First hitting screens in 2011, Death in Paradise has quietly become a BBC institution. With season 13 now airing and season 14 already commissioned, as well as having one active spin-off (Beyond Paradise) and another on the way (Return to Paradise), the crime drama shows no signs of slowing down.
You can watch every single episode of Death in Paradise for FREE in the UK on the BBC iPlayer streaming service. But don't worry if you're on holiday — because you can watch Death in Paradise on iPlayer from anywhere with a VPN.
Created by Robert Thorogood (also behind the Marlow Murder Club book series), Death in Paradise follows the Saint Marie Police as they solve an ever growing number of murders from their small police station in the fictional Caribbean town of Honoré.
Generally the victims/perpetrators fall in to two categories – pompous, upper class Brits scheming after one another's fortunes or entangled in sordid affairs, or locals, turning to murder as a last resort and often with sympathetic motives. Death in Paradise favors a ‘case of the week’ format, but there have been two-parters and even season long arcs threaded throughout.
Taking cues from classic murder mysteries, the show is fully aware of its tropes, with each episode following roughly the same pattern of introducing the guest characters and revealing a body in the pre-credits scene, before an investigation takes place with a sub-plot that usually ties back to the initial murder.
As the episode concludes, the DI will have some sort of revelation before they gather the suspects and reveal the killer and motive in true Agatha Christie fashion. While far from satire, Death in Paradise plays it all very tongue in cheek, often switching between the investigation of a brutal murder with sinister motives and the largely comedic goings on of the character’s personal lives.
The key to the longevity of the series (which celebrated its 100th episode in season 13) is the Doctor Who style approach of rotating leads and supporting characters. The lead detective has changed four times so far, with Ralph Little’s Neville Parker the current Detective Inspector, and the supporting team of Caribbean cops has seen around 12 different officers over the years. The show has also aired in January/February every year since season 2, proving to be just the kind of cosy crime drama that audiences crave in the post-Christmas slump.
Fancy a bit of sun soaked murder mystery? Read on for how you can watch all of Death in Paradise online and from anywhere, and don't miss our best ever Death in Paradise episodes ranked as well as everything we know about Death in Paradise season 13 and how to watch the brand new series.
How to watch Death in Paradise in the UK
How to watch Death in Paradise in the US
BritBox is the home for Death in Paradise in the US with all seasons so far available now and new episodes added shortly after they air in the UK. That's also where you'll find the spin-off, Beyond Paradise.
BritBox is available for $8.99 per month or $89.99 per year and gives you access to an array of the best British TV past and present.
Brit away in the States? Don't forget that you can use a VPN to watch Death in Paradise on BBC iPlayer from abroad.
How to watch Death in Paradise in Australia
Aussies have a choice of where to watch Death in Paradise. Seasons 1 through 12 are available on BritBox, however, a Binge subscription will get you all of that plus the latest Christmas special and spin-off, Beyond Paradise. New episodes also air on ABC in Australia and are available on catch up for FREE for a limited time via ABC iView.
BritBox is available for $8.99 per month/$89.99 per year, while Binge prices range from $10 to $22 per month depending on your plan.
Remember: if you're a UK citizen but based Australia you can use a VPN to watch Death in Paradise on iPlayer from abroad.
How to watch Death in Paradise from anywhere with a VPN
You can watch Death in Paradise on the BBC iPlayer by using a VPN — no matter where you are in the world!
Normally the streaming service will know where you are trying to tune in from and block you if you're not in the right country but a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an app that hides your location. That means you can access your usual sports and entertainment services even while you're traveling abroad.
Our favorite VPN is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar, where you'll find a deeper reader on the best VPN services available right now.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at ExpressVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
Death in Paradise: Everything you need to know
Who is in the current Death in Paradise cast?
The current main cast is as follows:
- Ralf Little as DI Neville Parker
- Don Warrington as Commissioner Selwyn Patterson
- Tahj Miles as Marlon Pryce
- Shantol Jackson as Sergeant Naomi Thomas
- Élizabeth Bourgine as Catherine Bordey
- Ginny Holder as Darlene Curtis
How many seasons of Death in Paradise are there?
Season 1 of Death in Paradise started in October 2011 and although season 2 didn't arrive until January 2013, new seasons have been a staple of the BBC One January schedule ever since. There have been a total of 12 seasons of Death in Paradise so far, with season 13 coming soon and season 14 confirmed for early 2025. The show has also broadcast a feature length Christmas Special every year since 2021, with three having aired so far.
How many lead detectives has Death in Paradise had?
