Robert Thorogood, the creator of the long-running BBC series Death in Paradise, has opened up about the unique difficulties of writing the beloved murder mystery show, calling it "the hardest TV to write."
Format Constraints Make Writing a Challenge
In an interview with Radio Times, Thorogood explained the structural challenges of the show, which has aired 15 seasons since its debut in 2011. "I'd put money on it being the hardest TV to write," he said. "You have one hour to kill someone at the start, catch the murderer at the end, reel off the denouement, so that's 20 pages of script spoken for before you get to the fun stuff."
Thorogood, who also created spin-offs Beyond Paradise and Return to Paradise, noted that balancing the mystery's complexity with warmth and likability of the detectives is particularly tough. "It's hard to get the balance and tone right, the complication of the mystery, the warmth of the characters, make the detectives loveable but still good at their jobs," he added.
From Struggles to Success
Thorogood previously discussed his long road to success in television. Speaking to Absolutely Magazine in 2023, he reflected on the years before Death in Paradise became a hit. "As a screenwriter, you'd have good years and then really bad years, but it was completely piecemeal, you couldn't make any plans on it - it was really hard. So, following 16 years of really scraping the barrel, it went from 0 to 100 pretty much overnight."
The series first aired in 2011 with Ben Miller as the lead detective, followed by Kris Marshall, Ardal O'Hanlon, and Ralf Little. Currently, Don Gilet stars as Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson on the fictional Caribbean island of Sainte Marie.
Two More Seasons and Christmas Specials Confirmed
The BBC has confirmed that Death in Paradise will return for two more seasons and two Christmas specials. Filming began in April on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Alongside Gilet, the returning cast includes Don Warrington, Shantol Jackson, Shaquille Ali-Yebuah, Catherine Garton, and Élizabeth Bourgine.
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, said: "Death in Paradise is a global phenomenon and we are incredibly proud to have it on the BBC, where it goes from strength to strength. It's with great pleasure that we share the news that we'll be returning to Saint Marie for two more sun-soaked series and Christmas specials."
Death in Paradise is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
