We’re back with the team on the idyllic Caribbean Island of Saint Marie with more ingenious murders to solve. In the series’ landmark 100th episode (episode one), Commissioner Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington) celebrates 50 years of police service before coming face to face with a surprising enemy.
Meanwhile, DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little) continues to come to terms with the aftermath of ‘Sophie’s’ actions, Officer Marlon Pryce (Tahj Miles) confronts his future, DS Naomi Thomas (Shantol Jackson) lets loose to double date with Trainee Officer Darlene Curtis (Ginny Holder), and Catherine Bordey (Élizabeth Bourgine) finds herself embroiled in a murder case when an old friend becomes a suspect. New and returning faces arrive on Saint Marie, and Neville faces his biggest decision yet.
Will our hapless detective finally get his happy ever after? There’s also a deadly game of bingo, a poisoning at a cookery competition, death during a blackout and a mystifying murder in a lift.
PPR
Ralf Little (DI Neville Parker)
You are Death in Paradise’s longest serving Detective Inspector and in the show as it reaches 100 episodes. How does it feel to be a part of that milestone?
Episode sixty nine was my first as DI Neville Parker, which is (almost) 7/10ths of the way to one hundred. So, the bulk of it was already there. But the idea that I'd be able to do another thirty one episodes on top of that to reach one hundred is astonishing. If I'm really honest, I was just hoping to get to the end of the first series and for everybody not to hate it. Everything after that was a bonus!
At the risk of sounding like a footballer going, “It's all about the team”, these personal milestones are lovely to reach and they're incredibly satisfying. But it is all about the show, the people loving it and everyone working together. For me to have been here and be lucky enough to lead a stellar cast and be trusted with this legacy is something I can't believe. I thank my lucky stars every day and feel like I’ve won the lottery.
There was a lot for Neville to deal with towards the end of last series, how has he coped with moving on from ‘Sophie’?
With difficulty. He's obviously very hurt and bruised by it and mistrustful of people. The concept of romance and love has left him extremely jaded. He feels like maybe it's just not for him and that for some people, it just doesn't work for them. We join him this series very much feeling like he's one of those people and this is all just something he should give up on or he'll get hurt again. He’s broken by the whole experience and ready to give up on the idea of loving in any way at all.
Can you tell us about some of the guest cast from this series?
It's always nice to have friends come out which has been great for me, like Richard Fleeshman, who I've known for twenty years. He's a great actor and a lovely lad.
It was very exciting to see Sean Maguire come back out too. He was in the first ever episode and came back to play the same character. That isn’t really referenced in the episode, but eagle-eyed viewers will clock that! I’ve met Sean a handful of times, and I just loved him. He was fun, funny, professional and a brilliant actor. I'm slightly annoyed though because he's now the only other person apart from me to have done the show twice! Although that said, he was playing the same character and I'm the only person to have done it as two different characters, so I still have that little personal milestone!
And oh my God, Oscar winner Hayley Mills! She's the one person I got starstruck by and had to get a photo with, she was just glorious. She's been at the top of the film industry. She won an Oscar when she was a kid, “Whistle Down the Wind” is one of my favourite films of all time.
With somebody who has that reputation and experience, it wouldn't be outside the realms of possibility for her to be diva-ish, difficult, demanding, but she was the most gentle, professional, sweet, fun, funny, gregarious person… just the dream! A living legend of the industry.
Also, Pearce Quigley and I have met each other a few times - he's the funniest man in the world. He made me howl on this job so much. His delivery is so funny. When I heard he was coming out, I was absolutely delighted.
Do you have a favourite case this series?
We’ve got a cryptocurrency case which was an interesting one. The writers really do keep trying to find these new settings, stories, weird things and what reflects the modern world. The show has a slightly vintage feel but it’s also very modern. Looking into crypto hacking was great, someone gets electrocuted because they're stealing power. I thought it was like the doomsday preppers episode from last year. There's no reason why we wouldn't have doomsday preppers in the valley. It's not quite Doctor Who where you can literally do anything, but they sort of have the leeway to go, “let’s use our imaginations and see what might be in the world and then set it in what a Caribbean version would look like”. I think that's great and this year, the writers have outdone themselves.
