin Hood and The Bill.
The premise of the series is, “Three crime-writing sisters and their 28-year-old niece use their extensive knowledge of crime to solve whodunit style murders in the picturesque English village of Wildemarsh.”
The series, which was initially only touted as a limited series with one season, was renewed for a second season, which aired in 2021, due to its popularity.
Why did Olivia Vinall leave Queens of Mystery?
Queens of Mystery season one was led by an all-female leading cast consisting of Julie Graham, Siobhan Redmond, and Sarah Woodward, as three aunts in the roles of Cat Stone, Jane Stone and Beth Stone, respectively.
Olivia Vinall played the role of Matilda “Mattie” Stone. But the second season saw Vinall replaced with fellow English actress Florence Hall.
The two actresses are uncanny in their resemblance, so it naturally takes a while for viewers to recognise the change in the casting of the lead character.
Fans were surprised that Vinall did not return for the second season, considering the success of the series. However, officially, the word is that Vinall could not return to the show due to conflicting schedules with production for season two.
Therefore, Hall was hired as a replacement. Hall was well received as a replacement, as fans were initially unsure if the series had changed actresses, because of their similarities in appearance.
Is there a season 2 of Queens of Mystery?
Considering that the first season was envisioned as a mini-series comprising six-episodes, divided into two parts – the first chapter and a final chapter, it was believed that the series was a limited one.
However, it then came as a surprise when there was a second season of the crime mystery drama series, which ran between November 2021 and December 2021, following the same structure as the first season.
To date, there has been no official word if there will be a third season, which is not surprising considering that season two only aired on 29 November 2021.
Even so, that is not to say the show is cancelled, as Acorn TV has yet to share word on the fate of the series.
How can I watch Queens of Mystery?
If you are looking to watch Queens of Mystery, it is advisable that you get a digital media player which will allow you to get Acorn TV on your cable box or through Amazon Prime Video.
For Queens of Mystery, the touted digital media player to access the series is Roku. The package purchase price starts at $29.99 and, depending on the package and the paid channels chosen as part of your subscription, the price will increase.
Full details on the product can be found here.
| Watch Queens of Mystery on Amazon Prime Video |
Where is Queens of Mystery filmed?
Queens of Mystery is British, and viewers are plunged into the picturesque aesthetic from the beginning to the end of the series.
The setting of the world of the story is the fictional English village of Wildemarsh. Although, the first season of the series was shot in Kent, specifically, in Stone Street in Cranbrook.
Additional shooting locations included Lympne Castle as Hiddledean Castle in the show, and several locations in Farningham and Beth’s cottage were filmed at Mill Estate.
The show revisited the primary locations for the second season of the series.
Final thoughts
Queens of Mystery is the 2019 hit Acorn TV limited series which was initially intended to be an original single season series.
However, due to its popularity as a result of its placement on several paid subscription video-on-demand services, and subsequently airing on Channel 5, the series was renewed with one major change in casting.
Olivia Vinall, who had played the title character of Mattie in 2019’s season one, was replaced with actress Florence Hall for the second season. The purported reason for Vinall’s departure was conflicting schedules at the time of the series’ production.