5 REVEALS FIRST LOOK AND FURTHER CASTING FOR BENIDORM IS MURDER

Brian Bovell, Denise Welch, Alistair McGowan and Tamzin Outhwaite join the cast of new John Hannah led comedy drama.

5 has today revealed a first look at its much anticipated 6 x 60 comedy drama Benidorm is Murder, led by John Hannah (The Mummy, The Last of Us, Four Weddings and a Funeral) as Dennis, a burned-out detective who has swapped the daily grind of the UK for a simpler life running a bar in Benidorm.

When tourists start turning up dead, Dennis is reluctantly drawn back into detective work by his new barmaid, aspiring actress and crime drama superfan Rosa. Played by Carolina Bécquer, Rosa’s enthusiasm and determination to prove herself pulls Dennis out of his bar and into the action.

First look images from the show reveal the grumpy but secretly brilliant Dennis, joyful shining light Rosa, and Benidorm’s actual policing team including the formidable DS Maria Hernandez, played by Ariadna Cabrol and her green new PC Jesús Ballesteros played by Damian Schedler Cruz.

Also pictured is Brian Bovell as Benidorm enigma Archie, a philosopher, a poet and a permanent fixture at Dennis’ bar, who once in a while removes his head from the clouds to casually spot something everyone has missed.

Using Dennis’ real-world experience and showcasing Rosa’s encyclopedic TV knowledge, each episode sees the duo tackling a new murder, whilst trying to stay on the right side of the Spanish cops. As the bodies pile up, so do the guest stars, including Denise Welch (Waterloo Road, Tip Toe), Alistair McGowan (The Big Impression, Bleak House) and Tamzin Outhwaite (The Tower, Hotel Babylon). 

John Hannah said: "Benidorm is Murder is a gem of a show, filled with joy and humour, but there's a balance of comedy and serious emotional weight to the stories, which is testament to the writing. We have a such a brilliant cast on this, everyone is pitch perfect for their roles, and I can't wait for viewers to meet Carolina who was born to play Rosa.”

The series was commissioned by Greg Barnett, Commissioning Editor, 5 and the project is led by Blackbox Multimedia (The Ex-Wife, The Castaways, This Time Next Year) and Clapperboard (The Teacher, The Game, The Madame Blanc Mysteries) with ZDF Studios on board as international distributor for the title.

Chiara Cardoso and Camilla Hammer are Executive Producers for Blackbox Multimedia, Mike Benson and Andy Morgan for Clapperboard, Rodrigo Herrera Ibarguengoytia and Viviane Richard for ZDF Studios. Ian Jarvis (The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin) is writer and creator of the series, with Simon Delaney (Death in Paradise, The Young Offenders) on board as Lead Director, with Dermot Boyd (The Madame Blanc Mysteries) directing Episode 5. Yasmin Akram (Flack), Claire Downes (The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, The Outlaws) and Tom Parry (Your Christmas or Mine, Your Christmas or Mine 2) are also Writers.   

Benidorm is Murder is set to air on 5 in 2026.

ENDS    

For more information, please contact: Fiona McGarva fiona@todayissundae.co.uk

About 5: 

5 is the home of award-winning content from the UK’s third largest commercial PSB, a culmination of the creative transformation of Channel 5 over more than a decade. 5 is part of Paramount, a Skydance corporation. 

Through a mix of live TV channels and bingeable boxsets, the free-to-air service allows UK audiences to watch or stream the breadth of programming from Channel 5 – including Milkshake!, its dedicated preschool brand – and a wide selection from the wider Paramount family of brands, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Paramount+ and more.   

In keeping with its PSB remit, 5 tells the story of modern Britain by reflecting the lives of people across the UK, featuring well-known faces and fresh new talent. Its programme roster spans original UK drama, premium factual, true crime, science, news & current affairs and kids’ content, which continue to attract critical acclaim.   

Recent wins include BAFTA Television and RTS Awards for the documentary White Nanny, Black Child in 2024, along with a BAFTA nomination for Endurance Race to the Pole. Factual hit The Yorkshire Vet and the broadcaster’s series on air fryers also won RTS Yorkshire awards, while Michael Palin received the Radio Times Special Judges Award for his Channel 5 documentaries.   

About Blackbox Multimedia: 

BlackBox Multimedia is a film and TV production company, founded by industry veteran Guy Avshalom (previously Lionsgate UK) and led by Managing Director Chiara Cardoso. With operations in London, Rome and Barcelona, BlackBox specializes in the development and production of TV series and films for the global market. The company’s first TV series THE EX-WIFE, co-produced with Clapperboard Studios, was Paramount +’s first original in the UK. In 2023, BlackBox co-produced, also for Paramount with Clapperboard, THE CASTAWAYS and THE SERIAL KILLER’S WIFE.

The second series of THE EX-WIFE was released on Paramount+ in April 2025. In the last two years BlackBox has produced two films, a rom-com based on best-selling novel THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, which became number 1 upon release on Netflix UK, and HOME EDUCATION which became the highest grossing horror from a debut director in Italian history, and enters the top 10 highest grossing Italian-produced horror films over the last 30 years, after its Italian cinema release (distributed by Warner Brothers). The company also has a curated slate for Spain and Latin America, including a number of shows and films in active development.   

About Clapperboard Studios: 

Since launch, Clapperboard has delivered over 30 series and 147 hours of prime time television, including critically acclaimed ratings winners Love Rat, The Holiday, Cooper & Fry, The Cuckoo and The Game for 5 and Girl Taken, The Castaways, The Ex-Wife and The Serial Killer's Wife for Paramount+. It was shortlisted for Best Production Company in the Edinburgh TV Awards 2022 and 2025 and Best Independent Production Company at the Broadcast Awards 2024. Dramas Clapperboard is currently working on include The Day for Paramount+ and Paris is Always a Good Idea for Hallmark Media, Benidorm is Murder and Number One Fan for 5 and Hunting Alice Bell for Channel 4.   

Returning dramas include The Teacher anthology series, The Good Ship Murder and The Madame Blanc Mysteries, which is created and co-written by Sally Lindsay and co-produced by Clapperboard.   

Clapperboard along with its partner companies, Chalkboard and Storyboard Studios, are part of iZen and the wider Studio TF1 Group     

About ZDF Studios:

ZDF Studios is a commercial subsidiary of ZDF, one of the largest TV broadcasters in Europe. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Mainz, Germany, the ZDF Studios Group operates more than 30 direct and indirect subsidiaries and affiliates spanning TV production, distribution and services. The parent company, ZDF Studios, is responsible for global programme distribution, realisation of international co-productions, acquisition of licences and merchandising of successful programme brands under its own name, for ZDF and third parties. ZDF Studios has the largest German-language programme inventory in the world and a constantly growing range of international productions, consisting of series and mini-series, television films, documentaries and children's programmes.   

The companies of the ZDF Studios Group cover the entire value chain from the development of scripted and unscripted TV content to production, marketing and monetizing, including TV and streaming licences as well as merchandising and online rights. The positioning of ZDF Studios as an integrated media company enables the development of innovative, outstanding and high-quality programmes and makes the Group an attractive workplace for German and international talent to flourish in a very inspiring and creative environment.