Beyond Paradise's Kris Marshall up for Death in Paradise crossover

"We first mooted it a couple of years ago, and I was really hopeful, but often these things don't come to fruition. Then towards the end of 2021, it seemed to really gain some traction, and then Tony Jordan wrote the first script. I wasn't sure how the show would manifest itself, and how it would stand alone, but I got the first script through and I was like, 'this is brilliant!'. It shares the DNA of Death In Paradise, but it's a completely different show. So, to answer the question about how I felt, I just felt absolutely thrilled and blessed, and thanks very much to everyone who put in all the work. It's great to be pulling on the linen jacket and playing Humphrey again — he's like a slightly dyspraxic old friend, he's just a joy to play."

"When he relocated from the Caribbean, he wanted to go where Martha was, which was London, so he joined the Met. I think they were starting to find life in London a bit too full-on, and also Martha wanted to start up her own business, which we alluded to in Death In Paradise. So they move to Shipton Abbott, where Martha grew up, and end up living with her mother! That brings its own challenges for Humphrey, and he's looking for somewhere to call their own place. You have that iconic beach hut in Death In Paradise, and we have something quite similar here, but it's not a hut. I'm not going to tell you what it is, because it's a bit of a spoiler, but it's wonderful!"

"I don't want to say too much, but obviously there are challenges that they face coming down here — otherwise you wouldn't have much of a storyline! They have their problems, they have their troubles, but I think you root for them as an audience. I certainly do, reading the scripts. You want the best for them as a couple. Sally's such a brilliant person to act opposite and share the screen with, and I think the audience really love the couple, so they root for them."

"The new team is fantastic, we've got some brilliant actors on board. Zahra Ahmadi, who is Humphrey's new DS, Esther Williams, has got a really lovely background in comedy, but she's a brilliant dramatic actress as well. And she's a local girl, she's from Plymouth, so the accent is absolutely bang-on! Humphrey is an odd pill to swallow when he first arrives anywhere, so there are challenges in that relationship as well, but Zahra is great and I'm really, really glad she's on board."

"There are thematic differences — not every case is a murder, because obviously there's no 'death' in the title! And it's a lot more sort of bucolic, I would say it's maybe a little quirkier? But it retains the brilliant sort of whodunnit that I think is integral to the success of this show. I'll give you a flavour, and this should sort of give you an idea of the sort of theme we're going for. In the first episode, Humphrey has to deal with a case where a woman has been severely injured while she was home alone, and she insists that she's been pushed by a witch! That gives you an idea of the sort of cases we're dealing with!"

"Yeah, that would be great! There's scope for all kinds of things, the sky's the limit, really. All I would say is watch this space — I'm not going to say any more than that!"