Robert Thorogood is an English screenwriter and Sunday Times Best-selling original novelist. He created the BBC One murder mystery series Death in Paradise as well as co-created two spin-off shows from it, Beyond Paradise and Return to Paradise. Since then, he’s written The Marlow Murder Club series of murder mystery novels, which he turned into a TV series for PBS and UKTV.
Death in Paradise, Thorogood wrote five episodes of the first series of Death in Paradise. The first episode aired in November 2011 to an overnight audience of nearly 6 million. The first episode of the second series aired in 2013 to an overnight audience of nearly 7 million. Thorogood also wrote two episodes of the second series, three of the third series, two of the sixth and seventh series, and one episode in each of the others up until series nine.
Series One, A detective inspector from London investigates a crime on the Caribbean Island of Saint Marie. Satisfied with his work, his superiors permanently assign him to the island’s police force. Richard Poole is the perfect man to solve the case. Unfortunately for Richard, he hates sun, sea and sand.
Shown over 8 episodes on BBC One. Now available on BBC iPlayer.
Starring Ben Miller, Sarah Martins and Don Warrington.
Series Two, originally shown 8th January 2013. DI Richard Poole struggles to muster that loving feeling for the local voodoo festival celebrating romance and friendship. However, an understanding of the nature of love, friendship and the ties that bind, proves vital in solving a mysterious murder at a local sugar plantation.
Again, shown over 8 episodes on BBC One and now available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Starring Elizabeth Bourgine, Danny John-Jules and Gary Carr.
Series Three, originally shown January 2014. A university reunion party that DI Richard Poole is attending is brought to a halt when one of the group is murdered with an ice pick. With the case proving particularly sensitive, a new British detective, DI Humphrey Goodman, (Kris Marshall), arrives on the island.
When DI Humphrey Goodman and his team are called to investigate a murder on a film set, they are left baffled when they realise the wrong victim has been killed. The team must work fast to solve the case before the murderer strikes again.
Starring Kris Marshall, Morven Christie and Vinette Robinson.
Series Four, originally shown January 2015, continues to follow DI Humphrey Goodman as he settles into life on the tropical island of Saint Marie. Across eight episodes, he and his team investigate a new series of puzzling and mysterious murders, including a seemingly supernatural one and a case involving a rock band. This season also features significant character changes, including the departure of a main character. A new detective joins the team: with Sergeant Fidel Best’s departure, the police force welcomes eager and respectful young rookie JP Hooper (Tobi Bakare). Long-time cast member Sara Martins makes her final appearance as DS Camille Bordey. In her final episode, Camille leaves the island for a new career opportunity in Paris, forcing DI Goodman to come to terms with his feelings for her. Following Camille’s departure, DS Florence Cassell (Josephine Jobert) joins the team and quickly establishes herself as a tenacious and thorough investigator.
Starring Tobi Bakare, Josephine Jobert and James Fox.
Series Five, originally shown in January 2016. DI Humphrey Goodman leads the Saint Marie police force in solving a fresh slate of baffling murders. While he continues to adapt to island life, he starts to realise that the one thing missing from his paradise is a romantic partner. Meanwhile, Officer JP Hooper finds himself falling in love faster than expected. The team also gets a glimpse into Officer Dwayne Myer’s past when an old mentor dies in suspicious circumstances. They investigate the death after receiving a text message suggesting it was a murder.
In episode five, ‘The lost Identity’ DI Goodman’s Aunt Mary comes to visit him, but things take an unexpected turn when she becomes the only witness to the murder of a tourist.
Starring Wendy Craig as Aunt Mary.
Series Six, originally shown in January-February 2017. This season follows DI Humphrey Goodman’s blossoming romance with Martha Lloyd (Sally Bretton). When a case takes him to London, he decides to follow his heart and leaves Saint Marie to be with her. The two-part story sees Humphrey, Florence and Dwayne travel to London to investigate a murder case connected to Saint Marie. It is there that they meet DI Jack Mooney, a Metropolitan Police Officer (Ardal O’Hanlon).
