Death in Paradise
Ralf Little on returning as Saint Marie’s newest recruit, DI Neville Parker, and being joined by some familiar faces...
THURSDAY 7 January, 9pm BBC1 Drama
The sunshine-soaked drama is back for its 10th series with DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little) dealing with yet more baffling murders – kicking off with the death of a young reporter on local TV show Today with Tourné. While he can rely on support from the returning DS Florence Cassell (Joséphine Jobert), he also has help from DS Camille Bordey (Sara Martins), who will be back later this series – as well as DI Richard Poole (Ben Miller), who turns up despite being dead! A number of guest stars pop in, too, including former Casualty actor Patrick Robinson this week.
Q Neville tackles the murder of a reporter this week. What happens?
A It takes place in a Good Morning Britain-esque TV studio. One of the suspects is a high-profile TV presenter. He’s a very charming, well-off guy who doesn’t take kindly to being under suspicion, and he and Neville butt heads very quickly. It’s as if he’s falling out with Richard Madeley! Q DS Florence Cassell (Joséphine Jobert) returns to help with the case, and DS Camille Bordey (Sara
Martins) is also back later this series.
How does Neville get on with them? A He’s helped out by Florence – she’s an incredible ally. He’s even helped out a little bit by Camille, although she is more on the side of the Commissioner. It’s a lovely character arc – he doesn’t just have to solve murders while he’s out here, but he also has to come to terms with the limitations that are imposed on life.
Q How was working with Tahj Miles, who joins the cast this year as Marlon Pryce? A He’s a scene-stealer! A 19-year-old swans in, with natural talent coming out of his ears. And he’s the loveliest lad you could hope for. He’s brilliant, absolute star quality and the audience
will love him. Q This is your first full series playing Neville – did it feel different?
A It was more tiring, but in a good way. It’s a
physically demanding show, there’s no two ways about it – you’re in every scene and doing early mornings, but it’s an absolute dream. Who wouldn’t want to lead a show set in the Caribbean that’s loved by the public?
Q How did social distancing impact filming?
A It’s tricky, but it’s doable. There was a decision, rightly-made, I think, that COVID-19 doesn’t exist in the universe of Death in Paradise. So the way we shot certain scenes, if Joséphine and I are standing next to each other, we shoot in a way that looks like we’re standing closer together, but actually there’s a bit of distance between us.