Death in Paradise is known for its rotation of leads, with four British detectives having taken charge of the police in Honoré so far. The official Death in Paradise website offers these summaries:
DI Richard Poole played by Ben Miller (season 1-3)
"Richard was not an easy person to get along with, which goes some way to explain why the Met in London were so happy for him to be posted to Saint Marie.
However, his annoying traits also made him a brilliant detective. He worried at every aspect of a puzzle until it was solved. He ignored nothing, no matter how inconsequential it seemed, and this often lead to a breakthrough. He was never what you’d call a ‘people person’, but he had a brilliant intuitive analytical mind."
DI Humphrey Goodman played by Kris Marshall (season 3-6)
"Disorganised, distracted and incredibly accident prone, Humphrey often struggled to avoid putting his foot in it – but this didn’t stop him from being an absolutely brilliant detective.
Humphrey’s shambolic exterior and continual insistence on writing his notes down on random bits of paper betrayed a cunning instinct for solving murders. It was second nature for Humphrey to think outside the box and approach each case from a unique and surprising angle. To the observer his methods seemed random and tangential, but after spending some time working with Humphrey, you would quickly realise that his eccentric and sometimes bizarre methods of detection always got a result."
DI Jack Mooney played by Ardal O'Hanlon (season 6-9)
"Friendly and unassuming, Jack Mooney was often underestimated but beneath the Irish charm there was a genius detective at work.
Understanding what made people tick was always instinctive to Jack. With his respectful and empathetic manner – as well as his love of a good yarn – he managed to disarm everyone he met. Suspects may have thought they had the measure of him but Jack was always one step ahead. At the crime scene, Jack had a tendency to go ‘off-piste’ – much to his team’s bafflement – but his seemingly erratic methods would often crack a case wide open."
DI Neville Parker played by Ralph Little (season 9-present)
"Sometimes neurotic, often a genius, every day is a struggle for Neville Parker. But that won’t stop him from being a brilliant detective. He will go to extraordinary lengths to avoid potentially – in his eyes – high risk situations.
And that includes being in the Caribbean: he can see how it’s a wonderful place for those who love it, but it really doesn’t agree with him. Which would be a problem, but Neville is a past master in making his life so regimented that all of the ‘scary’ things that might otherwise ruin his day are limited to a bare minimum. He has an extraordinary ability to retain obscure trivia, meaning that facts and figures are his comfort blanket.
This depth and breadth of knowledge often proves invaluable when he’s solving mysteries and understanding important clues."
It's also worth noting, that technically, there was already (briefly) a detective in place when the show began, with Richard initially being dispatched to investigate the murder of DI Charlie Hulme (Hugo Speer).
Who is the longest serving cast member?
Only two of the original cast remain (not including Harry the lizard): Catherine Bordey, played by Elizabeth Bourgine and Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, played by Don Warrington.
Catherine is the owner of the beach front bar that the officers often retreat to for a mid-case pint, and the mayor of Saint Marie. She is also the mother of original Detective Sergeant, Camille Bordey, and currently holds the record for the most appearances in the show.
Commissioner Patterson is the long suffering head of the Saint Marie police force, often finding himself at odds with the approach of the eccentric British detectives.
Where is Death in Paradise filmed?
Although the island of Saint Marie is entirely fictional, the whole show is shot on location on Guadeloupe in the Caribbean. The town of Deshaies stands in for Honoré while the idyllic beach hut the Detective Inspectors call home is located on Anse la Perle.
Other common locations include the town's botanical gardens, which are often used for rain forest scenes and the wooden deck on the harbour which is the location for Catherine's Bar.
Are there any spin-offs from Death in Paradise?
Kris Marshall's Humphrey Goodman made a return in 2023 in Beyond Paradise. The spin-off show follows Humphrey and his fiancé Martha Lloyd as they build a life in Martha's hometown of Shipton Abbott in Devon. While Humphrey brings his eccentric yet brilliant style of police work to the local force, Martha follows her dream of opening a locally sourced restaurant.
While featuring previous Death in Paradise cast members, the U.K. based spin-off sets itself apart with a broader range of crimes (burglary, vandalism, theft and of course murder) and more dramatic storylines, such as the couple's inability to conceive a child and the strain it puts on their relationship.
Beyond Paradise has so far aired one season and a Christmas Special, with a second season due in 2024. The season 1 finale saw a crossover with Death in Paradise as Humphrey returned to Saint Marie.
A second spin-off, Return to Paradise is also due to air in 2024, with the BBC stating: "Return to Paradise combines the DNA of the original global smash hit murder mystery series, with a new, unique Australian take. Set in the idyllic, beachside hamlet of Dolphin Cove, Return to Paradise is six gripping, twisting and fiendishly clever murder mysteries – all set against the spectacular backdrop of the Australian coastal landscape.
