Channel 5 is launching a new detective series starring Scottish actor John Hannah, from the writer of Death in Paradise. The show, titled Benidorm is Murder, follows a burned-out ex-police officer hiding behind a failing Scottish pub in Benidorm.
Plot and Characters
John Hannah plays Dennis, a former police officer who has retreated to Benidorm to run a struggling pub. He stumbles upon aspiring actress Rosa, played by Carolina Bécquer, who is obsessed with classic British crime shows. Rosa talks her way into Dennis' bar, his investigations, and his life, and the pair begin to solve murders in the tourist hotspot.
Describing his character, John Hannah said: "I mean he is broken. He’s sitting on the side-lines in this bar, not sure what he’s doing, not really trying to make anything happen because he’s tried that, and it all failed. He’s found a bush and he’s crawled into it. He’s miserable. But given the breaks he’s had staying out of the sunshine drinking beer seems like a decent way to go. And then like life, when you least expect it, something happens and Rosa walks through the door. She’s the catalyst for everything that happens, and she is fantastic."
Comparison to Previous Roles
John Hannah is known for detective roles such as DI John Rebus in Rebus and DI Jack Cloth in A Touch of Cloth. He noted that Dennis has a better sense of humour than most of his previous characters. "I’ve played 13 or 14 TV detectives. We counted them up. I think Dennis has got a better sense of humour than most of the characters I’ve played. DI Jack Cloth in A Touch of Cloth was funny, but he didn’t know it," he said.
He added: "There were times with this where I felt I was almost getting a little bit Cloth-like. But where Jack never knew he was being ridiculous and that was what was funny I think Dennis has a sense of humour, albeit perhaps a black sense of humour. He takes his joy where he can find it, a little bit like myself."
From the Writer of Death in Paradise
Benidorm is Murder comes from Ian Jarvis, who has written for Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise. Jarvis shared insights on writing detective dramas: "I’ve written three episodes of Death in Paradise and two of Beyond Paradise. 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. You must give them every opportunity to try to solve it. You can’t pull any rabbits out of hats in the final act."
He continued: "But at the same time, if they do solve it then you’ve lost. Doing all that in the space of one hour onscreen, in our case 50 odd minutes, and at the same time hopefully writing interesting, different guest characters and, in our case, making people laugh as well. What I learned was to play by the rules but also to be rigorous with the stories."
Guest Stars and Broadcast
The series also features a string of guest stars, including Denise Welch, Alistair McGowan, and Tamzin Outwaite. Ariadna Cabrol plays the formidable DS Maria Hernandez, and Damian Schedler Cruz portrays PC Jesús Ballesteros.
Benidorm is Murder starts on Channel 5 on Thursday, July 30 at 9pm.
