It was in October 2011 that BBC viewers were first introduced to the inhabitants of sunny Saint Marie when Richard Poole (Ben Miller) arrived on the fictional Caribbean island. He wasn't there to track down a rare species of bat or sample some local cuisine. The Metropolitan Police detective inspector had flown halfway across the globe to solve the murder of a fellow British police officer and lo, Death In Paradise was born.

Fast forward 13 years and a series that was once described as "like watching EastEnders from a pedalo" (Daily Telegraph), "borderline patronising" (Metro) and "the TV equivalent of a boring holiday timeshare" (The Guardian) has defied its critics and delighted fans for an impressive 100 episodes.

It remains one of the BBC's most-watched series and is broadcast in over 200 territories around the world.

The 100th episode, which launches its 13th season, features a nod to those early criticisms when the current Brit-copper-on-the-island Neville (Ralf Little) muses that he would like to start a blog about his adventures in the Caribbean. Despite his enthusiasm, local officer Marlon (Tahj Miles) politely tells his boss that such a subject is a "bit on the boring side".

"It's a little in-joke," explains executive producer Tim Key. "Would you be interested in watching a story about a British detective in the Caribbean? The answer, it seems, is lots of people are quite interested in it."