Death in Paradise among hit detective shows in a summer season on BBC
The Guadeloupe-set show takes its place among hits such as Line of Duty and Wallander in a retrospective of detective and crime shows
Death in Paradise star Barabara Flynn apologises on BBC Morning Live
BBC hit drama, Death in Paradise, is headlining a new season of the top detective and crime dramas from the last six decades, to be featured over the summer on the BBC.
The Guadeloupe-set drama, which is currently shooting with a new lead detective played by Don Gilet, is sharing the season with an impressive list of award winners such as Life on Mars, Line of Duty, Happy Valley and Wallander.
The season also includes two obscure titles, rarely seen on British television.
First is the 1978 version of Law & Order, a four-part series about the judicial system.
It would be remade by producer Dick Wolf many years later, with a successful series in the US, with Bradley Walsh starring in a UK version.
We also have Campion, a detective drama series adapted from the novels by Margery Allingham in 1989.
It starred former Doctor Who, Peter Davison, in 1930s England as an aristocratic sleuth.
Bafta-winning TV executive Francis Hopkinson, who made two dramas on the list – Wallander, and The Cops, said: “The season proves detective dramas never go out of fashion.
“The success of Wallander was down to one thing -- an extraordinary performance from Kenneth Branagh as a troubled everyman struggling with the demons of Swedish society.
“As for The Cops, Tony Garnet, the great television producer, wanted to do a police series which was the antithesis of The Bill where the crimes always got solved and no character was damaged. Tony wanted the opposite -- no crimes were ever solved and every character was damaged!”
“Many titles,” said a BBC spokesperson, “will be preceded by brand new introductions from key cast and the creatives behind them offering fresh insights and fond memories of these fan-favourites.
“First to be called to the stand to launch the season is Death in Paradise, introduced by writer Tony Jordan and original cast member Don Warrington. In addition, all 107 episodes of Death in Paradise are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.”
Said Tim Key, exec producer of Death in Paradise:
“We’re honoured to be alongside such illustrious company and to have been chosen to launch this line-up.
"We are delighted that Death in Paradise continues to prove so popular with the viewers - we love making the show and are currently hard at work in Guadeloupe filming our 14th series.
"We can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve been up to and to meet our new lead detective!”
The BBC season launches next Wednesday, 12 June at 10pm on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer with new episodes weekly.
The A-Z of the police dramas…. in BBC season
Campion (Peter Davison); Dalziel and Pascoe (Warren Clarke); Death in Paradise (Don Gilet); Happy Valley (Sarah Lancashire); Hinterland (brooding DCI Tom Mathias uncovers secrets – and links to his troubled past. Atmospheric Welsh drama with Richard Harrington); Inspector Lynley Mysteries (Nathaniel Parker); Jonathan Creek (Alan Davies; Caroline Quentin); Law & Order – 1978 (Four-part drama series about the British judicial system, originally broadcast in 1978 with a cast including Peter Dean and Derek Martin); Life on Mars (John Simm/Philip Glenister); Line of Duty (Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar); Luther (Crime drama series starring Idris Elba); New Tricks (Denis Waterman/Amanda Redman); Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch/Martin Freeman) Shetland (Douglas Henshall, Ashley Jensen and Alison O'Donnell); The Cops (Katy Cavanagh, Rob Dixon and John Henshaw); Waking The Dead (Trevor Eve, Sue Johnston and Wil Johnson); Wallander (Kenneth Branagh/David Warner).
