Father Dowling Investigates (1987–1991)
"Father Dowling Mysteries" (original title)

Father Frank Dowling, a fine Catholic parish priest in Chicago, drives housekeeper Marie to despair by his habit of being late for dinner as he and his assistant (streetwise nun Stephanie '... See full summary »

Stars:

Tom Bosley, Tracy Nelson, Mary Wickes

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Tom Bosley	...	Father Frank Dowling (44 episodes, 1987-1991)
Tracy Nelson	...	Sister Stephanie 'Steve' Oskowski (44 episodes, 1987-1991)
Mary Wickes	...	Marie (44 episodes, 1987-1991)
James Stephens	...	Father Philip Prestwick (39 episodes, 1987-1991)
Regina Krueger	...	Sgt. Clancy (28 episodes, 1989-1991)

Storyline

Father Frank Dowling, a fine Catholic parish priest in Chicago, drives housekeeper Marie to despair by his habit of being late for dinner as he and his assistant (streetwise nun Stephanie 'Steve' Oskowski) solve numerous neighborhood crimes, usually involving at least one murder. They generally outsmart the police as well as the criminals. The live-in priest Father Philip Prestwick, whose priority is his own ecclesiastical career prospects, takes a very dim view of their crime fighting and on Sister Steve even being there.

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Plot Keywords:

priest | nun | detective | modified nuns habit | religion | 

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 January 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Detektyw w sutannie

Filming Locations:

Church of the Annunciation - 3621 Humboldt Street, Denver, Colorado, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dean Hargrove Productions, Fred Silverman Company, Viacom Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Giallo a Venezia (2012)

User Reviews

Wonderful depiction of Christian living

I wish I had DVDs of the early years, I would use them in my Sunday School curriculum. Yes, I know that Sister Steve had some odd undertakings, but I don't think they detracted from the day-to-day exploration of Catholic Christian theology. The site requests additional lines so I'll commend Tom Bosley's warm performance as Father Dowling. Tracy Nelson had the look and personality of a young woman settling into the religious life. I enjoyed the Chicago setting as well. Around the time this show was canceled, I pretty much quit watching television as so much of it was so offensive. This show was substantive without being corny.