While Kenneth Branagh’s Poirot trilogy to 2018’s The Alphabet Murders, Christie’s body of work is continually revisited by directors looking to update the classic murder mystery format.

As if these official adaptations weren’t enough, many movies like Netflix’s Thursday Murder Club and the Knives Out franchise also revisit the genre staples that made Christie’s output so popular. From quirky detectives who seem ill-suited to the task of solving murders to sprawling casts filled with colorful suspects in self-contained locations, these movies rely on the well-worn tropes that made the author’s output so reliably satisfying. The spirits of Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot remain a mainstay at the cinema and on streaming services, as evidenced by one long-running murder mystery franchise.

Agatha Christie Fans Will Love Death In Paradise

Death in Paradise’s Blend Of Cozy Comedy and Murder Mystery Is Perfect For Christie Fans

The British murder mystery series Death in Paradise is one of the best modern attempts to recapture Christie’s appeal, complete with her trademark comic relief characters, red herrings, and inventive murders. Death In Paradise initially follows a British police officer who is sent to the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie, where his fish-out-of-water status isn’t enough to stop him from solving the case. This results in his superiors permanently reasg him to the island, much to his chagrin.

The long-running show has introduced more than three fish-out-of-water antiheroes across its 14 outings.

However, this doesn’t mean that the star of the series necessarily stays the same throughout Death in Paradise’s 14 seasons. To say anymore would get into spoiler territory, but suffice to say that the long-running show has introduced more than three fish-out-of-water antiheroes across its 14 outings. If catching up sounded like more of a chore than a treat, it is worth noting that the show is a case-per-week murder mystery.

Death In Paradise Is Part Of A Much Larger Franchise

Death In Paradise Spawned Two Spinoff Shows To Date

Like a cozy British Caribbean spin on Murder She Wrote, Death In Paradise is the perfect episodic viewing for the commitment-averse murder mystery fan. While it might sound like there is a lot of Death in Paradise for newcomers to catch up on, murder mystery lovers who do make it through all 14 seasons need not wait until the next Knives Out movie for their quirky murder mystery comedy fix. As well as the series proper, there is a Death in Paradise extended universe for eager audience to dive into.

Death in Paradise’s first spinoff, Beyond Paradise, began in 2023, while a second spinoff titled Return to Paradise arrived in late 2024. While a few reviewers felt Beyond Paradise didn’t live up to the standard of its predecessor, other critics called the series an improvement on the original show. Beyond Paradise has since released a second season and been renewed for a third, while Return to Paradise recevied solid reviews upon its 2024 premiere. For fans of Agatha Christie, the ongoing Death in Paradise franchise proves that there are plenty more cozy murder mysteries still in production in 2025.

Death In Paradise Has Successfully Recast The Main Role Over & Over

Death In Paradise Has Repeatedly Replaced Its Central Detective

At first glance, Death In Paradise seems to have a lot in common with other cozy murder mystery shows like The Mallorca File or Psych. However, the show’s rotating cast of protagonists is unique to this murder mystery series. Death In Paradise has replaced its main character no less than four times, with Ben Miller, Kris Marshall, Ardal O’Hanlon, Ralf Little, and Don Gilet all taking on the role for a few seasons at a time.

Miller’s Richard Poole is the show’s protagonist from seasons 1-3, while Kris Marshall’s Detective Humphrey Goodman plays Saint Marie’s new chief detective in seasons 3-6. Goodman is then replaced by Ardal O’Hanlon’s Jack Mooney from seasons 6-9, while Mooney is replaced in turn by Ralf Little’s Neville Parker in seasons 9-13. Death in Paradise’s new detective Mervin Wilson only arrived in season 14, so only time will tell whether he lasts as long as his predecessors.

Like a lot of murder mysteries, the show is as concerned with its setting as its hero.

The reason that Death in Paradise can pull off replacing its main character so many times is down to the show’s structure. Like a lot of murder mysteries, the show is as concerned with its setting as its hero. Much like Murder She Wrote needed Cabot Cove and Midsomer Murders wouldn’t work if its action were uprooted from the sleepy British county of the title, Death In Paradise needs its island setting more than a particular specific protagonist.

Why Death In Paradise Has Lasted So Long (& Is Still Going)

Death In Paradise’s Replaceable Protagonist Adds To Its Longevity

Each new detective brings a new tone to Death in Paradise’s investigations, but the show has managed to remain remarkably consistent over its 14 seasons. Death in Paradise shares its quirky characters and morbid but gentle sense of humor with earlier British murder mystery shows like the aforementioned fellow long-runner Midsomer Murders or Rosemary &Thyme. However, the picturesque location helps to make proceedings feel a little brighter and more exotic than those earlier procedurals. Furthermore, the series arrived at the perfect time.

Death in Paradise arrived at a time when British TV procedurals were mostly embracing a darker, grittier aesthetic pioneered by cold, self-serious Scandinavian noir.

As the The Thursday Murder Club movie adaptation, the second season of Peacock’s Poker Face, and the third Knives Out installment all prove, cozy murder mysteries are very much in vogue in 2025. However, Death in Paradise arrived at a time when British TV procedurals were mostly embracing a darker, grittier aesthetic pioneered by cold, self-serious Scandinavian noir. As shows tripped over themselves to be the most dour, self-serious mystery on the small screen, Death in Paradise provided a fun reprieve for viewers who want a cheeky bit of humor reminiscent of Agatha Christie's writing to go with their murder mystery stories.