Australian ex-pat Mackenzie Clarke is the seemingly golden girl of the London Metropolitan police force – with an intuitive approach to detective work, she has built a reputation for being able to crack the most impossible of cases. However, she’s suddenly forced to up sticks and move back to her childhood home of Dolphin Cove, a beautiful, coastal paradise... and Mackenzie’s worst nightmare."
Which notable actors have been in Death in Paradise?
Death in Paradise has had a plethora of famous faces guest star throughout its run, with plenty of established actors keen to spend a few weeks working in the sun and a number of 'before they were famous' appearances. Even current lead Ralph Little cropped up in an early episode! Other notable names include:
- Mathew Horne
- Helen Baxendale
- Adrian Dunbar
- Gemma Chan
- Neil Morrisey
- Samantha Bond
- Martin Compston
- Tamzin Outhwaite
- Patsy Kensit
- Taron Egerton
- Lashana Lynch
- Hannah Spearritt
- T'Nia Miller
Is Death in Paradise based on a book?
Death in Paradise was created for television by Robert Thorogood, however, there have since been four novels published all featuring Ben Miller's DI Richard Poole and written by Thorogood. They are:
A Meditation on Murder
Official synopsis: "Aslan Kennedy has an idyllic life as leader of a spiritual retreat for wealthy holidaymakers on one of the Caribbean's most unspoiled islands, Saint Marie. Until he's murdered, that is. The case seems open and shut. Aslan was killed inside a locked room with only five other people, one of whom has already confessed.
Detective Inspector Richard Poole is hot, bothered, and fed up with talking to witnesses who'd rather discuss his 'aura' than their whereabouts at the time of the murder. But he also knows that the facts of the case don't quite stack up. In fact, he's convinced that the person who's just confessed to the murder is the one person who couldn’t have done it. Determined to track down the real killer, Poole is soon on the trail and he won't leave any stone unturned."
The Killing of Polly Carter
Official synopsis: "Supermodel Polly Carter was famed for her looks and party-girl lifestyle. Now she's dead, apparently having thrown herself from the clifftop near her home on the island of Saint-Marie. Those who knew her say Polly would never have killed herself…and when he is called in to investigate, DI Poole is inclined to agree there is more to Polly’s death than meets the eye.
Already fighting a losing battle against the intense summer heat of the Caribbean, Richard now faces fresh adversaries: a stream of alibis, a host of conflicting motives, and worst of all, a visit from his mother. It's a frenzy which would surely allow a murderer to slip away unnoticed…yet Richard is certain that the guilty party is still on the island.
As his team closes in on Polly’s household, Richard becomes convinced that the model’s death was an inside job. He's determined to ascertain who planned the killing of Polly Carter. And why"
Death Knocks Twice
Official synopsis: "Reluctantly stationed on the sweltering Caribbean island of Saint-Marie, Detective Inspector Richard Poole dreams of cold winds, drizzly rain and a pint in his local pub.
Just as he is feeling as fed up as can be, a mysterious vagrant is found dead on the grounds of the historic Beaumont coffee plantation. It's immediately assumed to be a suicide, but D.I. Poole is not so convinced. He's determined to prove otherwise. Never mind that the only fingerprints on the murder weapon belong to the victim. Or that the room was locked from the inside.
Before long, death knocks twice and a second body turns up. The hunt is on to solve the case – despite the best efforts of the enigmatic Beaumont family…"
Murder in the Caribbean
Official synopsis: "DI Richard Poole is hot, bothered and fed up. He’s stuck on the tropical island of Saint-Marie, forced to live in a rickety old shack on a beach, and there isn’t a decent cup of tea to be found anywhere.
When a boat explodes in the harbour, Richard and his team soon realise there’s a murderer on the loose. But who is it? And why did the killer leave behind a ruby at a secondary crime scene?
As the police dig deeper, they uncover secrets that go back decades, and a crime from the past that can never be forgiven. Worse still, they soon understand that this is only the beginning. They’ve got to catch the killer before there's another death in paradise…"
What is the Death in Paradise theme song?
Death in Paradise is known for its opening titles, crashing in with a jaunty theme song moments after a dead body is discovered. But the song (titled You're Wondering Now) wasn't originally recorded for the show. It was first released by Andy & Joey in the 1960s. It's since had a number of cover versions, notably by The Skatallites, The Specials and Amy Winehouse, before composer Magnus Feinnes arranged his own version for the show.
