How Death in Paradise has benefited from one big change

The show is keeping fans guessing in its twelfth series.

By Daniel Kilkelly

20 Jan 2023

ralf little and shantol jackson as neville parker and naomi thomas in death in paradise

BBC

Death in Paradise series 12 spoilers follow.

Death in Paradise may have one of the most rigid formulas in the world of TV, but the show has been shaking things up in the past couple of years.

The beloved BBC One detective series keeps fans guessing with a new case each week, overseen by DI Neville Parker and his talented team.

Everyone knows the drill by now – some poor soul gets murdered in the pre-credits sequence, Neville and co arrive to gather evidence, suspects are quizzed, alibis are scrutinised, and the guilty party is unmasked with a dramatic denouement within the hour.

This reliable format has been part of Death in Paradise's huge success since it launched in 2011. While other shows drag whodunits out over six episodes – or even longer – Death in Paradise fans can usually rest assured that they'll have all the answers before the credits roll.

Of course, no show wants to be too predictable, especially after being on air for over a decade. Perhaps this is the reason that Death in Paradise has started to quietly challenge the audience's expectations in its two most recent series.

Aside from occasional two-part specials, Series 11 in 2022 was the first time that Death in Paradise played out a crime-focused storyline arc across multiple episodes.

In the past, the show's ongoing plot threads had only really focused on the lighter storylines. These were often romantic dilemmas for the lead detective, or more junior members of the team trying to rise through the ranks at the Honoré Police Station.

Last year's series finally upped the ante, as DS Florence Cassell went undercover in a risky mission to bring down a drugs operation.

neville parker and florence cassell, death in paradise

BBC

That story played out across four episodes alongside the regular "cases of the week", creating a genuine sense of tension and jeopardy that can sometimes be missing in the standalone mysteries.

Fans spent several weeks speculating over whether Florence would be killed off during the course of her high-stakes investigation. This created more potential for buzz and discussion in-between episodes, proving the benefit of having a continuous plotline alongside the usual standalone elements.

With Florence leaving the show at the end of the saga, this also proved to be a fitting exit storyline for one of Death in Paradise's most popular characters.

Series 12 this year has continued to keep fans on their toes. Episode two last week saw Neville solve the mystery of a baffling death at a doomsday commune, which saw a man called Kit Martin get murdered in a bunker.

robert webb as justin west in death in paradise

Red Panet Pictures / Denis GuyenonBBC

Fellow guest character Raya West was ultimately unmasked as the culprit. Just when we thought it was all over, though, Raya's husband Justin (played by Robert Webb) was spotted staring ominously at Neville while drinking from a bottle of booze.

This again caused plenty of speculation and excitement among fans, who guessed that Justin might be back to seek revenge against Neville in a future edition.

Episode three introduced another intriguing mystery, as Neville contacted an old colleague called Andrew Buckley (played by former Hollyoaks actor Kent Riley) while trying to solve Saint Marie's latest murder.

Appearing on video call from the UK, Neville's old friend Andrew hinted that he had something on his mind, explaining: "There's something I want to talk to you about. Something that I don't want to have to tell you, but something that…" He then changed his mind and cut the call.

don warrington and ralf little as selwyn patterson and neville parker in death in paradise

BBC

Andrew later reassured Neville that there was nothing to worry about, but was then spotted making an unexpected arrival on the island and heading off in a cab, asking to be taken to Saint Marie's harbour town of Port Royal.

What is Andrew up to? Only time will tell – but it's certainly refreshing to finish an episode of Death in Paradise not knowing what on earth is going on.

With the writers and storyliners now creating these bigger talking points for fans to dissect and digest after each episode, they're striking just the right balance. The show is keeping things fresh, without losing the reliable elements that have always made it so great for feel-good, easy viewing. Let's hope the team can keep it up.

Death in Paradise series 12 airs on Friday nights on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer. A spin-off, Beyond Paradise, is in production.