How many seasons of Death in Paradise are there — and how many more are already locked in
Saint Marie has the highest murder rate in television and the best weather in crime drama, and somehow neither shows any sign of stopping. If you're eyeing up the full catalogue — or wondering how long the show can possibly keep going — here are the numbers.
The short answer
Fifteen seasons of Death in Paradise have aired as of July 2026, spanning over 100 episodes since the show began on BBC One in 2011. And two more are already guaranteed: in April 2026, the BBC renewed it through season 17, plus two Christmas specials, taking the show into 2028.
What's already confirmed
- 2026 Christmas special — expected in December, and executive producer Tim Key has teased it contains "a big surprise" that sets up the next run.
- Season 16 — due in 2027, with the entire current cast signed on, led by Don Gilet as DI Mervin Wilson alongside Don Warrington's Commissioner Selwyn Patterson.
- Season 17 — due in 2028, with another Christmas special alongside it.
Filming continues in Guadeloupe, the French Caribbean island that has doubled as fictional Saint Marie since day one.
Announcing the renewal in April 2026, the BBC's Director of Drama Lindsay Salt called the show "a global phenomenon."
She's not exaggerating: it airs in 230 territories.
A quick guide to the detectives
Fifteen seasons means five lead detectives, so here's the map: Ben Miller's Richard Poole (seasons 1–2), Kris Marshall's Humphrey Goodman (3–6), Ardal O'Hanlon's Jack Mooney (6–9), Ralf Little's Neville Parker (9–13) — the longest-serving — and Don Gilet's Mervin Wilson, who arrived in the 2024 Christmas special and leads seasons 14 and 15.
What about the spin-offs?
The franchise now sprawls. Beyond Paradise, with Kris Marshall's Humphrey relocated to Devon, has run four series since 2023 — the latest aired from 27 March to 1 May 2026. Return to Paradise, the Australian spin-off, launched in 2024. Neither counts towards the main show's total.
Where can you watch it all?
BBC One and iPlayer in the UK; in the US, seasons 1–14 stream on BritBox, with season 15 episodes added through mid-June 2026.
For the record: the show was originally inspired by a real case — the suspicious 2007 death of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer in the Caribbean, which saw a British policeman flown out to investigate. Fifteen seasons later, Saint Marie's fictional body count has comfortably overtaken reality.