The Good Ship Murder on Channel 5 stars former Coronation Street actors Shayne Ward and Catherine Tyldesley as an ex-cop and a naval officer who team up to solve a spate of murders on a glamorous cruise ship.
Shayne plays former detective Jack Grayling, who is living his dream of becoming a cabaret singer on board a luxury Mediterranean cruise ship, while Catherine is fiercely ambitious and newly promoted First Officer on the ship, Kate Woods.
"Our characters in The Good Ship Murder are so far removed from Aidan and Eva in Corrie, so that was really exciting for us,’ says Shayne. ‘But I absolutely love being on screen with Cath — what you see there is a genuine friendship. I felt like it couldn’t have been a better team!"
When a passenger is found murdered in episode 1, Jack is thrust back into his former world and what follows is a wave of murders, each set against a different yet equally stunning coastal backdrop.
Here’s all you need to know about the first series of The Good Ship Murder…
The Good Ship Murder release date
The Good Ship Murder is an eight-part series that launched on Channel 5 on Friday October 13 at 9pm, with subsequent episodes running weekly on Fridays at the same time through the rest of autumn 2023 until the final season 1 episode on Friday December 1 2023.
We'll give details of international air dates once known. Also if the show is arriving on a worldwide streaming service such as Paramount Plus, Netflix or Prime Video.
Is there a trailer for The Good Ship Murder?
Yes Channel 5 released a trailer for The Good Ship Murder. "There's nothing like the first day at sea!' it starts. Take a look below...
📺 #TheGoodShipMurder coming soon to @channel5_tv 🛳️🗡️@shayneTward @Cath_Tyldesley @Zak_Dee @clairesweeney @Geoffrey_Breton pic.twitter.com/Oq7bg3rE2eSeptember 8, 2023
The Good Ship Murder plot
The Good Ship Murder follows former detective Jack Grayling (Shayne Ward) who is living his best life working as an entertainer on a cruise ship. There he meets First Officer Kate Woods (Catherine Tyldesley), a woman in a man’s world, with plenty to prove. Life on the ship is exciting and glamorous but there are jealousies, rivalries and deep divides hidden below the surface and, as the ship docks at its first port of call, a passenger is found murdered. This tragedy is followed by more murders and unlikely duo Jack and Kate must join together to solve the mysteries.
The Good Ship Murder cast — Shayne Ward as Jack Grayling
Shayne Ward plays cruise ship singer and ex-cop Jack Grayling. “I’m really excited to be taking on this exciting role in this brand-new drama,” says Shayne. “Allowing me to combine my two passions: music and acting. It really is a dream come true! Getting to work alongside my good friend Catherine again has been magical, and all while cruising around the Mediterranean …. heaven. I can’t wait for everyone to meet Jack Grayling and his unlikely team.
"Jack spent around 20 years as part of Greater Manchester CID, but something made him leave the force - you’ll have to wait to see what that was He decided to have a complete change of career, and pursue his first love of becoming a singer. He’s a very likeable guy, he has a great rapport with everyone on board the ship."
* Shayne Ward shot to fame when he won The X-Factor in 2005. Off the back of his success, he released four albums before going on to play Aidan Connor in Coronation Street. After leaving Corrie in 2018 he starred in the psychological drama The Ascent and the sci-fi movie G-Loc, plus don't forget Young Gun and Band of Gold.
Catherine Tyldesley as First Officer Kate Woods
In The Good Ship Murder, Catherine Tyldesley plays the cruise ship's First Officer Kate Woods. “I’ve loved taking on the role of Kate and keeping Jack in his place at sea,” says Catherine. “Being reunited with Shayne on a Mediterranean cruise has been so much fun and this series has been a joy to make and I’m sure will be a joy to watch – who doesn’t love a cruise?
"Kate feels attracted to Jack but instantly pushes against that. She’s very much the ice queen, but we see her thaw throughout the series. She’s very uptight, and Jack brings out her spontaneous side - which scares and excites her at the same time!’
* Catherine Tyldesley had a long-running role as Eva Price in Coronation Street and before that played Abi Peterson in Emmerdale. She stars in McDonald and Dodds and The Holden Girls: Mandy and Myrtle. Catherine has also starred in Viewpoint, Scarborough, 15 Days, Trollied and The Street. She showed off her singing talents in All Star Musicals.
Who else is starring in The Good Ship Murder?
The Good Ship Murder also features Corrie star Claire Sweeney playing Beverley Carnell, the ship's entertainment director, while former Emmerdale star Charlie Hardwicke is Mrs Donnelly, a 'frequent flier' tourist on the cruises. Former EastEnders stars Don Gilet will also be arriving as a guest star later in the series.
Other cast in The Good Ship Murder includes Jane Slavin, Olivia Fenton, Manuel Cauchi, Tommaso Basili, Olivia Marie Fearn, Geoffrey Breton, Terry Bamberger, Edward De Gaetano, Cash Omar and Nikolai Tsankov.
The Good Ship Murder episode guide and recaps
Here's our episode guide for The Good Ship Murder which we'll be updating as the eight-part series progresses...
Episode 1: Friday October 13
The glamour of a luxury cruise takes a dark turn when a crimewave breaks out on board — and it’s down to two sleuthing members of the crew to investigate! The ship’s cabaret singer Jack Grayling (Shayne Ward) used to be a detective, so when a passenger meets an untimely end in the French port of La Rochelle, Jack finds himself drawing upon his dormant detective skills. JAkc seems to have a great rapport with everyone on board with the possible exception of ambitious First Officer Kate Woods (Catherine Tyldesley), who seems resistant to Jack’s charms — but her keen intelligence makes her an excellent partner in crime-solving.
