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John Hannah’s new crime show Benidorm Is Murder finally confirms start date

It's coming out later this month...

Dennis (John Hannah) stands on a Benidorm rooftop, wearing a football shirt and looking unimpressed into the camera on a sunny day

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Published: Thursday, 16 July 2026 at 4:40 pm

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5 has confirmed when fans can expect John Hannah’s new crime drama Benidorm Is Murder to land – and it's in a matter of weeks.

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The series, which stars The Mummy and Four Weddings and a Funeral star as a burned-out detective, is set to premiere on the channel on Thursday 30 July.

Set in (you guessed it) Benidorm, the series centres on Dennis (Hannah), who’s left his UK police career behind to run a bar in the sunshine – or so he thinks.

When a string of tourists start turning up dead, Dennis is drawn back into the investigative world he thought he’d said goodbye to, and is joined in his investigations by unlikely partner Rosa (Carolina Bécquer), a crime-obsessed barmaid.

Each episode will see the duo tackling a new murder in paradise, 5 has said.

Rosa looks ecstatically excited as she receives some news in a warmly decorated room, wearing an orange top

Carolina Bécquer (Rosa) in Benidorm is Murder. 5

Other cast members include Ariadna Cabrol as experienced DS Maria Hernandez and Damian Schedler Cruz as her newly qualified colleague PC Jesús Ballesteros, while Brian Bovell also stars as Archie, who is described as a "Benidorm enigma".

There will also be guest appearances from the likes of EastEnders' Tamzin Outhwaite and impressionist Alistair McGowan.

Behind the camera, Death in Paradise's Simon Delaney serves as lead director, while The Madame Blanc Mysteries' Dermot Boyd is also helming one episode.

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The show was commissioned last year, with Hannah saying at the time: "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."

He added: "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."

Read more:

Benidorm Is Murder is coming to 5 on Thursday 30 July 2026.

When it arrives, add Benidorm Is Murder to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

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Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

RadioTimes.com senior trends writer Molly Moss. She is sitting outside wearing a black top, holding a white teacup with a smily face on it to her mouth

Molly MossTrends Writer

Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.

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