Another cosy crime series set in a sunny tourist destination might not seem the most original idea, but it could still be a lot of fun – especially with The Mummy star John Hannah leading this entry in the growing genre.
Benidorm Is Murder takes place, as the title suggests, in the Spanish coastal city, which has been a particular favourite of British holidaymakers for decades.
There, we’ll meet “burned-out detective” Dennis (Hannah), who left behind his police career in the UK to pursue a more relaxed life running a bar in Benidorm – but fate has a way of playing tricks on us.
As the synopsis, courtesy of 5, teases: “When tourists start turning up dead, Dennis is reluctantly drawn back into detective work by his new barmaid, aspiring actress and crime drama superfan Rosa.”
Newcomer Carolina Bécquer has been cast in the role of Rosa, with co-star Hannah describing the lively character as the role she was “born to play”.
Brian Bovell (Andor) also stars in the upcoming series as Archie, who is described as a “Benidorm enigma” and is never far from Dennis’s bar. Not to be underestimated, he often holds the last piece of insight that cracks cases.
Rounding out the cast is Ariadna Cabrol and Damian Schedler Cruz, as experienced DS Maria Hernandez and her newly qualified PC Jesús Ballesteros, respectively.
Each episode will see a new mystery for the group to unravel, with a starry line-up of guest stars assembled to bring them to life.
In the first season, those include Denise Welch (Coronation Street, Tip Toe), Tamzin Outhwaite (The Tower, EastEnders) and impressionist Alistair McGowan.
Hannah commented: “Benidorm Is Murder is a gem of a show, filled with joy and humour, but there’s a balance of comedy and serious emotional weight to the stories, which is testament to the writing.
“We have such a brilliant cast on this, everyone is pitch perfect for their roles, and I can’t wait for viewers to meet Carolina who was born to play Rosa.”
The series is created by Ian Jarvis (The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin), with Simon Delaney serving as lead director – having previously worked on the BBC One’s genre leader Death in Paradise.
Benidorm Is Murder does not yet have a confirmed premiere date, but is intended to launch later this year on 5.
Hannah has made headlines recently with reports of his return for a new entry in The Mummy franchise, which would reunite him with original cast members Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz.
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Benidorm Is Murder is coming to 5 in 2026.
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