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.
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.