Welcome to the real Jamaica as seen through the eyes of those who have lived there, in new crime thriller Get Millie Black.
The new Channel 4 series goes behind the sun, sea and sand image to reveal what the island is really like.
Written by Man Booker Prize-winning author Marlon James, the main character of Millie takes her lead from James’s mother, who was a detective in the Jamaican Police Force.
James said: “Before there was Millie Black, there was Detective Inspector Shirley Dillon-James, blazing a trail where there was none, and making her name by reading clues, not about what happened, but what was going to happen.
“My mother became famous for using book and street smarts to stop crime before it occurred by picking up on those clues that made it inevitable.”
He added: “The Jamaica we immerse ourselves in across this series is not sand, sea and sex, but a bolder, darker version of the country never seen on screen.
“The Jamaica my mother kicked around in.
“A dark as night noir set in Jamaican technicolour.”
Get Millie Black is about a rising star at Scotland Yard who returns to her hometown of Kingston in Jamaica to work in missing persons.
She is partnered with detective Curtis to solve local cases, but their lives are up-ended when one of their investigations crosses paths with another that brought Scotland Yard detective Luke Holborn to Kingston.
Then Inspector Black finds herself drawn into a case, which will blow her world apart.
James said: “I want people to have a more complicated view of what Jamaica is. It is certainly more than sun and sand and sea. There is a dark undercurrent, but at the same time, the forces of good are also Jamaican.”
Who is in the cast of Get Millie Black?
Tamara Lawrance as Millie-Jean Black (Photo: Fernandez Hevia/Channel 4/HBO)
Tamara Lawrance leads the cast as Inspector Millie-Jean Black, who leaves Scotland Yard to return to Jamaica.
Describing her character, she said: “Millie Black is irreverent, belligerent, hawk-eyed and driven by her heart for justice. She doesn’t mince words and is not remotely interested in being palatable. She tows the line between loneliness and independence. She’s a detective, a sister, a friend – but in that order.”
British actress Lawrance, 31, began her career playing Clem Johnson in the BBC series Undercover. She played Prince Harry’s girlfriend in King Charles III, Abi Cochrane in Time and Maxine in Walker in the 2024 BBC drama Mr Loverman. She has also appeared in the films On Chesil Beach and Kindred.
Joe Dempsie
Joe Dempsie as Luke Holborn (Photo: Des Willie/Channel 4/HBO)Joe Dempsie plays detective Luke Holborn, who has come from Scotland Yard to Jamaica.
Dempsie said of his role: “Ostensibly, Holborn is a detective from Scotland Yard who’s risen high and risen fast, and he arrives in Kingston seemingly with the simple mission of collecting Freddie Somerville – a Jamaican man who has agreed to testify in a big case against an OCG that Holborn’s trying to bring – and taking him back to London.
“But as that seemingly simple mission begins to spiral out of control, the truth of Holborn’s intentions is revealed as far more sinister.”
The British actor will be best known to television audiences as Gendry Baratheon from Game of Thrones and Chris Miles from Skins. He also played Harry Clarke in Deep State and Nick in Pieces of Her.
Gershwyn Eustache Jnr as Curtis, a detective in the Jamaican police (Photo: Des Willie/Channel 4/HBO)
Gershwyn Eustache Jnr plays Jamaican police force detective Curtis. Describing his character, he said: “Curtis is a detective in the Jamaican Police force and works as a duo with Millie.
“He lives in Kingston with his boyfriend Daniel, who also works in the police force, but does all he can to hide their relationship from everyone at work.”
The British actor is best known for playing Vitus in Britannia. He has also played Taramyn Barcona in Andor and DR Robert Thomas in A Spy Among Friends.
Chyna McQueen
Chyna McQueen is Hibiscus in Get Millie Black (Photo: Channel 4/HBO)McQueen plays Hibiscus, Millie’s transgender sister. Speaking about her role, she said: “Hibiscus is a very bold and compelling character; she’s daring, she’s strong and resilient. She had to survive on her own and she wants to be accepted by her sister for who she is but despite her rage she cares a lot for Millie and her community.”
Jamaican transgender model and actress McQueen comes from St James, Montego Bay. but is now based in New York. The cast also includes:
Christopher Daley as Lance Stennet (One Love, Kingston Paradise) Shernet Swearine as Janet Fenton (Black Cake) Nestor Aaron Absera as Corsica (Bob Marley: One Love, Rushlights) Belinda Reid as Superintendent Barracat (Locked Up Abroad, It’s A Date) Peter John Thwaites as Freddie Somerville Jomo Dixon as Daniel (True Colours) Anjli Mohindra as Meera Thakur (Fear, Bodyguard, Vigil, The Lazarus Project) Derrick Levy as Richie (Bob Marley: One Love) Paul Issa as Leddick Somerville (Heaven Wants Out, Royal Palm Estate)The show is primarily set in Jamaica and was filmed on location on the Caribbean island, with some scenes shot in London.
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Most of the filming took place in Jamaica’s capital Kingston, and on plantations in the surrounding countryside, with some beach scenes thrown in.
Cast and crew were on the island for three months. Dempsie said filming there was “something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
“I’d never been, and before reading Marlon’s scripts I definitely held the same preconceptions as many other people – of Jamaica as a holiday destination – but part of what makes the show unique is that the action takes place in Kingston.
“Most tourists land there, disembark the plane and jump straight on the minibus to a Sandals resort, but Kingston is a vibrant, working city that’s constantly on the move and where music is omnipresent. “
Filming took place in Jamaica and London (Photo: Des Willie/Channel 4/HBO)Jamaican capital Kingston formed the backdrop for much of the series (Photo: Channel 4/HBO)When is it on and how many episodes are there?
Get Millie Black debuted on Channel 4 on Wednesday 5 March at 9pm, with a second episode being shown at the same time tonight, Thursday 6 March. The remaining episodes will be aired on Wednesday 12, Thursday 13 and Wednesday 19 March.
There are five instalments of the series and all of them available to download on Channel4.com. The series first premiered on HBO in November last year.
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