'We didn't think there would be a second series'

Death in Paradise's Don Warrington on family, his co-stars and why the show is such a hit

Athough Don Warrington first became famous playing student Philip in Rising Damp, opposite Leonard Rossiter and Frances de la Tour, in many people's eyes he's now synonymous with the long-running hit Death in Paradise. But the prospect of starring in a show that attracts so much interest and recently racked up its 100th episode seemed unlikely when it launched in 2011.

Don, 72, who plays police commissioner Selwyn Patterson, is one of only two actors (along with Elizabeth Bourgine, who plays cafe owner Catherine) to survive from day one, and neither were sure they would ever return to Guadeloupe, once the eighth and final episode of that first series had been completed.

'Back then, we were totally in the dark about future plans,' says Don. 'We didn't even know if there was going to be a second series. To get to 100 episodes is a complete shock, a great one but still a shock. It's a remarkable milestone and it's not something that happens a lot in television.' Don reckons obvious ingredients like stunning landscapes and cunning storylines play their part in the success of Death in Paradise, but doesn't pretend to have the complete answer.

'If we all knew what the key was to making successful dramas or comedies they'd get made all the time! I just think there's a chemistry about Death in Paradise, a combination of factors, rather than one thing which makes it so successful.