* Jack's song performance this episode is Daydream Believer by The Monkees.
The Good Ship Murder episode 1 recap: Who killed Nathan?
Episode 2: Friday October 20
There’s a VIP guest on the ship as Stephanie St. James, author of the bestselling Inspector Cordeiro novels, joins the cruise for a book signing and a tour of the Portuguese capital Lisbon, where the books are set. But when Stephanie (Terry Bamberger) receives a death threat and her husband is murdered soon after, it seems an obsessed fan is re-enacting the plot of her latest book, Betrayal At Belém! Cabaret singer Jack (Shayne Ward) and Cordeiro superfan First Officer Kate (Catherine Tyldesley) are determined to unmask the killer - but can they catch the murderer before they strike again?
* Jack's song performance this episode is Red Light Spells Danger by Billy Ocean.
The Good Ship Murder episode 2 recap: Who killed Nero?
Episode 3: Friday October 27
The ship docks in Casablanca, the hometown of crew member Jamil (Zak Douglas) - who gets to step up from being Jack’s (Shayne Ward) chirpy sidekick as we learn more about Jamil’s life prior to joining the ship. Jack, meanwhile, is drafted in to lead a tour of the Medina, but things go disastrously wrong when a charity figurehead is killed while chasing a bag-snatcher. And with First Officer Kate (Catherine Tyldesley) busy doing her actual job for once, Jack and Jamil must start the investigation without her - though the lure of an intriguing mystery soon proves impossible for Kate to resist…
* Jack sings Dancing in the Moonlight by Toploader
Episode 4: Friday November 3
There’s a lovely surprise in store for First Officer Kate (Catherine Tyldesley) when her old school friend Cecile Ray (Olivia Marie Fearn) boards the ship for her extravagant wedding. It’s all fun and games as Jack (Shayne Ward) and Kate get swept up in the stag and hen parties, but the mood comes crashing down when there’s a dramatic kidnapping during the ship’s stop in Palma. Jack investigates and ends up reconnecting with old friend Detective Lucia Perez (Laura Buhagiar) - while Kate is shocked to receive a proposal of her own…
* Jack sings Needles and Pins by The Searchers
Episode 5: Friday November 10
All eyes are on the on-board casino with the vessel hosting an important poker game during a cruise through the Bay of Biscay. The top player in the contest is Nikolai Volkov (Yuval Goldmann), whose smug attitude doesn’t earn him many friends. As the tensions among the players turn deadly, Jack and Kate investigate once again - but will they uncover a card-carrying killer in their midst?
"In the poker game, you get to see a real rush of the glamour and the adrenaline involved,’ says Catherine Tyldesley. "That’s the great thing about this show - each episode is set in a separate, amazing location, and they all have a very different feel."
It’s not just the poker tournament that’s raising tensions on the ship either, as a job offer risks bringing Jack and Kate’s unlikely crime-solving partnership to a premature end.
* Jack sings Every 1’s A Winner by Hot Chocolate
Episode 6: Friday November 17
The ship arrives in Sicily where dying Roberto disembarks with his three children and his new wife to return to his homeland and make arrangements for his businesses after he’s gone. However, it looks as though Roberto’s life expectancy could be shorter than he realised when he receives the infamous Sicilian ‘kiss of death’ - but has he been marked for murder by the Mafia, or could someone closer to home be responsible? After a deadly development, it’s once again up to Jack and Kate to piece all the clues together…can they solve the case?
Episode 7: Friday November 24
Tensions are high among the ship’s entertainment team as the star rollerskating duo appear to be on the verge of falling out with each other - and when the vessel docks in Barcelona, one of them doesn’t survive to make it back on board! It’s a particularly tough case for Jack (Shayne Ward) and Kate (Catherine Tyldesley), because they’re investigating the death of someone they considered a friend. But as the pair search for killer, they realise perhaps they didn’t know the deceased, or his performing partner, quite as well as they thought they did…
Episode 8: Friday December 1
There’s excitement onboard when legendary crooner Vida Devine (Kate Robbins) joins the ship for a special performance when it docks at Malta’s capital Valletta.But before she can take to the stage, Vida is found dead, strangled by a string of rosary beads!
Sleuthing duo Jack and Kate initially suspect Vida’s shifty manager Connor Williams (Ian Reddington) after they discover Vida wanted to reveal she lied about penning the hit song that made her famous, and that Connor had stolen the words and lyrics from an unknown songwriter decades earlier! But it’s not long before another shocking secret from Vida’s past throws their suspicions about Connor into doubt Meanwhile, Jack finally reveals to Kate the real reason he left Greater Manchester CID. As the series comes to a close, will they get their happy-ever-after?
Behind the scenes and more on The Good Ship Murder
The Good Ship Murder, formerly called HMS Murder, is produced by Clapperboard, in association with FIFTH SEASON. The series was ordered by Paul Testar, Commissioning Executive, Drama, Channel 5 and Paramount+. Executive Producers for Clapperboard are Mike Benson and Paul Mayhew Thompson, with Producer Sandra MacIver. With Paul Mayhew Thompson also serving as Lead Writer. FIFTH SEASON will handle worldwide distribution on the series.
Mike Benson, Managing Director of Clapperboard, says: “As our most ambitious series to date finding the right cast was absolutely key so securing Shayne and Catherine has been the perfect complement to the amazing scripts written by Paul Mayhew Thompson and his team of writers. We’ve filmed across eight countries and Shayne has given some unmissable performances; we can’t wait to share this wonderful series”
Will there be a Good Ship Murder season 2?
We hope so! So far however Channel 5 has yet to announce if there's a Good Ship Murder season 2 so we'll have to cross our fingers and hope! We'll update as soon as we hear!
