BAFTA-nominated actor John Hannah (“The Last of Us,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral”) is set to star in “Death in Benidorm,” an upcoming detective drama series premiering on the Paramount Skydance-owned U.K. network Channel 5.
The series, which is still a working title, is produced by Blackbox Multimedia and Clapperboard. It follows Dennis, a former detective looking to leave his past behind, who trades the hustle of the U.K. for a more serene life running a bar in Benidorm. However, when tourists begin to turn up dead, he is reluctantly pulled back into detective work, encouraged by his barmaid Rosa, who is an avid fan of crime dramas.
According to the synopsis, with Dennis’s firsthand experience and Rosa’s extensive TV knowledge, “each episode presents a new murder in paradise, while they try to stay on the right side of the local Spanish authorities.”
Carolina Bécquer will portray Rosa, alongside cast members Ariadna Cabrol as Maria and Damian Schedler Cruz as Jesús.
“Death in Benidorm” appears to draw inspiration from the BBC’s enduring series “Death in Paradise” and was commissioned by Greg Barnett, commissioning editor at 5. It’s co-produced by Blackbox Multimedia (“The Ex-Wife,” “The Serial Killer’s Wife,” “This Time Next Year”) and Clapperboard (“The Teacher,” “The Game,” “The Madame Blanc Mysteries”), with ZDF Studios serving as the international distributor.
“I’m delighted to have John Hannah on board,” Barnett stated. “He is an ideal fit for the role of Dennis—a character marked by acute intelligence, sharp wit, and substantial life experience—and from what I’ve observed, audiences will be eager to embrace him.”
Chiara Cardoso and Camilla Hammer are the executive producers for Blackbox Multimedia, while Mike Benson and Andy Morgan represent Clapperboard. Robert Franke, VP of drama for ZDF Studios, along with Viviane Richard from Franke’s team, serves as associate producer. The series creator is Ian Jarvis (“The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin”), with Simon Delaney (“Death in Paradise,” “The Young Offenders”) directing. Writers include Yasmine Akram (“Flack”), Claire Downes (“The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin,” “The Outlaws”), and Tom Parry (“Your Christmas or Mine,” “Your Christmas or Mine 2”).
“Death in Benidorm brings a humorous and delightful twist to the cozy crime genre, and John Hannah personifies this so well,” Richard added. “We are excited to collaborate with Blackbox in bringing these cleverly written scripts to life and can’t wait to share it with audiences globally.”
Filming for “Death in Benidorm” is currently taking place in Spain, with a scheduled air date on 5 in 2026.
