Burbank, CA - January 3, 2013 - New year, new shows! This month, KCET, the nation's largest independent public television station serving Southern and Central California, will introduce two new, entertaining BBC detective series - DCI Banks and Death in Paradise - that are guaranteed to please fans who enjoy action, suspense, mystery and a little comedy!

KCET will air two complete seasons of DCI Banks every Sunday starting Jan. 6, 2013 at 9 p.m.  Based on the bestselling novels by Peter Robinson, DCI Banks is a gritty detective series that stars Stephen Tompkinson as the tenacious and stubborn Chief Inspector Alan Banks; Andrea Lowe as the feisty and headstrong Detective Sergeant Annie Cabbot; and in the series' second season, Caroline Catz ("Louisa" of Doc Martin fame) as Detective Inspector Helen Morton. The series premiere, "Aftermath", follows Inspector Banks as he probes into the lair of a serial killer and finds himself faced with a chilling murder investigation that will test him to the limit. In the second episode, "Playing with Fire", Banks is called to investigate an arson attack that caused two narrow boats to go up in flames.

In "Friend of the Devil". the third showing, Cabbot investigates the murder of a woman found on the moor with her throat cut. Meanwhile, Banks is called to a murder of a young girl in the center of town. As Cabbot and Banks compare cases, they discover the two different murders have some disturbing similarities. The first season concludes with "Cold as the Grave", which examines a case terrifyingly close to home as Banks is tasked to find the missing teenage daughter of his boss, Chief Superintendent Gerry Rydell.

Meanwhile, Death in Paradise airs every Tuesday starting Jan. 8, 2013 at 8 p.m.  This warm, quirky detective series revolves around an inspector who is assigned to investigate a murder on the fictional paradise island of Saint-Marie in the Caribbean, despite his hatred of sun, sea and sand. The plot centers around straight-laced, British cop Richard Poole (Ben Miller), who has been sent to solve a mysterious murder. Upon his arrival, Poole finds a ramshackle station and a very different type of policing.

His new partner, Detective Sergeant Camille Bordey (Sara Martins) is instinctive, feisty and brilliant, and the rest of the team certainly has their own unique way of doing things. Poole brings British rigor to this relaxed Caribbean workplace.  Always in a suit and tie, eschewing sandals for a stout brogue, he's the very embodiment of the Englishman abroad.

To view preview episodes of DCI Banks, please visit: www.bbcworldwidetv.com

Username -BBCW01

Password -BBCW01

Once you are logged in, type DCI Banks in the search bar select an episode to view.

ABOUT KCET

On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world. KCET currently produces the Emmy®, duPont-Columbia and Peabody Award-winning SoCal Connected, a hard-hitting prime-time nightly television news program that examines the issues and people of Southern California. Throughout its 48-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and children's programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. For additional information about KCET productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org.

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