The Good Ship Murder is a British television crime drama series created by Paul Matthew Thompson and Mike Benson, set on a luxury Mediterranean cruise ship. It follows a retired detective-turned cabaret singer solving murders on board.[1][2] It stars Shayne Ward and Catherine Tyldesley.[3] The series began broadcast on Channel 5 on 13 October 2023. The programme was renewed for two more series and a Christmas special in 2024.[4]
| The Good Ship Murder | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Crime drama Mystery |
| Created by | Paul Matthew Thompson Mike Benson |
| Based on | An idea by Ben Frow |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Sandra MacIver |
| Cinematography | Mark Waters / Evan Barry |
| Editor | John Phillipson |
| Running time | 42 minutes |
| Production company | Clapperboard Studios |
| Original release | |
| Network | Channel 5 |
| Release | 13 October 2023 – present |
Synopsis
editFormer police detective Jack Grayling finds his old life intruding on his job as a cruise ship singer, when murders begin happening onboard. With the help of the ship's First Officer, Kate Woods, Grayling solves a series of unusual mysteries, against the sunny backdrop of the Mediterranean.
Each episode ends with Jack performing a song in the ship's cabaret lounge.
Cast
edit- Shayne Ward as Jack Grayling
- Catherine Tyldesley as Kate Woods
- Claire Sweeney as Beverley Carnell
- Geoffrey Breton as Piers de Vreese
- Zak Douglas as Jamil
- Vincent Paul Ebrahim as Gregory
- Olivia Marie Fearn as Cecile Ray
- Olivia Fenton as Ella Jones
- Stephen Bradley as Evan O'Donnell
- Fergal Coghlan as Charlie York
Production
editThe series was filmed onboard a working cruise ship, the MSC Virtuosa, operating out of Southampton.[5][6] The show is produced by Clapperboard and Fifth Season.[7] It is the fourth production Clapperboard has produced in Malta within two years.[8]
MSC Cruises UK & Ireland Managing Director Antonio Paradiso said that the series "will bring the magnificence of MSC Virtuosa into living rooms across the country, giving viewers an inside look into life onboard one of our world-class ships." Channel 5 has hosted a number of programmes about cruises in the same 9PM TV slot, including Cruising with Jane McDonald and The Most Expensive Cruise Ship in the World, about life onboard Seven Seas Explorer.[9]
Much of the series was filmed in Malta.[10] It was produced with the support of the government of Malta, 'through the financial incentives of the Malta Film Commission. Production was "expected to generate around 2.3m Euros into the local economy according to the Malta Film Commission."[8]
Series overview
edit| Series | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 8 | 13 October 2023 | 1 December 2023 | |
| Christmas Special (2024) | 1 | 18 December 2024 | ||
| 2 | 8 | 10 January 2025 | TBA | |
Episodes
editSeries 1 (2023)
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "La Rochelle" | Steve Hughes | Paul Matthew Thompson | 13 October 2023 | |
|
Former detective turned cruise ship singer Jack Grayling teams up with First Officer Kate Woods to solve a murder in La Rochelle. | |||||
| 2 | "Lisbon" | Steve Hughes | Johanne McAndrew | 20 October 2023 | |
|
Jack and Kate set out to discover who was responsible for the death of the husband of the world's number one crime writer. | |||||
| 3 | "Casablanca" | Steve Hughes | Lucia Haynes | 27 October 2023 | |
|
In Casablanca, the sun-drenched alleys and markets hide sinister secrets and soon, a charity helping street kids is mired in scandal and a murder has been committed. | |||||
| 4 | "Palma" | Steve Hughes | Suzanne Cowie | 3 November 2023 | |
|
In Palma, a dramatic kidnap and ransom demand shatters the party mood ahead of a lavish wedding. Jack and Kate set out to unravel the mystery before it takes a tragic turn. | |||||
| 5 | "At Sea" | Steve Hughes | Joe Ainsworth | 10 November 2023 | |
|
Jack and Kate have no shortage of suspects when during a high stakes poker tournament on board their cruise ship, a top player is dealt a deadly hand. | |||||
| 6 | "Sicily" | Steve Hughes | Mark Stevenson | 17 November 2023 | |
|
As the cruise ship arrives in Sicily, a deadly family saga unfolds involving a successful businessman, his children and his new wife. When death strikes, was it a Mafia hit or someone closer to home?. | |||||
| 7 | "Barcelona" | Steve Hughes | Andrew Bayliss | 24 November 2023 | |
|
Jack and Kate investigate a crime that feels personal after a murderer strikes in the shadow of Barcelona's majestic Sagrada Familia. | |||||
| 8 | "Valletta" | Steve Hughes | Jeff Povey | 1 December 2023 | |
|
As the ship stops one last time, a famous singer causes a stir. It's not long before there's a murder in Malta. | |||||
Christmas Special (2024)
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | "Dubrovnik" | Steve Hughes | Jeff Povey | 18 December 2024 |
Series 2 (2025)
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | TBA | TBA | TBA | 10 January 2025 |
| 11 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| 12 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| 13 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| 14 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| 15 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| 16 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| 17 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Reception
editThe Sun said that the show is "so murderously awful, it's brilliant", and that "The Good Ship Murder is a woke-free zone."[11]
References
edit- ^ "The Good Ship Murder on C5: Coronation Street's Catherine Tyldesley and Shayne Ward reunite". 31 October 2022.
- ^ "Corrie's Shayne Ward, Catherine Tyldesley drama gets release date". Digital Spy. 2 October 2023.
- ^ "The Good Ship Murder cast: Meet the characters in Channel 5 drama".
- ^ "C5 sets sail for S2 and S3 of the Good Ship Murder". 24 April 2024.
- ^ "Channel 5's the Good Ship Murder start time, cast list, and how many episodes". 13 October 2023.
- ^ "MSC Virtuosa to star in TV Series The Good Ship Murder". MSC Virtuosa. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ "MSC VIRTUOSA TO STAR IN NEW CHANNEL 5 SERIES THE GOOD SHIP MURDER". www.msccruises.co.uk/. 12 October 2023.
- ^ a b "British TV series HMS Murder filming in Malta". www.kftv.com. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
- ^ Coulter, Adam (2024-02-05). "MSC Virtuosa to star in Channel 5 show". www.cruisecritic.com. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
- ^ "Where was The Good Ship Murder filmed?". Radio Times. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
- ^ "Good Ship Murder is a load of old ship - it's so murderously awful but brilliant". The Sun. 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2024-08-19.[unreliable source?]