In episode one, we see the team fear for the Commissioner’s life. How does Neville deal with the news that Selwyn’s been shot? What was it like to shoot that episode?
Neville, like the rest of the team is really struggling with it. They don't know if the Commissioner is going to be OK. Neville and the Commissioner appear to have a prickly relationship since he arrived, however, I don’t actually think they do. The Commissioner is like a father figure to Neville, and he’s been there every step of the way, even though he might be grumpy and standoffish.
Every time Neville looks like something's about to get to him, he’ll have the support of the Commissioner who softens that little moment and offers him the right words at the right time. The Commissioner means everything to Neville.
It's a really tough case for him and it’s our 100th episode, episode one. What could possibly have gone on? It's a great one. I think people are going to love it as well as be worried. Make no mistake, our characters are absolutely desperate for things to work out. They all have a stake in it. It’s important to them to always solve the crimes but I don't think we've ever had a crime where every single character has an emotional stake in solving it, and that gives the whole thing a new dynamic.
How do you think Neville has changed since his arrival on the island?
Greatly. His arc has always been to be bold enough to push himself out of his comfort zone. I'm still sick of reading about how he's a hypochondriac. He's not. We’ve made that clear right from the start. There were real issues that he was dealing with, but he’s learned that these are issues, and he must deal with them rather than hide away and protect himself. He faces them and lives a fuller and richer life for it. This series we’ve talked about how, due to the fallout from Sophie, he must do that all over again, but emotionally he has to kind of go, “No I shouldn’t have to hide away, I have to face down everything that’s out there, even if it’s painful and difficult.” It’s a massive emotional journey for him and a really satisfying one.
Neville takes up a new hobby blogging, what’s it about and what does he hope to achieve from this?
I think that Neville’s blog is very Neville, in that, he’s fascinated by science and geometry and the natural world. It’s not a blog that I would write, but he decides it is going to be about his time on the island. It’s quite interesting and we have a nice joke about it in the show saying, “I’m sure lots of people out there would be interested to see the life of a British detective on a Caribbean island…”. That’s the nature of his blog. However, his first article is about conchology, or the study of seashells and it’s Marlon who is very quick to point out that he doesn’t think anyone is going to read this blog…
How does he get on with it?
No one really reads his blog, unsurprisingly. Apart from one fan, ‘Sunset Chaser’, who gets in touch to say his posts are interesting. The tone is flirty, and they are implied female, so Neville starts having a little bit of an online flirt. Marlon of course, thinks he's being catfished by a guy. And Neville even starts to worry that maybe it could be Sophie who’s messing with his mind…
Do you have a favourite moment from filming Death in Paradise?
There’s been a few, mainly action-adventure things. In my first year, I was in a helicopter taking off from the football field, going over the sea and coming back and seeing turtles in the harbour. There is also a scene where me and Don Warrington drove a boat out to sea with a drone racing past. It is mad stuff like that you never think you're going to get to do. Scuba diving here, getting a speedboat out to the islands there. The camaraderie, the fun, exploring the jungle, exploring the islands, the hot springs and all those social things make it special.
Also seeing people come through like heroes of mine, whether it's Danny John-Jules, Robert Webb, Hayley Mills, or the people I've previously worked with like Joséphine Jobert. We’ve formed a bond that comes across on screen.
Don Warrington (Commissioner Selwyn Patterson)
The team are left fearing for Selwyn’s life in episode one. What can you tell us about the episode?
It was exciting to shoot because I think it's an episode where we move away from the sort of conventional case, as it is a crime that involves everybody. Everybody is emotionally involved in solving it, given the victim is somebody they know. They have an emotional response that is different because normally, we don't know the victims, so, there's a detachment when dealing with them. There's a sense of jeopardy about this case which I think hopefully makes it exciting to watch. I suppose the big question is, will he make it or not?
