Ardal O'Hanlon returns as fish-out-of-water cop Jack Mooney for a new series of Death in Paradise
It’s time for a bit of Winter sun – and murder, of course
It’s all change as we return to sun-soaked Saint Marie tonight – Dwayne has gone travelling with his dad, the Commissioner has developed a sense of humour and Florence has a secret boyfriend.
But the ingeniously baffling crimes remain as intriguing as ever.
The first murder of the series takes place on a bus – the victim was travelling with three fellow passengers plus the driver, and nobody saw anything untoward.
And yet when they arrive at their destination they discover he’s been stabbed…
With a strong guest cast including Rebecca Front, Rob James-Collier and Chizzy Akudolu, this is a welcome return for an old favourite.
TV Times rating: *****
Taking a break from shooting scenes in the famous police station, Ardal O'Hanlon, 53, reveals he’s still thrilled to be doing the most envied job on TV…
How was filming today?
Working in the police station is always exhausting as it gets very hot in there but they’re really good to us. We have big industrial fans and the make-up department have chamois leather cloths that they dip in ice and wrap round you when you step off set. Other than that, you drink plenty of water, eat lots of fruit and hide in the corner whenever you can. Luckily, I’m not sweaty so they don’t have to bring multiples of the same shirt. It’s the only reason I was cast in the role – other actors would do a better job but they sweat too much.
Tell us a bit about this series…
There will be the occasional murder – it’s our speciality! There’s one on a bus with only four other people on there, so which one of them did it and how did nobody see? It is very plausible as you can imagine… There’s a story involving a TV crew filming a holiday programme where the presenter is killed, and there’s a murder at a zoo. The zoo on Guadeloupe is spectacular; it has a skywalk high up in the rainforest. I filmed a scene interviewing a monkey – everyone is a suspect!
How did you feel when Danny John-Jules, aka Officer Dwayne Myers, announced he wouldn’t be returning for series eight?
You always wonder what will happen and how we replace him. Luckily, it’s totally out of my hands and I don’t envy the people making those decisions. The new officer, Ruby [played by Shyko Amos], is an amazing, slightly cartoonish character and she brings lots of fun, energy and comedy to the show. Death in Paradise is robust and it seems to survive cast changes well. There won’t be any radical differences. Jack’s more integrated into the community now, too; he knows how the island ticks and he no longer feels like a fish out of water.
