How many series of Benidorm is Murder will John Hannah make?
John Hannah doesn't plan to appear in Channel 5 crime drama Benidorm is Murder for the long-term.
John Hannah only plans to make two series of Benidorm is Murder.
The 64-year-old actor leads the cast of Channel 5's new cosy crime drama as Dennis Crown – a former detective who now runs a bar in the Spanish holiday destination – but doesn't intend to stay on the show long-term because of the 'two series only' rule he follows.
John told Front Row: "The two seasons thing is because, by the time you've done two, you kind of recognise the formula."
However, the Four Weddings and a Funeral star has flouted his rule for the hit BBC show Race Across The World, which he has narrated since its launch in 2019, and explained that seeing contestants visiting far-flung destinations inspires him for places to visit on holiday.
John quipped: "I go into the studio to record and I'm like, 'Oh, I wanna go there', and 'I've got to go there.'
"I'm like a kid. I am so excited by it. I can't believe I'm part of it.
"Race Across The World is so different. And it's not an acting job."
Meanwhile, Hannah explained that the "believable" characters meant that Benidorm Is Murder appealed to him.
The Scottish star – who has appeared in movies such as Sliding Doors and The Mummy – told the Radio Times: "We know British audiences love these kinds of puzzles, a nice crime thriller. This felt a bit cosy and a bit comedy, which is quite a tricky balance to get right. Sometimes these shows have characters pushed into being weirdo eccentrics for the sake of it. But Benidorm felt believable."
John stressed that the show's creator Ian Jarvis wanted the programme to be a "love letter to Benidorm".
He said: "No, it's very much a love letter to Benidorm. Ian wanted to write about working-class people who have retired or may just be there for the week, or maybe just on a stag do.
"It's surprisingly diverse, and it's more realistic that Brits would be hot-footing it there rather than the Caribbean.
"It's not where I'd necessarily choose to go, but if my parents were still alive, they would love it. Ian's very conscious of it being a working-class drama."