As part of the 100th episode, Selwyn celebrates fifty years in the police force. What do you think makes him such a great officer and public servant?
He loves his job. I think when you love what you do, you tend to be quite good at it. Although he can be quite tough with people, he also cares about them. He cares about each member of his team, even Neville, who irritates him! But nevertheless, there are moments of tenderness between him and Neville because if you strip away all Neville’s issues, Selwyn is very concerned about people's humanity. It’s an interesting combination in terms of being a policeman because if we look at the reality of it, you see some horrible things and it's how you attain a degree of humanity and I think he does, and that’s what makes him sustainable.
Selwyn and Catherine have been in Death in Paradise since the very beginning – what has their relationship been like over the years?
We've worked together, but in a way we haven't worked together. There are few occasions when it's just Élizabeth and I, but those moments are lovely. It's lovely to work with her because it's a different tone between Selwyn and Catherine. They confide in each other. He talks to her in a way he doesn't talk to anybody else because they have history, and it's very nice to play out that history sometimes.
There are always brilliant guest stars in the series…
Sometimes it's like looking at your heroes and people who you've watched over the years, and then suddenly they're in front of you. It's a lovely surprise to see them and to some extent, to get to know them. It's like every week you think, “Oh, what presents are coming this week?” and that’s nice.
Do you have a favourite moment from your time in Death in Paradise?
I remember moments with all of the inspectors we've had. I remember moments with Ben, I particularly liked it when I shouted at him… And I liked the moments with Kris where there was a kind of tolerance of him.
I remember Ardal because they formed a sort of philosophical relationship which I thought was gentle and thought-provoking, involving two people who were happy to reveal bits of themselves to each other when they were away from work, and that was nice. Neville, I remember moments because he's, on one level, such an irritant to Selwyn, but he also finds him incredible. How can anybody malfunction as much as Neville does? For all his brilliance, you just think “What?!” So yes, they've all got their place.
Élizabeth Bourgine (Catherine Bordey)
This series marks the 100th episode of Death in Paradise. As someone who's been in it since the very beginning, how do you think the show manages to have continued success and capture audiences globally?
Death in Paradise is for me like a game because people get a challenge. There is a murder, but there's no violence, there's no blood. The challenge is to find out who did it, why, when, and how? It's a nice game and it's set in an idyllic setting. Life in Death in Paradise is what we would love life to be like. Also, the characters are so wonderful, so different, it's like a big family.
When people come to see me as Catherine, they say, “Oh, I would love to have a mother like you”, “I would like to have a grandmother like you”. Or what they say now is, “I would like to grow old like you do”. I think people always find a character they want to be, or they love to follow.
Catherine is great at detecting when her friends aren’t being themselves. Do you think she'd make a good member of the police team?
I think she is in fact a member of the police team because of her life experiences, and she understands people. The important thing is that she knows the story of the city, she’s the mayor of Saint Marie, so she knows everything that even the young people like Naomi and Darlene don’t know. She's been through it. She knows the people. She has a different point of view and as she's not focused on the investigation it allows her to have a more open-minded point of view, that’s very interesting and why I think she is important for the investigations, even if the police team doesn't know it!
In episode three, we see Catherine reunited with an old friend. What was it like exploring her past and working with Kate Robbins?
Kate Robbins is a wonderful woman. She has so many stories and we had a lot of fun. I wanted to ask her a lot of questions as in this episode, we are old friends and we needed to speak to each other to work out what sort of friendship we had before - how we were in life, what experiences we had, the good ones, the bad ones. We had fun and it was really nice to work with her. We discover a part of Catherine’s life that we don't know. Their friendship was very strong when they were young, and I think we understand why and how she’s become so wise.
Last series, we found out that Catherine is going to be a grandmother. How do you think she would get on in this role?
Brilliantly, she would love it. Catherine would take her grandchild with her and teach them how to have confidence, to discover things, to be creative, to do things and to fight.
She would be the grandmother like the grandmother I had. She told you things. She helped you to learn things and then would be like, “OK, you go, you do it your way”. I think Catherine has this lifestyle.
