History is made in BBC One’s latest Death in Paradise Christmas special, as Don Gilet becomes the first Black actor to play the lead role of a British police detective parachuted into the sleepy (and entirely fictional) Caribbean island of Saint Marie. But as he dons the droopy green sun hat of DI Mervin Wilson, he has his work cut out in a fun, feature-length instalment that tries to pull off several demanding tasks simultaneously.
Firstly, the episode must introduce DI Wilson as a fully rounded replacement for the departed Neville Parker (Ralf Little). Secondly, it has to serve up a distinctive dollop of Christmas cheer on a weekend when the primetime schedules heave under a dead weight of tinsel and season’s greetings. Oh, and it has to deliver a satisfying murder mystery with the inevitable loose ends tied up by the closing credits.
