Death in Paradise Christmas Special has a family feel says star Ralph Little

However, it’s not all sandy toes and cocktails on the beach in this festive feature-length special: there is a murder mystery to solve, with plenty of family drama to boot.

DI Neville Parker, played by Ralf Little, is facing trouble from all angles this Christmas. While he’s working on cracking the case of a mysterious death – an entrepreneur and family man has been found dead in a ravine – his larger-than-life mum Melanie, played by Doon Mackichan, arrives on the island to spend Christmas in the sun with her son.

The gregarious Melanie is, in many ways, the opposite of Neville, and she soon strikes up a fabulous friendship with Catherine, played by Elizabeth Bourgine.

The women take on the Saint Marie dating scene together while Melanie tries to impart some words of wisdom on her son, who thinks he might never find love.

“The mystery is great, but I think it’s more about family values. I think it’s about what family means and centring around family and Christmas,” says Little, 43.

“A man has fallen into a ravine and a witness, Debbie, who is on holiday from the UK to visit some clients, goes missing,” explains the star, who’s also known for The Royle Family and Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps.

“Her partner, Dave, has stayed home and when he hears she’s gone missing, he’s determined to find her.”

Sitting in front of the TV with a mystery drama is a fun part of Christmas for many families – as Bourgine notes, people love Death In Paradise’s contribution to their Christmases because “it’s a lovely game, it’s a challenge”.

“And then because they will be part of our lovely family, because we live a dream in Saint Marie, so they will be happy to join us,” adds the 66-year-old French actress. “They will have a lot of surprises, because they will see your mother, Neville!”

We will get to understand the DI a little better this Christmas when we meet his mother, played by Alan Partridge and Plebs star Doon Mackichan.

“It’s funny because, you know, on some level, Neville being like he is was because he was a little bit coddled when he was a kid, because he was allergic to everything … So his mum had to look after him, in a way,” says Little.

“But the character that arrives in the show is kind of almost the exact opposite of what you’d expect. She’s really loving and free spirited.

“And actually, she’s a little bit like: ‘Neville, come on – maybe when you were a kid you needed to be a little bit more insular, but it’s time to live life a bit more’.”

Having Mackichan come to play Neville’s mother, Melanie, was “a joy” for Little, who says he’s been a huge fan of the comedic actress’s work since he was a teenager.

“She and I have crossed paths a few times over the years – we’re not big old friends, but we know each other well enough, and we’ve always really enjoyed each other’s company,” he says.

“I was a massive fan from way back when – Alan Partridge, Knowing Me, Knowing You.

“I literally watched that again in between the last series and this series, and I was like: ‘Ah, Doon’s great, I must send her a text…’ and then here she is, coming out here! I was so, so delighted to have her out here, and to come and play my mum.

“She’s always been a hero of mine, so then for her to come out and say ‘Oh, I’m so glad to be doing this with you’… I was like ‘Are you kidding? This is a dream for me!’”

Fans are in for a treat when they see how well Melanie and Catherine get on. As Bourgine notes, “they’re really similar” – two outgoing, fun-loving women.

“They become, I could say, partners in crime,” she says. “There are two women with the same free spirit, the same energy, and so they have fun, and they get along very, very well. They become sort of best friends! So it’s nice.”

The Death In Paradise 2023 Christmas Special is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.