How did you find filming the 100th episode?
It was amazing, we were all saying, “Wow, the 100th episode!” It's unbelievable because you don't see it coming. Death in Paradise has had so many characters, so many actors, so many different stories. It’s great because it’s like something moving on, but not stopping because it's still alive.
Do you have a favourite memory from your time in Death in Paradise?
I love the chicken soup moment with Richard Poole because it was a contrast of the English Detective Inspector and the local woman wanting to do her best, being strong, doing things her way and achieving it! They have conflict but it's humorous, it's fun and they respect each other. I think we wanted to show a woman dancing, speaking frankly, being happy, and that moment was like a base.
Do you have a favourite moment from this series?
Episode three with Kate Robbins is fundamental for Catherine because you get a deeper look into her past.
Shantol Jackson (DS Naomi Thomas)
This series marks the 100th episode of Death in Paradise, how does it feel to be part of this series at such a monumental milestone?
To be a part of anything monumental is a privilege. I used to watch the very first series with my dad, so being a part of its legacy now is incredible!
How does Naomi deal with the news that the Commissioner has been shot in the first episode?
It was devastating. The Commissioner is a beloved character and has been with Death in Paradise since day one - it's kind of a thing where you never know when someone might go. I think the audience’s first reaction will be, “Oh my gosh, is Don leaving the show?” and “Is the Commissioner actually going to die?”.
Inspired by Neville's mum, we see Naomi putting herself out there more and becoming a bit more confident. How does she go about doing that?
Neville's mum did inspire her a lot. This year we'll see Naomi taking a lot of influence from Darlene as well, as she is trying to get herself out there more and make herself more available. I feel like since the moment Naomi was introduced in the show, she's always been by the book and focused on work. We haven't really dived into her personal life, so I was very excited to go into that a bit. You'll see how she goes about it and her coping mechanisms.
What about Naomi’s double dating with Darlene? How does that go?
It's quite interesting. It's fun up until the inspector comes and breaks up their little shenanigans, but it is fun to see Naomi trying to mimic Darlene and have the inspector’s mum in the back of her mind. She’s trying to be out there more and not overthink things, not overdo it. You will see that she's obviously very fresh to the dating game, drinking and having fun. She goes a bit overboard at times because she's not used to it but it's good fun.
How does Naomi keep up with Neville's unconventional ways of working? Has she gotten used to that?
She has. She's quite fascinated with the inspector and how he manages to work things out. She is fascinated in how his brain works, so she actually enjoys watching him work and discovering things. They have a sort of brother/sister-like relationship, where she makes sure he's OK and he manages to get things done while still being his quirky self.
Naomi and Marlon have a close relationship, do you think that could ever go beyond just friendship?
They have a very interesting relationship, and this series will show a lot more of their relationship in terms of the versatility of it. It would be very interesting because they obviously really care for each other, but you don't know if it will be anything more than that. But we'll see…
Where do you see Naomi in five years’ time?
In five years’ time, Naomi definitely wants to be more than what she is now, she's constantly improving and trying to be better. I see her aiming towards trying to go a level up even if it's just sitting an exam or doing some training. Maybe she'll have a boyfriend, hopefully…
What can you tell us about some of the cases this year?
The 100th episode was one of the biggest for the cast and for the characters, because it involved the Commissioner. It’s the biggest one to date and I think that will be the top of our list because there was so much anxiety surrounding that.
We have a few good ones. We have an electrocution one, which makes you go “How did this happen?” It's quite interesting because you think it's self-inflicted and then you see one little thing that makes you go, “Oh, maybe not?”.
There’s also an episode where Neville thinks that he saw somebody in a location but then can’t prove it, which was fun to do as we question whether he really did. I think there's a moment where all of us - like last year when Neville got arrested and we had to wonder whether he could have done it – are questioning him again, particularly Naomi, which is difficult as she's come to admire him so much.
