Recently, the British television industry, forever delighted with mysteries and police procedurals, have settled on an effective formula that is infinitely repeatable. Many new shows have adopted this formula to the point where it is a recognizable trope.
In this formula, the show is divided into two parts, with half of the story devoted to solving a mystery (the A plot), and the other half involving the social side of the main characters (the B plot). Each of the characters may have some part to play in the A side, the B side, or both.
1. The Quirky English Detective. This is the main focus of program, which follows a Detective Inspector as he grapples with the murder. Always quirky, the writers delight in highlighting odd English habits and customs that create a 'fish-out-of-water' atmosphere for the lead investigator. This can make him socially awkward but also a little vulnerable as a counterweight to his flashes of brilliance which are necessary to them solving the mystery.
For Death in Paradise (DiP), the Inspector is readily identifiable. Jack, Humphrey, Neville, Robert, Marvin. They have unique quirks, but each matches the definition.
2. The more normal and relatable Detective Sergeant, who is the sounding board that allows the Inspector to verbalize all the clues that they discover. The dialogue between the two gives the writers a vehicle for introducing and discussing not just the details of the case, but also the implications of those details. The presence of the relatable DS serves to highlight the oddities of the Inspector.
[DiP] Camille, Florence, Madeline, Naomi, all become the classic DS who is a mirror to the Inspector's quirks, and a sounding board for his ideas.
The other two in the four man band are usually two uniformed officers.
3. The first of these is the Junior, a young uniformed officer who is often naive or inexperienced in some way, but often very earnest and eager to prove themselves. They may be prone to making mistakes or acting impulsively, which gets them into trouble. At the same time they are often portrayed as being cute and lovable, and an audience favorite.
[DiP] JP, Ruby, Marlon, the Chicken man, Darlene Each take their role as the junior officer.
4. The second is a more experienced officer, who brings worldly know-how to a lower-ranked role. This is someone whose time on the street gives them knowledge, contacts, local lore and history, and also correct procedural knowledge that keeps them out of trouble and can prove valuable in finding the mystery's solution.
[DiP] Dwayne is the classic senior uniform, but later JP takes on that role for Marlon. This happens as well to Florence and Naomi, each starting as a senior in the uniformed ranks and moving into a detective role.
What's interesting about this role is that as characters come and go from the show, the internal roles are often shifted around. JP is first introduced as the rookie, but later becomes the senior officer. Florence is introduced as a Sergeant, but then is promoted to Detective Sergeant when Camille moves on to Paris. This uncertain progression within the ranks becomes part of the interpersonal dynamic of the show so that an initially deferential JP becomes a more confident Sergeant Hooper, later a training specialist on a larger island. The same progression happens to Florence, who eventually becomes an undercover operative on Jamaica.
In addition, there are often two more peripheral characters who make an appearance once a show, though not always part of the core team.
5. The Authority figure. This is someone who has a supervisory role over the investigative team, but doesn't take part in the day-to-day solving of the mystery. They act as a direct foil to the Inspector, but at the same time rely on the Inspector's brilliance to keep the department in the political black by having a very high clear-up rate.
[DiP] Clearly, the authority figure here is Commissioner Selwyn Patterson.
6. The Outside Influence. This is a character who isn't in the direct chain of command of the investigators but who may bring important information to bear, or may be a source of social cohesion to the team.
[DiP] Catherine serves that role throughout the long series. She runs the bar/restaurant where the team often socializes, and later becomes the mayor of Honore and takes part in some of the cases, where appropriate. She is established as a social mentor and advisor to the Inspector.
7. The Family Angle. Often, one or more of the core team members may have a re-curring family member who is present in the social side of things, but may occasionally take part in the investigation, where it is appropriate.
[DiP] Typically, this show doesn't have a consistent family figure, though there are frequent family appearances. Initially, DS Camille Bordey was the daughter of Catherine, and later DI Jack Mooney had guest appearances by his daughter Siobhan. JP would often mention his wife Rosie and his children, and she made occasional appearances on the show. Famously, Florence had a fiance, Patrice, for several seasons, while Humphrey met Martha and eventually married her.
Beyond Paradise
This pattern is clearly seen in a spin-off series Beyond Paradise, starring one of the Inspectors from Death in Paradice, Humphrey Goodman
1. The Quirky Detective: Humphrey Goodman. Classic realization of the trope
2. The Relatable Detective Sergeant: Esther Williams. Practical, often amused at Humphrey's oddities, but respecting his acumen
3. The Junior Uniformed Officer: Kelby. Classically earnest, eager to please, prone to rookie mistakes but an office and audience favorite.
4. The Experienced officer. In this case, the presence of the street-wise and lore-fluent character is filled by Margo Martins, who officially is Office Support, but still takes an integral part in untangling the mysteries.
5. The Authority figure. Chief Superintendent Charlie Woods was often a foil for Humphrey, holding him to task.
7. The Family Figure. The obvious choice here was Martha, Humphrey's fiance and eventual wife. But Zoe, Esther's daughter, also functioned in a similar role, filling out the social narrative.
6. The Outside Influence: That role is filled by Anne Lloyd, Martha's mother. She could simply be another family figure, but she often offered social commentary as a native of Shipton Abbot, and later as a member of the Town Council.on the Police and Crime panel.