After Humphrey decides to stay in London, DI Jack Mooney takes over the position in Saint Marie. The final two episodes of the season focus on him settling into his new role.
Starring Sally Bretton and Ardal O’Hanlon.
Series Seven, originally shown in January-February 2018. Throughout the eight episodes, the DI and his team tackle some challenging murder mysteries, including, a billionaire’s fiancée apparently commits suicide by falling from her hotel balcony, but a detail about her painted fingernails leads the team to believe it was murder. Episode eight revolves around a cold case that has bothered Commissioner Patterson for years, when new evidence emerges after a reggae band’s guitarist is murdered in a locked room.
Starring Levi Roots as rock guitarist Billy Springer.
Series Eight, originally shown in January-February 2019. The season features DI Jack Mooney, played by Ardal O’ Hanlon, leading the investigations on the fictional island of Saint Marie. Jack and his team solve a series of clever and challenging murders on the beautiful Caribbean Island. The season also delves into some personal challenges for the team. Key plots include: a new team member, Officer Ruby Patterson joins the force, and J.P. Hooper is tasked with training her. Her unique and sometimes chaotic energy takes some getting used to.
DS Florence Cassell finds love, but her new relationship with Patrice Campbell becomes complicated after a shocking turn of events linked to a case. The police force faces one of their toughest and most personal cases yet when tragedy strikes close to home. The season concludes with a puzzling mystery when a body is discovered inside the locked police station itself.
Starring Shyko Amos as Officer Ruby Patterson and Aude Legastelois as DS Madeline Dumas.
Series Nine, originally shown in January-February 2020 and is notable for a significant change in the lead role. DI Jack Mooney (Ardal O’Hanlon) leaves Saint Marie, his final case in the fourth episode involves a murder tied to a mysterious death of a man found in a dinghy far out at sea. He leaves the island to travel with his new love interest Anna. The team is joined by the neurotic, allergy plagued DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little), a detective from Manchester. He is temporarily sent to the island to investigate an apparent suicide. He is forced to extend his stay after ruling the death a murder. Other cases include, a desert island survival course goes wrong when the leader, a trained survival expert and ex-SAS soldier, is found dead in the forest of a remote island near Saint Marie. Suspicion soon falls upon the other participants on the course.
Starring Ralf Little, Daniel Caltagirone, Steve Pemberton and Samantha Bond.
Series Ten, originally shown in January-February 2021. This series marked the show’s 10th anniversary. The season featured the return of beloved characters and several high-profile guest stars. DS Florence Cassell (Josephine Jobert) returns after a two-year hiatus; she rejoins the team as Neville’s new partner. A new face, Trainee Officer Marlon Pryce (Tahj Miles) joins the team, a young, former petty criminal given a second chance by joining the police force. JP and his wife Rosey prepare to welcome twins, adding a new dimension to his character. The team investigates eight new murders with confounding and baffling circumstances, including the strangling of a TV news presenter, where the main suspect has an alibi of being live on air and a case where a man confesses to a murder he cannot remember.
Starring Luke Pasqualino, Jason Manford, Kelvin Fletcher and Patrick Robinson.
Series Eleven, originally shown January-February 2022. The eight episodes and was preceded by the show’s first ever feature-length, Christmas Special in December 2021 The episodes included, when a seemingly simple kidnapping ends in murder, Neville and the team must work out what went wrong and how someone ended up dead. A body is found on a family run golf course. A skydiver is seemingly murdered in mid-air. In a major story arc, Florence goes undercover to infiltrate a drug trafficking ring led by Miranda Priestley. This dangerous assignment leads to her departure from the island in Episode 4. A young pop star is found dead at a rehab clinic. A woman is strangled after reporting a murder, a reggae rap artist is shot during a soundcheck, and a prestigious chess match ends in a poisoning murder.