Tahj Miles (Officer Marlon Pryce)
This series marks the 100th episode of Death in Paradise, how does it feel to be part of the series for such a monumental milestone?
It’s an honour to be a part of a show that’s been on TV for so long and has such a devoted audience. You’re always waiting for the big numbers, the tenth series, the 100th episode, the first Christmas special, and I was part of all three. Each milestone has been getting bigger and bigger, so to be a part of the 100th episode is amazing. I didn’t even know it was until we got the script and I saw it on the front. It was brilliant and you could feel on set that it was a special one.
How do you think Marlon has matured since joining the team? What do you think his career aspirations are?
Marlon has matured in many ways. When we first met him, Marlon was a criminal who at that time, wouldn't dare speak to a police officer for too long, let alone work side by side with them for the rest of his life.
But now, he's got no friends in that old environment. If there is a case where he might know somebody from before, he might be like, “Let me play this a certain way so I can still be friends with them”. But his mindset is, “My friends are in this office, and I have to make sure I'm supporting and serving them in the best way possible”. He’s matured massively because when we first met him, no one, even himself, would ever have thought that he'd be in this position. It just goes to show that anything can happen.
Do you have a favourite moment from this series?
The 100th episode has been my favourite thing to do as an actor, some of the scenes I had to shoot are amazing. There are a lot of great moments from episode two, as well as episode five, because of what the storyline is. It’s a chance to get involved a lot more.
What were some of your favourite cases from this series?
This series we've got one that's based around electricity and cryptocurrency, which I think for any show, that kind of storyline can be hard to do, but I can promise you, it's brilliant.
Every single time we see these new stories, crime scenes and mysteries, there’s always something that makes it new and dynamic. Whether it's the people that we’re investigating or the crimes they commit, there’s always something that makes it fresh.
This series Marlon is faced with some tough decisions. Without giving too much away, how does he go about navigating them?
With Marlon, he's often decided to make decisions based on his own impulses and feelings. He will listen to what people have to say to him, whether it’s the Commissioner, JP, Neville, Naomi or whoever, but at the end of the day, he's always going to decide what's right for himself. If they might disagree with it, he is like, “Sorry guys, I’m the one that’s going to do it, so I’m going use my instincts and do what I need to do”. But this series, it's not just that his decisions affect him, his decisions are also going to affect the people that are close to him, so he's got no choice but to consider other people’s opinions and feelings. It’s difficult for him, especially when it could affect his career, a career that's been turned into his life almost in the last couple years. So, he has really hard decisions to make but at the end of the day, it's affecting people that he loves and genuinely cares about.
Marlon and Naomi have a very close relationship. Do you think this could ever go beyond friendship?
My mind changes every time I get asked that question. I've always said that I thought they were best just as friends, a brother and sister kind of vibe. Marlon wouldn't really want to push any boundaries and bring his love life into the office. But at the same time, Marlon does go after what he wants. If he sees something that he wants, whether it's a job or a friend, he's going after it. And if that happens to be Naomi, then he's going to go for it. At the same time, he wants to make sure everyone's cool and that nothing’s awkward. Nothing is getting in the way of a good friendship. So, if he decides to go after it, he will tread lightly. It might just be that they’re better off as friends. And of course, it depends on what Naomi wants too…
We see some lovely moments between Marlon and Selwyn this series. How has your relationship grown over the years, both on-screen and off-screen?
Marlon and the Commissioner’s relationship is actually very similar to mine and Don’s. Marlon’s always kind of trying to pick on Selwyn, but I would never pick on Don. It doesn't seem right to pick on Don because he literally is The Don, and you have to respect him. They have their grandson/granddad-like relationship, their serious talks and random talks. It's the same on and off set. I think that's why it works so well, probably because me and Don are very similar. We always look forward to having those scenes together because we probably had a very similar chat last week as Tahj and Don. The longer we've been in the show, the more me and Don have grown and have gotten to know each other. The characters do at the same time. It's always fun.
In episode one we see the team fear for the Commissioner’s life. How does Marlon deal with the news that Selwyn has been shot?
