# The Good Ship Murder

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. It stars Shayne Ward and Catherine Tyldesley. 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.

## Synopsis

Former 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

* Shayne Ward as Jack Grayling
* Catherine Tyldesley as Kate Woods
* Claire Sweeney as Beverley Carnell (Series 1)
* Geoffrey Breton as Piers de Vreese
* Zak Douglas as Jamil
* Vincent Paul Ebrahim as Captain Gregory Jameson (Series 1)
* Yuna Shin as Dr Sharon Tan
* James Barriscale as Captain Richard Marlowe (Series 2)
* Olivia Marie Fearn as Cecile Ray
* Olivia Fenton as Ella Jones
* Stephen Bradley as Evan O'Donnell
* Fergal Coghlan as Charlie York
* Ross Adams as Colin Smallwood (Series 2)

## Production

The series was filmed onboard a working cruise ship, the MSC Virtuosa, operating out of Southampton. The show is produced by Clapperboard and Fifth Season. It is the fourth production Clapperboard has produced in Malta within two years.
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.
Much of the series was filmed in Malta. 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."

## Series overview

| Series | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| Series | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released |
| 1 | 8 | 8 | 13 October 2023 (2023-10-13) | 1 December 2023 (2023-12-01) |
| Christmas Special (2024) | 1 | 1 | 18 December 2024 (2024-12-18) | 18 December 2024 (2024-12-18) |
| 2 | 8 | 8 | 10 January 2025 (2025-01-10) | TBA |

## Episodes
### Series 1 (2023)

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 1 | "La Rochelle" | Steve Hughes | Paul Matthew Thompson | 13 October 2023 (2023-10-13) |
| 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 (2023-10-20) |
| 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 (2023-10-27) |
| 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 (2023-11-03) |
| 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 (2023-11-10) |
| 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 (2023-11-17) |
| 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 (2023-11-24) |
| 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 (2023-12-01) |
| 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)

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 9 | "Dubrovnik" | Steve Hughes | Jeff Povey | 18 December 2024 (2024-12-18) |
| When the cruise ship's Santa falls ill, the crew must find a replacement to save Christmas. Their search leads them to a comedian named Buddy in Dubrovnik, who seems perfect, but his death threatens to ruin the holiday. |||||

### Series 2 (2025)

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 10 | "Rome" | Steve Hughes | Suzanne Cowie | 10 January 2025 (2025-01-10) |
| Jack is ready to take a bold step in his relationship with Kate, but the arrival of his estranged daughter throws his plans into chaos - alongside his investigation into murder at an opera. |||||
| 11 | "Gran Canaria" | Steve Hughes | Mark Stevenson | 17 January 2025 (2025-01-17) |
| Jack and Kate are still reeling from their fallout in Rome, each trying to suppress their growing feelings. Adding fuel to the fire, Piers steps into his new role as Staff Captain with calculated charm, hoping to rekindle his relationship with Kate. |||||
| 12 | "Madeira" | Steve Hughes | Joe Ainsworth | 24 January 2025 (2025-01-24) |
| 13 | "Gozo" | Steve Hughes | Andy Bayliss | 31 January 2025 (2025-01-31) |
| 14 | "Alexandria" | Steve Hughes | Lucia Hayne | 7 February 2025 (2025-02-07) |
| 15 | "Côte d'Azur" | Steve Hughes | Rob Kinsman | 14 February 2025 (2025-02-14) |
| 16 | "Athens" | Steve Hughes | Kat Rose Martin | 21 February 2025 (2025-02-21) |
| 17 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |

## Reception

The i Paper described the show as "not supposed to be a comedy, but Shayne Ward's silly cruise ship murder mystery is sheer ridiculous fun".