‘People really enjoy the genre and the puzzles’
◆ As episode 100 of Death in Paradise comes to BBC One, Don Warrington, Shantol Jackson and Ralf Little talk to Jessica Rawnsley about what’s in store
Dawn breaks on the balmy shores of Saint Marie and – shock – there’s been a murder.
It may be a paradisal Caribbean island, but for some reason, it is a particularly homicidal one. As sure as the sun rising over a wide horizon of glittering water, you can bet that someone will end up dead at some point.
And therein lies at least part of Death in Paradise’s appeal. It’s not so much the murder (which is rarely actually shown) but what happens next – Saint Marie’s police force whirrs into action, investigations get underway, riddles and puzzles are solved as the sun beats down and palm fronds wave in the ocean breeze, and everything is tied up in a satisfying little denouement by the end of the episode.
A stalwart of British television for over a decade, this year ushers in the 13th series and with it the milestone 100th episode.
In a world saturated with television shows, populated by a dizzying number falling under the crime drama genre, this is an achievement – and a testament to Death in Paradise’s enduring appeal and army of devoted fans.
What accounts for the broad and enduring appeal of Death in Paradise? What is it about the show’s makeup that makes it such a ratings juggernaut?
“People come for the murders but stay for the characters,” says The Royle Family’s Ralf Little, who plays Detective Inspector Neville Parker. “And people really enjoy the genre and the puzzles and the mysteries.”
“It’s filmed in the Caribbean and it’s warm and sunny and you get to experience that in the winter,” adds Sprinter’s Shantol Jackson, 31, who plays Sergeant Naomi Thomas. “What I’ve been told constantly since I’ve been in the show is that it’s a great family watch. If you find something that brings everyone together, that’s quite precious.”
There is certainly trouble in paradise this time round as the fabled Commissioner Selwyn Patterson – played by Rising Damp’s Don Warrington – celebrates 50 years of police service only to be shot down by a mysterious gunman.
Warrington is a staple of Death in Paradise, having played the Commissioner since 2011. Yet he insists it still feels novel. “I feel like the baby of the show,” the 72-year-old says. “The thing changes. This show is a very different beast to when I first started. And every inspector, every cast change, brings with it a dimension that wasn’t there before. So in a sense, one now feels the history.
“To me, it’s new. It’s new because the thing has evolved. And with that evolution comes change in character. Everybody is part of it. And you can’t ever rely on your history within it. You can’t pull rank in it, as it were.” He was calm as he read about his character’s shooting.
“I just took it one page at a time,” Warrington relates. “I read and said, ‘Oh, I see, well where does this go?’ And then I read another page and another page and I still seemed to be there. I thought ‘the story will reveal itself and I’ll deal with what comes.’”
“The Commissioner getting shot has a profound effect on the whole team,” says Little, 43. “The Commissioner in his hour of need affects everybody, and not least Neville who has the urgency of it being so personal, him trying to find justice and make things right for the Commissioner.”
“Neville and Naomi are both very affected by Neville’s mum coming to the island,” continues Little.
“Her character and personality and the way she arrived on the island and just lived life to the full and sort of let the chips fall where they may and really took life by the horns.
“And at her encouragement, he’s really trying to remember to live his life like that. A recurring theme for Neville since he arrived on the island is don’t live a half-life, live life to the full. Of course, he took a huge knock at the end of series 12 with everything that happened with Sophie, so we find him trying to take his mum’s advice and not close his heart to the idea of meeting someone.
“This series for Neville is about learning to be open to love again, so it’s a very pure journey for him really. And it’s a long one.”
“I think this series, everybody – all the regulars – find a new aspect to themselves,” Warrington says. “You see Neville’s mum, and you think ‘why can’t he be more like his mum?’ Because she’s fun, she’s great. And you see him looking for ways to reveal that side of himself. It’s great because it takes the audience, who know these characters, on a journey. And I think it helps them invest more in the series.”
“For Naomi, it’s two parts,” says Jackson. “One is her deciding to step out of her comfort zone, try to date, put herself out there more, explore possibilities. And then also this kiss happens in the Christmas special.
“And she now has to face Marlon who is somewhat of her best friend, but she’s also trying to figure out is he more than my best friend? Do I feel something there? Does he feel anything? So she has all these questions and she’s trying to navigate this situation and how to approach him after that situation and still be professional in the workplace.”
Death in Paradise returns to BBC1 on Sunday, 9pm