It hits him very hard, he’s in shock and disbelief. But looking around the team, you think it's hitting him the least because at the end of the day, Marlon is used to seeing this kind of stuff around him, because of where he came from. He's used to hearing about the shootings of friends and colleagues. But he didn't ever think that that kind of thing would happen to people that are close to him in the police station, especially the Commissioner, who's the most respected person on the island, bar Catherine.
Ginny Holder (Trainee Officer Darlene Curtis)
This series marks the 100th episode of Death in Paradise. How does it feel to be part of such a monumental milestone?
To get to the 100th episode is quite extraordinary. There’s been so many kinds of stories throughout the years. To get to this point is phenomenal. And the storyline, it will test every single character emotionally. It’s a good one!
What can you tell us about the 100th episode? How will audiences react to events?
I think they will be devastated as to what happens to our dear Selwyn. I've seen clips of that episode, it's phenomenal. They'll be devastated just like the characters are in the episode. It will pull at your heartstrings.
What was it like to film? How did you feel when you read the script for the first time?
It was amazing. When I read the script, I thought “Oh my God, are they serious?” But when you read a script, you connect into the emotional side of it. When you see how it's all filmed and put together and how all the scenes are so beautifully played, it’s a shocker. It has everything, this episode.
Are there any aspects of Darlene’s character that you personally relate to?
I love the fact that Darlene is full of excitement. Anyone who knows me will know that one of my favourite sayings is, “Where’s the excitement?” I need some excitement, just to feel yourself, and I think that's the whole thing with Darlene, she likes to feel every aspect. Whether it's her feelings for other people, kindness, or going out and having fun and enjoying life. You have to feel. Also having your downtime is important to be able to connect with yourself and I think Darlene does all of that. She's a bit more extra than me, maybe. You know she loves to be flamboyant and dresses up and she loves to be seen. But she's a hard worker and she loves her job, and I think it's the first time that she's ever found the right career for herself, and it just fell in her lap.
Is there a particular episode that stands out for you this series?
There are two episodes that really stand out for me. There's one episode that me makes me want to cry and that's the cooking competition. How it's all revealed at the end as to how this person got killed and why. It broke my heart reading that episode, I was really moved.
There is also episode seven which deals with bullying. I think Death in Paradise this year deals with huge themes that are relatable for people. They’re going to touch people deeply.
Were there any members of the guest cast this series who stood out?
Hayley Mills. Hayley Mills is a woman's woman. This woman is down. I grew up with all her films. I've seen everything that she's done. I was in awe when she came and said, “All Hail to Hayley Mills!”. She has grace, she's funny and she's a phenomenal actress. She also cackles like you would not believe.
Darlene’s hugely supportive of Neville’s blog when others might not be. What does she hope he gets out of this?
She hopes he finds himself. He hides behind all this fancy language and she just wants to put a rocket up his arse, and say, “Come on, babe, just live! Just use your character and your personality. Get some excitement!”. She just wants to shake him! Just go and be huge and show this other side of yourself. Darlene finds him quite endearing.
She wants to just shake people up. Similarly with the story with Naomi and the two of them going out a lot this series. It’s just about living and enjoying yourself. Naomi comes out of her shell, and when you see her open up, it’s beautiful. That's what Darlene's thing is, is just to push, to get people to come out of themselves a bit and enjoy themselves. Yes, you can be a nerd, but there is another side of you. Enjoy yourself!
What was it like working with Shantol on that storyline and those scenes?
It was lovely because Shantol is special, she's such a diamond. Sometimes work did come and take over when they were going out dating. It's like “Come on, let’s go and have fun”, but she ruined a couple of dates. Darlene wasn't happy. She had fine men…
Darlene’s local connections are sometimes vital for the team solving their cases. Do you think she's their secret weapon?
I think so now. I think it's so important to have someone that can go in a bit deeper or just knows your local area, knows the people and knows how to get information. That was very much a thing that Dwayne used to do as well. She knows a lot of people on the island. She’s secret weapon number one.
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