Murder on the Blackpool Express is a 2017 comedy drama television film created by Jason Cook. Starring Johnny Vegas, Sian Gibson, Sheila Reid, Una Stubbs (in her final role), Griff Rhys Jones, Nina Wadia, Nigel Havers, Kimberley Nixon and Kevin Eldon.
Broadcast in 2017, it became Gold's highest-rated show at the time, later rebroadcast on BBC Two.
Its success saw the production of two sequels entitled Death on the Tyne (2018) and Dial M for Middlesbrough (2019), and an ongoing series Murder They Hope.
Contents
Synopsis
Old-age pensioners and mystery novel fans are on a budget bus tour to visit all the murder locations in a novel series, led by the books' author. Members of the tour start turning up dead and the police initially discount the deaths as accidents, leaving the tour guests to fend for themselves. The title is a parody of Murder on the Orient Express.
Cast
Johnny Vegas as Terry
Sian Gibson as Gemma Draper
Una Stubbs as Peggy
Sheila Reid as Mildred
Kimberley Nixon as Laura Bishop
Nina Wadia as Moira Colliston
Nigel Havers as Doc
Kevin Eldon as Kevin
Mark Heap as Graham
Katy Cavanagh as Grace
Matthew Cottle as George
Javone Prince as Ben
Griff Rhys Jones as David
Susie Blake as Marge Grimshaw
Jason Cook as Arcade Attendant
Layla Cook as Young Laura Bishop
Catherine Harvey as Mary
Steve Brody as Barry
Peter Singh as PC Collins
Chris Anderson as Medic 1
Chris Ramsey as Medic 2
Production
Locations include "Bartleby Cathedral" (Ascot Priory), a stately home "Clesperley Manor" (Stoke Court), a scenic country park with a cliff: Castle Rock, Nether Alderley, Alderley Edge, United Kingdom and Blackpool: tower, ballroom, seafront.
Sequels and spin-offs
In December 2018, a sequel, Death on the Tyne (a spoof of another Hercule Poirot story by Agatha Christie, 'Death on the Nile'), aired on Gold, followed by a third film titled Dial M for Middlesbrough (a play on Alfred Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder) the following year.
In May 2021, Murder They Hope (this time parodying the series Murder She Wrote), a three-part follow-up series, aired on Gold as well. Lee Mack appeared in the last episode as the character Willy Watkins.
Its success prompted the airing of a second series, Murder They Hope Too with Mack reprising his role as Watkins.
A 2023 Christmas Special Blood Actually guest starred Martin Kemp, Peter Davison and Robert Webb.