BBC Death in Paradise Christmas special: What it is on and cast

Death in Paradise is bringing a new murder mystery for the festive season. The popular comedy-crime drama is back for another adventure on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie.

This year it will see Detective Neville Parker, played by Ralf Little, tasked with uncovering the mystery behind the death of entrepreneur Gerry Stableworth, played by Geoff Bell.

He will have to traverse around the intricacies of Gerry's family and professional relationships to see who's hiding what.

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Meanwhile, Neville's larger-than-life mum Melanie, played by Doon Mackichan, arrives on the island to spend Christmas in the sun with her son.

Discussing this year's festive special of the drama, which first aired in 2011, Ralf said: "It’s funny because, you know, on some level, Neville being like he is was because he was a little bit coddled when he was a kid, because he was allergic to everything … So his mum had to look after him, in a way.

“But the character that arrives in the show is kind of almost the exact opposite of what you’d expect. She’s really loving and free spirited.

“And actually, she’s a little bit like: ‘Neville, come on – maybe when you were a kid you needed to be a little bit more insular, but it’s time to live life a bit more’. She’s kind of the antithesis of him, and the antithesis of what you might expect.”

The Christmas special will air on December 26 (Boxing Day) at 9pm on BBC One.

The murder mystery Christmas special will see the return of some familiar faces that fans will all know and love, as well as some special guest stars.

It won't be the last time we visit Saint Marie as two more series