Death in Paradise creator Robert Thorogood has confessed that the beloved BBC crime drama is the hardest television series to write. In an interview with Radio Times, Thorogood explained the unique challenges posed by the show's rigid structure.
Format Constraints Make Writing Difficult
Thorogood stated: 'I'd put money on it being the hardest TV to write.' He elaborated on the demanding format: '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.'
The creator also highlighted the difficulty of balancing tone and character development: '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.'
From Struggle to Success
Thorogood previously shared his long journey to success with Absolutely Magazine in 2023. He described the years before Death in Paradise took off: '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.' He added: 'So, following 16 years of really scraping the barrel, it went from 0 to 100 pretty much overnight.'
Series History and New Lead
Death in Paradise first aired in 2011, starring Ben Miller as the original detective. Subsequent leads included Kris Marshall, Ardal O'Hanlon, and Ralf Little. The show has now run for 15 seasons. Former EastEnders star Don Gilet took over as DI Mervin Wilson in season 14, solving murders on the fictional island of Sainte Marie.
Thorogood has also created spin-offs Beyond Paradise and Return to Paradise, as well as The Marlow Murder Club series.
Don Gilet on Taking the Lead
When Don Gilet joined the cast, he expressed his excitement and humility: 'Being offered the new lead role in Death in Paradise feels like a deeply loved and incredibly precious jewel has been placed in my hands.' He continued: 'This is a big show, with a big heart and the love continually grows for it. It is my intention to never lose sight of that and to remain grateful, humbled and dedicated.'
Gilet added humorously: 'Even during those testing times when every sinew is screaming at me to run off the set and dive into the sea, swimming pool or an ice-cold beer – whichever happens to be closer at the time!'
Where to Watch
Death in Paradise is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. The new series is currently in production.
