With the new season of Death in Paradise now having kicked off, a host of images have been unveiled for the show's next instalment, which will see the team tackle a murder on a zip line.
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In one of the images, Don Gilet's Mervin is seen on top of a platform, in among the tress, looking at the line, while others show Mervin, Darlene and Noami at the inspector's shack.
Another image introduces us to new character Jonny Feldon, as played by guest star Simon Lennon. He is joined by other guest stars in the episode including David Avery, Adam James, Bhavna Limbachia, Sofia Oxenham and Joy Richardson.
The synopsis for the episode says: "Mervin and the team have quite the mystery on their hands when a game show contestant is stabbed during filming of the series’s grand finale.
"In a baffling turn of events, the victim is murdered in midair whilst hurtling down a zip line.
Ginny Holder as Darlene Curtis and Shantol Jackson as Naomi Thomas in Death in Paradise. BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Lou Denim
"As various members of the TV crew come under suspicion, Mervin surprises his colleagues by signing a contract to prolong his stay on Saint Marie.
"But he and Selwyn butt heads when it becomes clear Mervin has an ulterior motive for extending his visit. And it turns out that Selwyn has secrets of his own..."
This season of the show is the first to star Gilet, who is joined by returning stars Shantol Jackson, Ginny Holder, Don Warrington and Elizabeth Bourgine.
Simon Lennon as Jonny Feldon in Death in Paradise. BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Lou Denim
Meanwhile, fan-favourite character JP Hooper is also set to return at some point during the season's run, with actor Tobi Bakare back on the show as a guest star.
When Gilet was asked in a recent interview with Radio Times magazine whether it was significant to be the show's first Black lead, the actor said: "Of course. In a way, I can’t emphasise it enough, and in another way, I can’t say more than that.
"I think to see a black lead in the most popular show on the BBC is a wonderful thing."
Don Gilet as DI Mervin Wilson in Death in Paradise. BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Lou Denim
Meanwhile, Warrington said that "whatever the intentions were in this [Gilet's casting], it’s having a wholly positive reaction – and that can’t be celebrated enough".
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
