Morte no Paraíso

British TV viewers have been spoiled with great detective shows over the past decades. Bergerac, Inspector Morse and Frost have trained us to expect quirky, interesting shows with characters who become part of British culture. It's early days yet, but I think that 'Death in Paradise' has the chance to join them.

Backed by Danny John-Jules, Sara Martins and Gary Carr, Ben Miller brings the quintessentially quirky detective to life in this brilliant show. A fish out of water, DI Richard Poole must handle the transition from safe, temperate London to the bright colours of a small French Caribbean island, St. Marie, and bring the essence of British policing to its very un-British environment.

The show's funny, interesting and very addictive. The writing is great and the acting just perfect. Carr and John-Jules bring the underdog policeman to life in the time-honoured way (complaining whilst showing just how much more they know than their boss believes) and Miller plays the lost Brit abroad perfectly whilst adding that touch of off the wall brilliance that a British detective is meant to bring to a show. Martins adds a sparkling performance as his sidekick with a wonderfully wry view of the British policeman's inability to adapt to the island's lovely lifestyle.

This show's one to watch and one I hope will carry on in this vein. If it does, we'll see it treated with the same respect as the big names in British detective shows.

Easily 8/10 stars.

This show began as a master craft of wit and a perfect balance of sexual tension .. I gave the first 2 seasons with Ben Miller and Sara Martins a perfect 10 .. Then the wit and sarcasm were replaced with the fumbling milquetoast Kris Marshall and thus began the descent ...then Sara Martins leaves and poof ..the decline hastens ... Oh, I almost failed to mention the replacement of Gary Carr, this was just the last nail in the coffin.. From a solid 10 to a marginal 7 .. What a shame ... This was my favorite show .. Once upon a time. The entire premise of the show was replaced with characters ,who in other venues might have added something to the story but us viewers having feasted on the wit and sarcasm of D.I. Poole which played off perfectly against Sara Martins attempts to loosen his tie and her admiration for his intellect are now left asking

who these characters are and why we should be interested in the mundane .

Totally delightful. Very clean so far which is refreshing. I don't have to worry about who watches it, or be embarrassed. My hubby and I are veteran mystery fans in all genres. We seldom guess the ending or the twists along the way. Clever plots. Accents do take a little getting used to and I sometimes just don't catch what they say. And like most productions these days, the ambient noise blurs the dialog a bit--wish all films would just quit doing that. Lead man, DI Poole, is a great character--combines a little of Miss Marple and Poirot. Sara Martins is exotically gorgeous and a good character. Sometimes it starts to slide towards cheesiness but usually stops short so keeps the show from becoming slapstick. Goofy characters make me switch channels and this show doesn't have one. Have now got other family hooked on it. I hope it has a long run.

Death in Paradise is very easy to watch, even if you despise the old fashioned workings of the likes of Miss Marple and Poiroit you can grow to love this murder mystery.

Set in more sunnier climbs than your usual crime drama, the quirky Caribbean police force combined with some brilliant acting from Ben Miller (The hapless, yet genius detective)this has all the recipe for a fun loving watch that isn't as dark and dreary as other such shows allowing for the thrill of the chase as the team track down the evidence in their ramshackle police hut and jungle 4x4 (not as classy as your usual detective company car)

All in all a brilliant series that is brimming with rich and colourful characters and story lines that captivate the imagination as this somewhat old genre is taken to new territory. Whether you watch one episode in a bit of spare time or you decide to emerse yourself with all 8 episodes, Death in Paradise does not disappoint and hopefully will return for a second series with even more Carribbean Crime!

I agree with the other reviewers of this show, that it is witty, charming and strangely addictive. I think the reason it works so well is not the murder mysteries themselves, but the interplay of the characters and the quirkiness of DI Poole (a great role for Ben Miller). All the actors involved seem to be having a good time and there is great chemistry between them. The list of guest 'suspects' is also impressive. The beautiful setting doesn't hurt either! It is an old school, comfy, Brit detective show - but with a unique style - and I hope it runs for as long as "Midsomer" did. I'm finding I need my weekly fix of Ste. Honore!