British TV favourite Stephen Tompkinson reveals all about his new detective role – and what he learnt from DCI Banks

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Stephen Tompkinson is known for playing detectives, and his newest role puts a unique spin on the classic murder mystery. This time, the story delves into the strange and imaginative world of surrealist art.

Filmed in Ireland and Belgium, the series ‘This Is Not a Murder Mystery’ is set on a grand English estate during the 1930s and will soon be available on U and U&Drama.

A private art show turns deadly when one of the guests is found murdered. The shocking part? All the guests – and potential suspects – are famous surrealist artists like René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, Lee Miller, Man Ray, and Max Ernst.

Detective Chief Inspector Thistlethwaite (Tompkinson) from Scotland Yard arrives at the estate to investigate the murder. He’s partnered with a new detective, DC Mary Quant, played by Donna Banya.

In an interview with TopMob, Tompkinson described his new character as someone with a military past who is generally very traditional. However, he also hinted that the character has surprisingly progressive ideas hidden beneath his initial appearance.

He can be a bit rough around the edges and always follows procedure, but he’s also determined to modernize things and is guiding his new detective partner. Donna and I had a great working relationship with him – she really enjoyed collaborating with him.

Tompkinson explained that working on a Belgian-Irish production with a diverse European cast was a rare and wonderful opportunity. He described the experience as both enjoyable and energizing, bringing everyone on set closer together and inspiring a shared commitment to creating the highest quality work possible.

I thought the design of the whole thing was excellent, with everyone contributing fantastic work. We had a really productive day creating the look for the character, Thistlethwaite. The team even found a small moustache for him – I could have grown my own if needed! It was a great day overall, and once we nailed the look, everything else just came together easily.

Tompkinson also admitted he had a strong suspicion about the killer’s identity even before finishing the scripts for the show.

Having spent years working at DCI Bank, I’d given a lot of thought to who had and hadn’t succeeded there. That experience gave me a bit of an edge, he explained.

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The show takes its name from a famous painting by René Magritte, created in 1929. The painting, called “The Treachery of Images,” depicts a pipe with the words “This is not a pipe” written beneath it.

This is Not a Murder Mystery will air on U&Drama from Wednesday 29 April at 8pm.

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Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs writes about TV dramas for TopMob, covering shows on streaming services and traditional channels. Before becoming a writer, he worked in public relations, first at a business-to-business agency and then at Fremantle, a global TV production company. He has a BA in English and Theatre Studies, and a Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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2026-04-29 08:34