5 announce John Hannah to lead cast in brand new detective drama 'Death in Benidorm' (W/T)
ZDF Studios on board as international distributor
London and MIPCOM, 14 October 2025: 5 has today announced the exciting cast line-up for new drama Death in Benidorm (w/t), a 6x60 detective drama from Blackbox Multimedia and Clapperboard.
A commission previously announced in 5’s bumper scripted slate earlier this year, Death in Benidorm (w/t) follows a former detective trying to escape his past, only to find trouble still has him in its sights. With an unlikely partner by his side, paradise proves anything but peaceful.
BAFTA nominated actor John Hannah (The Last of Us, Black Mirror, Four Weddings and a Funeral) stars as Dennis who has swapped the chaos of the UK for a quieter life running a bar in Benidorm. But when tourists start turning up dead, he’s reluctantly drawn back into detective work- egged on by his barmaid Rosa, a crime drama superfan. With Dennis’s real-world experience and Rosa’s encyclopaedic TV knowledge, each episode sees the duo tackling a new murder in paradise, whilst trying to remain on the right side of the local Spanish cops. Further roles casted include Carolina Bécquer as Rosa, Ariadna Cabrol as Maria and Damian Schedler Cruz as Jesús.
The series was commissioned by Greg Barnett, Commissioning Editor, 5 and is co-produced by Blackbox Multimedia (The Ex-Wife, The Serial Killer’s Wife, This Time Next Year) and Clapperboard (The Teacher, The Game, The Madame Blanc Mysteries) with ZDF Studios onboard as international distributor for the title.
Chiara Cardoso and Camilla Hammer are Executive Producers for Blackbox Multimedia, Mike Benson and Andy Morgan for Clapperboard, Robert Franke, VP Drama for ZDF Studios with Viviane Richard, Executive Drama in Robert’s team, acting as Associate Producer. Ian Jarvis (The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin) created the series, with Simon Delaney (Death in Paradise, The Young Offenders) on board as Director. Yasmine 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 Writers.
Commenting on the casting news, Greg Barnett, Commissioning Editor, 5 said: “I am thrilled to have John Hannah on board. He’s absolutely perfect for the role of Dennis - a character with sharp intellect, dry wit, and life experience - and from what I’ve seen already, viewers will fall in love with him.”
Viviane Richard, Associate Producer of the series at ZDF Studios, said: "Death in Benidorm is such a witty and charming addition to the cosy crime genre, and John Hannah truly encapsulates this. We’re thrilled to be working with Blackbox to bring these sharply written scripts to life and, we can’t wait to share it with audiences around the world."
Death in Benidorm(w/t) is now filming on location in Spain and is set to air on 5 in 2026.
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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.
For more information, please contact:
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:
Since launch, Clapperboard has delivered over 20 series and 100 hours of television, including critically acclaimed ratings winners The Teacher, The Holiday, The Ex Wife, The Cuckoo, and Maxine for Channel 5 and The Castaways and The Serial Killer's Wife for Paramount+. It was shortlisted for Best Production Company in the Edinburgh TV Awards 2022 and Best Independent Production Company at the Broadcast Awards 2024.
Returning dramas currently in production include The Ex Wife for Paramount+ and The Good Ship Murder for Channel 5, which recently announced a double commission for series 2 and 3. The studio also co-produces hit comedy drama The Madame Blanc Mysteries, created and co-written by Sally Lindsay, currently in production with series 4.
Clapperboard along with its partner companies, Chalkboard and Storyboard Studios, are part of iZen, the producer-led content group comprising a network of independent production companies in Spain, the Middle East and the UK.
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.
Contact ZDF Studios:
Christine Denilauler (VP Marketing and Corporate Communications), ZDF Studios GmbH, Erich-Dombrowski-Str. 1, 55127 Mainz/Germany, tel.: +49 6131-9911130, email: christine.denilauler@zdf-studios.com, www.zdf-studios.com