Death in Paradise is a British/French crime comedy-drama television series created by Robert Thorogood which centres on strait-laced policeman Richard Poole, a detective from London's Metropolitan Police who is sent to the Caribbean island of Saint-Marie to solve the case of the death of a fellow British policeman and ends up becoming the local police force's new detective.
Death In Paradise is a fish-out-of-water story about a quintessential English cop posted to the Caribbean island of Saint-Marie. To anyone else it would be paradise, but for Detective Inspector Richard Poole (Ben Miller) it's hell!
Totally unsuited to the Caribbean way of life, Richard hates the sun, sea and sand and isn't used to their style of policing. But he is a brilliant detective whose first case on the island is investigating the murder of a British cop.
Working with the exotic local Camille (Sara Martins), each week Richard goes about solving an intricate and intriguing murder.
DI Richard Poole is played by Ben Miller – quintessentially English, blisteringly intelligent, with a unique approach, if only he didn't hate sun, sea and sand...
Camille Bordey is played by Sara Martins – sexy, instinctive and straight-talking, she's a the perfect foil for Richard's genius.
Danny John-Jules plays Dwayne Myers – he may lack ambition, but he has complete faith in the chief and he really understands the criminal mind – perhaps a little too well.
Fidel Best is played by Gary Carr – young, keen and at times naïve, there's nothing he won't do for his friends – and his doggedness can prove vital in breaking a case.
Lenora Crichlow plays Lily Thomson – beautiful, warm, and calm in a crisis, Lily is the long-suffering rock at the heart of the Royal Saint-Marie Police force.
Commander Selwyn Patterson is played by Don Warrington – charming and unfailingly polite, Richard's boss shows he can bend the rules when it suits him... and that he has a terrible temper when riled.
The drama was filmed on location in Guadeloupe.
Commissioned by Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning and Danny Cohen, Controller of BBC One, executive producers are Tony Jordan for Red Planet Pictures and Polly Hill at the BBC.
The drama is produced by Red Planet Pictures and Atlantique Productions in association with BBC Worldwide and Kudos Film and Television for BBC One and France Télévisions with support from the region of Guadeloupe.
Death In Paradise is Robert Thorogood's first television screen credit; he was discovered through Red Planet Pictures' annual writing competition The Red Planet Prize and selected as one of the finalists who was then mentored by Executive Producer Tony Jordan and Simon Winstone (Head of Development).
Broadcast Notes
The first three seasons aired in South Africa on BBC Entertainment. It moved to BBC First when the former became defunct in 2015.