John Hannah has insisted his new cozy crime drama Benidorm is Murder will stand out from others, despite being created by the same mastermind behind Death in Paradise and making references to several iconic detective shows in the first episode alone.
Unique setting and characters
The new Channel 5 series, which airs on Thursday, July 30, stars the Scottish actor as retired detective Dennis, who is pulled back into solving mysteries when he hires a new barmaid Rosa, also a crime drama enthusiast. The synopsis teases: "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."
"Set in the glorious and chaotic Benidorm — tribute acts, bingo queens, hen parties, sunburnt tourists and bar owners hanging on by a thread — Benidorm is Murder treats its setting as a beating heart, not as a punchline. Each episode delivers a fresh puzzle: clues, twists, a satisfying solution, and a corner of this febrile resort that turns unexpectedly deadly."
John Hannah on authenticity
Ahead of the show airing, John exclusively revealed that the location being Benidorm is part of what makes the show stand out. He explained: "It's a real character in the show, a real place with real, colourful characters who are there. Therefore, no matter how broad they are, it's authentic. There's great writing, I'm sure the other shows have great writers too but for me, with a lot of those kind of shows, I switch off when something happens that I just don't believe in."
He added: "I lose interest when I don't believe in it anymore."
Unique relationship
His co-star Carolina Becquer added: "Here, it's definitely believable. And I think another thing is Dennis and Rosa's relationship is very unique and very special, they have this kind of father-daughter relationship. I don't think you get that so often in TV shows and it's very touching."
Benidorm is Murder airs Thursday, July 30 at 9pm on Channel 5.
