Streaming services are great because viewers get the chance to discover older shows they might not have heard about. “Death in Paradise” is a current show going on its 12th season, but for many viewers it may as well be a brand new series. If you haven’t already discovered this crime dramedy, now’s your chance.

The show is set on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie, though the series is filmed primarily in Guadeloupe. With the exception of a murder each episode, this is a tropical paradise.

The series has used a revolving cast over the years. But with some characters leaving and new ones coming in, the flavor and fun never diminishes.

The first season began with a stodgy British Detective Inspector, Richard Poole (Ben Miller), who was sent to the island to investigate the murder of his successor. This man always wore a suit and shoes and carried his briefcase, even while walking on the beach. He was ultimately replaced by another British Detective Inspector, Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall), who was equally as quirky and decided to don bright tropical shirts to blend in with the locals. Unfortunately, he still stuck out.

After arriving on the island he received the devastating news that his wife was divorcing him. Several years in Saint Marie later, he was replaced by DI Jack Mooney (Ardal O’Hanlon), who was grieving the loss of his wife and used the distractions on the island to help him through the difficult time. Now we have DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little) who originally came to the island suffering from horrible allergies, but thanks to antihistamines he has settled into life in Saint Marie.

Every DI is given a little shack on the beach as his domicile. With the accommodations comes a cute lizard named Harry. This little fellow is a bright addition to the cast, which also consists of Commissioner Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington), Catherine Bordey (Elizabeth Bourgine) who runs a local restaurant and becomes the mayor), and a slew of officers who come and go throughout the seasons: Dwayne Myers (Danny John-Jules), J.P. Hooper (Tobi Bakare), Mylon Pryce (Tahj Miles), Ruby Patterson (Shyko Amos), as well as many sergeants: Florence Cassell (Josephine Jobert), Cammille Bordey (Sara Martins), Madeleine Dumas (Aude Legastelois), and Naomi Thomas (Shantol Jackson). What a cast of characters.

As the seasons and the cast come and go, the flavor and fun of the stories remains the same. There is always a sort of formulaic baseline to the plots as the team must work together to solve the murders that occur weekly. For an island of paradise, they sure have a lot of murders.

The DIs each have their own quirks and characteristics when putting clues together clues others might not see. Their instincts are spot on, and at the end of each episode the team gathers all the suspects together to disclose what happened and to expose the killer or killers.

Now that you are sufficiently caught up on the framework of the series but have yet to watch the episodes, this is a good time to catch up on the previous 11 seasons.  The characters’ interactions are what stand out. Yes, they have crimes to solve, but they do it while relating to each other in a fun and personal way.

And, as a side note, DI Goodman has his own spinoff coming called “Beyond Paradise.” There is no date yet for the premiere. Meanwhile, “Death in Paradise” returned for season 12 on Friday.

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