Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise-style series announces lead detective in major announcement
John Hannah has been cast as the lead detective (Image: BBC)
A Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise-style spin-off series called Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Benidorm has announced who will play its lead detective – and it’s a very famous face.
John Hannah will play Dennis Crown, a former detective trying to escape his past, only to find trouble still has him in its sights. With an unlikely partner by his side, paradise proves anything but peaceful.
BAFTA-nominated actor John stars as Dennis, who has swapped the chaos of the UK for a quieter life running a bar in Benidorm.
But when tourists start turning up dead, he’s reluctantly drawn back into detective work- egged on by his barmaid Rosa, a crime drama superfan.
With Dennis’s real-world experience and Rosa’s encyclopedic TV knowledge, each episode sees the duo tackling a new murder in paradise, while trying to remain on the right side of the local Spanish police.
The Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise cast (Image: BBC)
Further roles include Carolina Bécquer as Rosa, Ariadna Cabrol as Maria, and Damian Schedler Cruz as Jesús.
The series was commissioned by Greg Barnett, Commissioning Editor at 5, and is co-produced by Blackbox Multimedia and Clapperboard, with ZDF Studios on board as the international distributor for the title.
Chiara Cardoso and Camilla Hammer are Executive Producers for Blackbox Multimedia, Mike Benson and Andy Morgan for Clapperboard, Robert Franke, VP Drama for ZDF Studios, with Viviane Richard, Executive Drama in Robert’s team, acting as Associate Producer.
Ian Jarvis created the series, with Simon Delaney on board as Director.
Commenting on the casting news, Greg Barnett, Commissioning Editor, 5 said: “I am thrilled to have John Hannah on board. He’s absolutely perfect for the role of Dennis – a character with sharp intellect, dry wit, and life experience – and from what I’ve seen already, viewers will fall in love with him.”
Viviane Richard, Associate Producer of the series at ZDF Studios, added: “Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Benidorm is such a witty and charming addition to the cosy crime genre, and John Hannah truly encapsulates this. We’re thrilled to be working with Blackbox to bring these sharply written scripts to life, and we can’t wait to share them with audiences around the world.”
Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Benidorm is now filming on location in Spain and is set to air on 5 in 2026.
