Death In Paradise to get two more seasons! BBC confirms new series and Christmas special

Death in Paradise will get two more seasons as the BBC confirmed the upcoming series and feature-length Christmas special on Saturday.

The show just aired its 12th season, but viewers can expect a return to the fictional island of Saint Marie soon.

Set on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, it follows Little’s DI Neville Parker and his team as they fight crime.

Lindsay Salt, Head of BBC Drama, revealed: “With its brilliant blend of mystery, humor and heart, Death In Paradise continues to delight the millions of us who make the journey back to Saint Marie with each sun-drenched episode.

“It’s a show that’s going from strength to strength, and I couldn’t be happier to see it return for two more series and specials on BBC One and iPlayer.”

Tim Key, Executive Producer for Red Planet Pictures, added: “The response to Season 12 has been incredible, so we are thrilled to return to Guadeloupe for at least two more series.

“We have an amazing and joyous Christmas special in store, and then series 13 kicks off with our 100th episode, so we have plenty of surprises in store to celebrate that milestone.

‘We have big plans for the future and can’t wait to get back on track.

‘Death in Paradise’ is one of the best-selling British dramas. Over the past 10 years, BBC Studios has distributed the show in over 240 territories around the world, including Australia, France, South Africa and the US.’

It comes after the show’s stars Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton revealed that there’s an all-powerful twist for the Death In Paradise spinoff series Beyond Paradise.

Set in the South West of England, rather than the Caribbean, the series follows Kris as Humphrey Goodman’s character, who holds the DI position in Devon.

“We can’t replicate all those cocktails on the beach, but we can have the West Country quirk and characters,” says Kris Marshall, who will bring Humphrey home in the new spinoff series Beyond Paradise.

As a boy from Wells in Somerset who used to holiday here, he knows this part of the world well. “It’s not always that sunny, but it can look absolutely stunning.”

Coming soon: Lindsay Salt, head of BBC Drama, revealed: “I couldn’t be happier that he’s back for two more series and specials on BBC One and iPlayer.”

Onscreen: It comes after the show’s stars Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton revealed that there’s an all-powerful twist for the Death In Paradise spinoff series Beyond Paradise.

Today those palm trees sway in the cool wind beside the Tamar River as the cast and crew come to the end of the three-month shoot. As Kris chats in front of a fireplace, it’s clear he knows the stakes are high.

“If this doesn’t work out, it’s not going to look good for me or any of us,” he says, half joking.

Very few British shows get a high-profile spinoff series like this, let alone work – Casualty’s Holby City and Inspector Morse’s Endeavor are two hits that spring to mind – but those are exceptions.

So the BBC is taking an expensive risk here, even though Death In Paradise has quietly and unexpectedly become one of the most successful TV shows in the world since its release in 2011.