'Death in Paradise's Trailer Suggests the New Detective May Like It Here

Death in Paradise starts a new era in 2025 with the casting of the show's fifth lead detective in under fifteen years. After a few years each of various unmarried middle-class white men whose privileged lives lead them to be cranky about being assigned to one of the most beautiful places on earth — Ben Miller (DI Richard Poole), Kris Marshall (DI Humphrey Goodman), Ardal O'Hanlon (DI Jack Mooney), Ralf Little (DI Neville Parker) — Death in Paradise decided to try something new and cast Don Gilet (Sherwood) as Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson, the show's first British Black lead, who officially beings his first season in St. Marie in the new trailer.

This first look at Season 14 reveals the production has not altered anything else about the series. The cases of the week still turn up bodies in messy places, cliched lines about things being fishy and other bad puns will be uttered, and good-natured teasing among those who find themselves living out on the tiny island just north of South America will give the show a family atmosphere. 

However, the show's entire feel is already obviously different, not just because DS Naomi Thomas (Shantol Jackson) jumps almost a foot when she realizes her new boss isn't white. Death in Paradise has always been, in many respects, a show about colonialism (though it would probably never define itself that way), and much of the unspoken tension, whenever a new lead arrived, stems from the obvious discomfort within the new surroundings. However, Gilet's effortless calm as Wilson feels far more settled from the jump, and while he's still from out of town, I don't think it's a secret that our newest detective is gonna like it here.

Here is the new season's synopsis:

We're transported back to the tropical island of Saint Marie, and this time with a new Detective Inspector in place - but will DI Mervin Wilson remain in the job for long? Following the recently cracked case of ‘Who shot the Santas?’, along with the revelation that his estranged mother has passed away, Mervin is ready to get back home and leave the island for good. But when a case close to the hearts of those at the station presents itself, is he tempted to extend his stay? As Mervin continues to ruffle feathers, the police team pulls together to solve some of the island’s most confounding cases yet.

Don Gilet will star alongside returning series regulars Don Warrington as Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, Shantol Jackson as DS Naomi Thomas, Ginny Holder as Officer Darlene Curtis, Élizabeth Bourgine as Catherine Bordey, Danny John-Jules as Officer Dwayne Myers, and Tobi Bakare as Sergeant JP Hooper. 

The new photographs also give viewers their first look at Anthony J Abraham (The Great) as the show's other brand-new regular character, Officer Benjamin Brice.

The list of BBC character actors passing through St. Marie 14 is particularly star-studded for the show's 14th season. PBS fans will most likely recognize many of them, including Charlotte Spencer (Sanditon), Adam James (Hotel Portofino), Joy Richardson (The Long Song), Bhavna Limbachia (Ridley), Siobhan Redmond (Unforgotten), Rita Bernard-Shaw (Van der Valk), Chantelle Alle (Marriage), Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge (Guilt), and Madeline Appiah (Partners in Crime). 

The roster also features faces viewers will know from other BritBox series, like Tala Gouveia (McDonald & Dodds), Bobby Gordon (Three Little Birds), Imogen King (Suspect), Tony Marshall (Ashes to Ashes), and Gerard Horan (Belfast). Guest stars from well-known Netflix series include Stephen Odubola (Boiling Point), Simon Lennon (Bridgerton), Sofia Oxenham (A Very Royal Scandal), Patricia Allison (Sex Education), and Lyndsey Marshal (Inside Man). The series will also feature Michelle Greenidge (It's a Sin), David Avery (We Are Lady Parts), David Mumeni (Big Mood), Judith Jacob (Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale), and Lily Nichol (Renegade Nell).

Death in Paradise Season 14 premieres on the BBC in the U.K. on Friday, January 31, 2025, and on BritBox in the U.S. on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. The series will air and stream weekly on both platforms.