Channel 5's new detective drama Benidorm is Murder begins this week, offering a fresh cosy crime series for fans of Death in Paradise. The show comes from Death in Paradise writer Ian Jarvis and stars John Hannah as a former detective who moves to Benidorm, only to be drawn back into investigating when tourists start turning up dead.
Cast and Premiere Date
The series starts on Channel 5 on Thursday, July 30 at 9pm. John Hannah plays ex-detective Dennis Govan, while Carolina Bécquer takes on the role of his unlikely sidekick Rosa. The drama also features Ariadna Cabrol as DS Maria Hernandez and Damian Schedler Cruz as PC Jesús Ballesteros.
Guest stars include Denise Welch, Alistair McGowan, and Tamzin Outwaite. Brian Bovell plays Benidorm enigma Archie, a philosopher and poet who is a permanent fixture at Dennis' bar, and Eva van der Gucht plays Jackie.
Plot and Setting
The synopsis reads: "Dennis is a burned-out ex-police officer hiding behind a failing Scottish pub in Benidorm. Rosa is an aspiring actress, obsessed with classic British crime shows, who talks her way into his bar, his investigations, and his life. Together, they're the last people anyone would trust to solve a murder — which is exactly why they keep solving them."
The series is set in the "glorious and chaotic Benidorm — tribute acts, bingo queens, hen parties, sunburnt tourists and bar owners hanging on by a thread," and treats its setting "as a beating heart, not as a punchline." Each episode delivers a fresh puzzle with clues, twists, and a satisfying solution.
Writer's Inspiration
Ian Jarvis, who has written three episodes of Death in Paradise and two of Beyond Paradise, said: "What I learned is that writing these kinds of shows is harder than it looks. It is sort of like playing a game with the audience. You are setting them a puzzle to solve. You must play fair."
