DEATH IN BENIDORM: CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR NEW CHANNEL 5 DETECTIVE DRAMA

5 has announced casting for new drama Death in Benidorm (w/t), a 6x60 detective drama from Blackbox Multimedia and Clapperboard. Death in Benidorm (w/t) follows 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 Hannah (The Last of Us, Black Mirror, Four Weddings and a Funeral) 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 encyclopaedic TV knowledge, each episode sees the duo tackling a new murder in paradise, whilst trying to remain on the right side of the local Spanish cops. Further roles casted include Carolina Bécquer as Rosa, Ariadna Cabrol as Maria and Damian Schedler Cruz as Jesús.

The series was commissioned by Greg Barnett, Commissioning Editor, 5 and is 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 onboard as 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 (The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin) created the series, with Simon Delaney (Death in Paradise, The Young Offenders) on board as Director. 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) are Writers.

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, said: "Death 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 it with audiences around the world."

Death in Benidorm (w/t) is now filming on location in Spain and is set to air on 5 in 2026.