Beautiful scenery, Hobbits, world-class rugby…and cosy crime drama? The Brokenwood Mysteries may not be one of New Zealand’s most well known exports, but, with ten seasons and counting it’s certainly one of its most prolific. Brits can enjoy the whole lot completely FREE on U (formerly UKTV Play) when season 10 drops on October 21, but don't worry if you’re away from the UK, because you can watch The Brokenwood Mysteries from anywhere with a VPN.
UK: U (free)
US: Acorn TV
AU: Acorn TV
NZ: TVNZ+ (free)
How to use a VPN to watch The Brokenwood Mysteries from anywhere
Dubbed the Kiwi answer to Midsomer Murders, The Brokenwood Mysteries follows DI Mike Shepard as he’s sent from Auckland to the small town of Brokenwood to investigate a junior officer's link with a murder investigation. Following the investigation, and enamoured with the change of pace from city life, DI Shepard decides to stay on indefinitely with the local force, despite a prickly relationship with fellow Detective Kristin Sims.
Like Death in Paradise, it’s textbook cosy crime stuff, and fans of the genre know exactly what to expect – a brutal murder worthy of a Terrifier movie, a guest cast of suspects, and a fish-out-of-water detective with unorthodox methods.
Ready to stream seasons 9 and 10? Here's how to watch The Brokenwood Mysteries online from anywhere in the world.
How to watch The Brokenwood Mysteries online in the UK for free
How to watch The Brokenwood Mysteries online in the US
The good news for crime drama fans in the US (and Canada) is that North America is one of the few places The Brokenwood Mysteries can be streamed in full right now.
The show is co-produced with Acorn TV and their streaming service hosts every season of the Kiwi crime drama. A month will set you back $7.99, while a year's subscription is $79.99.
UK citizens travelling in the US will need a VPN to watch their usual free stream. We've got all the details you need for that below.
How to watch The Brokenwood Mysteries online in Australia
Acorn TV is also the home to the highest number of seasons of the show in Australia, with 1-9 available now. A season 10 release date is yet to be confirmed.
The streamer costs AU$6.99 per month or AU$69.99 for a full year.
If you're a Binge subscriber, you can enjoy the first 8 seasons there, or alternatively, the same seasons are available to stream for free on 9Now.
If you’re a Brit abroad looking to stream the latest episodes of The Brokenwood Mysteries, you’ll want to look into purchasing VPN. You’ll find all the details on how to do that here.
How to watch The Brokenwood Mysteries online in New Zealand
Despite being a Kiwi original, only seasons 8-10 of The Brokenwood Mysteries are available to stream in New Zealand. The good news, though, is that they're completely free on TVNZ+.
Episode availability could be down to rights issues, with TVNZ having only taken over production of the show (in partnership with Acorn TV) for season 8 in 2021. The preceding seasons were made by Sky NZ for their free Prime strand (now Sky Open).
For now, if you’re a Brit travelling in New Zealand and looking to stream their hit show, you're best off porting yourself back home with a VPN. You’ll find all the details on how to do that in this section.
How to watch The Brokenwood Mysteries from anywhere with a VPN
If you're traveling outside the UK, you can watch The Brokenwood Mysteries on the U streaming service by using a VPN – no matter where you are in the world!
Normally a streaming service will know where you are trying to tune in from and block you if you're not in the right country but a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an app that hides your location. That means you can access your usual sports and entertainment services even while you're traveling abroad.
Our favorite VPN is NordVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at NordVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch – in this case, the UK
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
What you need to know about The Brokenwood Mysteries
Who is in the cast of The Brokenwood Mysteries?
Neill Rea as Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd
Fern Sutherland as Detective Kristin Sims
Nic Sampson as Detective Constable Sam Breen
Jarod Rawiri as Detective Constable Daniel Chalmers
Cristina Ionda as Dr. Gina Kadinsky
Elizabeth McRae as Mrs. Jean Marlowe
Pana Hema Taylor as Jared Morehu
Colin Moy as Simon Hughes
Karl Willetts as Frankie "Frodo" Oades
Jason Hoyte as Ray Neilson
Tracy Lee Gray as Trudy Neilson
Shane Cortese as Dennis Buchanan
Zara Cormack as Kimberly Mason
Roy Ward as Reverend Lucas Greene
Phil Peleton as Neil Bloom
Rawiri Jobe as Kahu Taylor
Cameron Rhodes as Dr Roger Plummer
What can new viewers expect from The Brokenwood Mysteries?
The official The Brokenwood Mysteries synopsis reads: "The Brokenwood Mysteries comprises two-hour murder mystery stories set in a seemingly quiet country town where the town’s newest resident, Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd, finds that murder lurks in even the most homely location.
Neill Rea stars in the lead role of DI Shepherd while Fern Sutherland plays Detective Constable Kristin Sims. Recurring cast include Cristina Ionda as Dr Gina Kadinsky and Jarod Rawiri as DC Daniel Chalmers.
Each telefeature in the series is a standalone story which sees the show’s team of police officers trying to solve a murder case."
Where is The Brokenwood Mysteries filmed?
Brokenwood is a fictional farming town situated near the coast on New Zealand's North island. The show is filmed in numerous small towns around Auckland, with Warkworth doubling for Brokenwood itself.
The Brokenwood Mysteries season guide
- Season 1 (2014): Four episodes
- Season 2 (2015): Four episodes
- Season 3 (2016): Four episodes
- Season 4 (2017): Four episodes
- Season 5 (2018): Four episodes
- Season 6 (2019): Four episodes
- Season 7 (2021): Six episodes
- Season 8 (2022): Six episodes
- Season 9 (2023): Six episodes
- Season 10 (2024): Six episodes
