Picture this: a British detective solves complex murder cases against a backdrop of turquoise seas and glorious sunshine. No, we’re not talking about Death in Paradise, but a new Channel 5 detective drama coming to steal the glory. Enter Benidorm is Murder, the six-part series that takes us to, you guessed it, Benidorm, where our lead detective has his hands unexpectedly full.
Dennis Crown (John Hannah) has left his busy life as a detective in the UK behind to run a bar in the sunshine… or so he thinks. When a string of tourists turn up dead, he’s drawn back into the world he thought he'd waved goodbye to for good - only this time, he’s solving crime in “paradise”.
While we await the arrival of Benidorm is Murder on our screens, here's everything you need to know about the upcoming detective drama, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Benidorm is Murder about?
The six-part series introduces us to former burnt-out detective Dennis Crown (John Hannah), who has swapped the chaos of daily grind of the UK for a quieter life running a bar in Benidorm. So far, so straightforward. But when tourists start turning up dead, he finds himself reluctantly drawn back into detective work - and he's egged on by his new barmaid Rosa (Carolina Bécquer), an aspiring actress and crime drama superfan.
Channel 5’s official synopsis continues, “With Dennis’s real-world experience and Rosa’s encyclopaedic TV knowledge, each episode sees the duo tackling a new murder in paradise, whilst trying to remain on the right side of the local Spanish cops.”
Among the cast of characters are members of Benidorm’s policing team including the formidable DS Maria Hernandez (Ariadna Cabrol) and her green new PC Jesús Ballesteros (Damian Schedler Cruz). We also meet Benidorm enigma Archie (Brian Bovell), a philosopher, a poet and a permanent fixture at Dennis’ bar, who once in a while removes his head from the clouds to casually spot something everyone has missed.
John Hannah says of the series: "Benidorm is Murder is a gem of a show, filled with joy and humour, but there's a balance of comedy and serious emotional weight to the stories, which is testament to the writing. We have such a brilliant cast on this, everyone is pitch perfect for their roles, and I can't wait for viewers to meet Carolina who was born to play Rosa.”
Who’s in the cast of Benidorm is Murder?
The cast of Benidorm is Murder includes:
- John Hannah (The Mummy, The Last of Us) as Dennis
- Carolina Bécquer (8 Years) as Rosa
- Ariadna Cabrol (Made in Malta) as DS Maria Hernandez
- Damian Schedler Cruz (Silo) as PC Jesús Ballesteros
- Brian Bovell (Andor, Love Actually) as Archie
- Denise Welch (Waterloo Road, Tip Toe)
- Alistair McGowan (The Big Impression, Bleak House)
- Tamzin Outhwaite (The Tower, Hotel Babylon)
How can I watch Benidorm is Murder?
Benidorm is Murder will air on Channel 5 later this year. As soon as we have a confirmed date, we’ll update you here.
What other detective dramas can I watch now?
For another sun-soaked series, we’d recommend The Mallorca Files. The series features a very watchable crime-solving partnership between Detective Miranda Blake (Elen Rhys) and Max Winter (Julian Looman). Despite being about as different as can be, that doesn’t stop them solving crime in the Spanish sunshine. You can watch The Mallorca Files now on Prime Video. For something closer to home, try McDonald & Dodds. The British series introduces us to the smart and ambitious DCI McDonald (Tala Gouveia) and the shy but quietly brilliant DS Dodds (Jason Watkins) who have rather a lot of whodunnits to solve. Think a hot air balloon death and that of an up-and-coming Formula 1 driver. McDonald & Dodds is available to watch now on ITVX.