Guest stars for this season include Tamzin Outhwaite, Jason Done and Nicholas Bailey.
Season Twelve originally aired from January 6th, 2023, to February 24, 2023, on BBC One and consists of eight episodes plus a Christmas Special. Neville Parker faces his most personal challenge yet, when he is framed for the murder of criminologist David Cartwright. A season-long arc involves Neville’s relationship with Sophie, which takes a dark and unexpected turn that leaves him questioning his future on Saint Marie. Commissioner Selwyn Patterson finally meets his daughter, Andrina, who visits the island.
Naomi Thomas returns to her home island for a wedding that turns fatal, and Marlon Pryce attempts to pass his sergeant’s exams.
Starring Patrick Kennedy and Genesis Lynea
Season Thirteen of the long-running detective drama aired in early 2024, marking a significant transition for the series as it reached its 100th episode and saw the departure of lead detective DI Neville Parker (played by Ralf Little). This season consists of eight episodes, plus a 2023 Christmas special that preceded it. Episode 1 served as the show’s 100th episode. It featured a high-stakes storyline where Commissioner Selwyn Patterson was shot while celebrating 50 years of police service.
After four seasons, DI Neville Parker left the island in the season finale to travel and seek his “happy ever after”. He was famously reunited with former colleague Florence Cassell (Josephine Jobert) in the final episode. This season also featured the departure of Officer Marlon Pryce (Tahj Miles), who left the force to support his sister’s education in Jamaica.
Notable cases throughout the season included a murder at a bingo game, a poisoning at a celebrity cooking competition, a “locked room” style murder in a hotel lift and a passenger who vanished mid-flight.
Guest stars included Hayley Mills, Richard Fleeshman and Taj Atwal.
Season Fourteen aired in early 2025 and is currently available for streaming. The season marked a significant transition for the show with the introduction of a new lead detective.
Don Gilet joined the cast as DI Mervin Wilson. The season consisted of eight episodes, a standard for the series. Mervin Wilson is a London detective who initially clashes with the island’s laid-back lifestyle. He arrived during the 2024 Christmas special, which established his personal connection to the island via his late mother. A recurring storyline throughout the season involves Mervin reopening the investigation into his mother’s death, which he believes was not accidental.
During the season, Commissioner Selwyn faced a potential “phasing out” from his role, leading to a major announcement in the finale regarding his retirement. The eight episodes include, Mervin cannot wait to get off the island; before he catches his flight, he becomes embroiled in the murder of a young man who is found in a ravine. In episode two, Mervin and his team have quite the mystery on their hands when a game show contestant is stabbed during filming of the series’ grand finale. In a baffling turn of events, the victim is murdered in mid-air whilst hurtling down a zip line. In episode three, at the launch of her highly anticipated skincare product, a wellness business owner suddenly dies from an allergic reaction, but Mervin quickly deduces her death to be suspicious. Meanwhile, Darlene struggles to train up newbie officer, Seb Rose. In episode four, a distillery owner is poisoned during a group tasting of his premium rum. But the case is shrouded in mystery when it’s revealed all the guests drank from the same bottle. So, how could the killer ensure only the victim would wind up dead? In episode five, Mervin begrudgingly agrees to watch a local women’s football game with the team, but it’s cut short when the star player is discovered with a fatal bullet wound. In episode six, Mervin and the team investigate the dark side of online dating when a man is shot dead at his villa, a new colleague makes an impression for all the wrong reasons. In episode seven, Mervin reopens his mother’s case and uncovers the prime suspect in her murder. Even though everything points back to this suspicious figure, they cannot work out how foul play was involved. Old wounds are reopened as Mervin confronts his past. In the final episode, Mervin is about to fly home but finds himself at the centre of a murder investigation when a body is discovered in his shack. As Mervin professes his innocence, the team cannot work out how the victim ended up inside a locked building.
Starring Don Gilet, Shaquille Ali-Yebuah and Ginny Holder.
Source of information Google A.I.