5 has confirmed when fans can expect John Hannah’s new crime drama Benidorm Is Murder to land – and it’s in a matter of weeks.
The series, which stars The Mummy and Four Weddings and a Funeral star as a burned-out detective, is set to premiere on the channel on Thursday 30 July.
Set in (you guessed it) Benidorm, the series centres on Dennis (Hannah), who’s left his UK police career behind to run a bar in the sunshine – or so he thinks.
When a string of tourists start turning up dead, Dennis is drawn back into the investigative world he thought he’d said goodbye to, and is joined in his investigations by unlikely partner Rosa (Carolina Bécquer), a crime-obsessed barmaid.
Each episode will see the duo tackling a new murder in paradise, 5 has said.
Other cast members include Ariadna Cabrol as experienced DS Maria Hernandez and Damian Schedler Cruz as her newly qualified colleague PC Jesús Ballesteros, while Brian Bovell also stars as Archie, who is described as a “Benidorm enigma”.
There will also be guest appearances from the likes of EastEnders’ Tamzin Outhwaite and impressionist Alistair McGowan.
Behind the camera, Death in Paradise’s Simon Delaney serves as lead director, while The Madame Blanc Mysteries’ Dermot Boyd is also helming one episode.
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The show was commissioned last year, with Hannah saying at the time: “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.”
He added: “We have a 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.”
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Benidorm Is Murder is coming to 5 on Thursday 30 July 2026.
When it arrives, add Benidorm Is Murder to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
