Beyond Paradise is a Death in Paradise spin-off series revolving around DI Humphrey Goodman, starring Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton.
It's the first time that Death in Paradise has been given a spin-off show and it's been an enormous hit for the BBC, with a second series and a Christmas special now on the way! The series has enjoyed positive reviews, including our five-review.
So, the background of Beyond Paradise is that Kris Marshall was hugely popular during his time in Death in Paradise as the bumbling but brilliant Humphrey.
The character was last seen in Death in Paradise finding love with Martha, played by Not Going Out star Sally Bretton.
Speaking before the launch of Beyond Paradise, Kris said: "I had the best time playing Humphrey out in Guadeloupe and whilst I was delighted that he got his happy ending with Martha, I always wanted to know what happened next.
"So it’s a joy to be putting his crumpled jacket back on and seeing how life has panned out for him back in the UK. Working with Sally is a dream, and I can’t wait to continue Humphrey and Martha’s story and solve a few seemingly impossible mysteries along the way."
Setting up the series, Kris says: "We find Humphrey and Martha having just relocated from London down to Devon in the southwest of England and trying to find their way with their new life. Having moved in with his mother-in-law, there are certain challenges.
"Wherever he goes, he leaves a sort of mini tidal wave of madness behind him and he's causing that tidal wave to ripple through the village of Shipton Abbott."
Here's everything we know about Beyond Paradise...
Beyond Paradise release date
Beyond Paradise season 1 has now aired on the BBC. But you can catch up with all the episodes on BBC iPlayer.
In the US Beyond Paradise is available to watch on BritBox.
Beyond Paradise — is there a trailer?
Yes, the trailer sees DI Humphrey Goodman on the first day of his new job, and it doesn't seem like he is going to be getting the warmest of welcomes from the locals!
You can watch the full trailer below...
What’s the plot of the Death in Paradise spin-off?
Well, Martha left Saint Marie, leaving Humphrey devastated. But Humphrey then returned to London and declared he'd move to be with her. And that appeared to be the end of the story.
However, in Beyond Paradise we find the pair living together in Devon. Martha is now his fiancee and Humphrey is hoping for a quieter life. He has a new DI job, but surprise surprise his new hometown has a very high murder rate!
Teasing the plot, the BBC says: "A new adventure awaits as we find them arriving in Shipton Abbott, Martha’s hometown near the beautiful Devonshire coast, having left London. As they embark on their new life, the couple are quickly thrown in at the deep end as Martha sets out to pursue her dream of running her own restaurant and Humphrey joins the local police force.
"Quickly making an impression on the somewhat eclectic team; DS Esther Williams (Zahra Ahmadi), PC Kelby Hartford (Dylan Llewellyn) and Margo Martins (Felicity Montagu), Humphrey sets out to help crack a host of baffling cases, with the Shipton Abbott squad witnessing a whole new approach to police work…
"Each week the team will be faced with a new crime with a unique puzzle at its heart. The not-so-sleepy town of Shipton Abbott will be rocked by an entire family disappearing without a trace, a woman claiming she was attacked by a suspect from the seventeenth century, the robbery of a highly prized painting, a body bizarrely discovered in a crop circle and a serial arsonist with a seeming distaste for local businesses."
Kris adds that there will be fewer deaths than in Death in Paradise. "Whereas in Death in Paradise it was always about the death in paradise, in Beyond Paradise, we don’t have so many deaths.
"We have more kidnapping, sheep rustling, art thefts, ghostly apparitions… It's great because it's revisiting a lot of the same feelings and processes, and the structure of the show is very similar, but it's a completely different show, so it's fresh. It’s brilliant!"
What happens in episode one of Beyond Paradise? [Note the summaries contain spoilers]
We meet Humphrey again and obviously he's stuck up a tree! Esther, his new cop partner isn't impress and thinks basically her new boss is a bit daft. She's infuriated when he insists on investigating what appears to be an open and shut case.
To Esther, the victim clearly just fell off a ladder as she was obviously on her own at home. There's camera footage to back up that no one was about. However, Humphrey notices the victim was moved and concludes someone pushed her from the ladder. Of course, Humphrey is proved right! Meanwhile, Martha is looking for a venue to set up her cafe. It transpires that Humphrey and Martha are keen to have a baby. However, they get terrible news at the end of the episode.
What happens in episode two of Beyond Paradise?
Humphrey is baffled when a whole family vanishes halfway through a meal. Meanwhile, the team is also dealing with a hit-and-run and a string of car thefts. Martha and Humphrey struggle to talk to each other properly as their hopes of having a family dwindle. Martha throws herself into setting up her new cafe and Humphrey is rather taken aback when her old flame shows up and becomes a junior partner in Martha's business. Humphrey eventually makes a vital link in the case of the missing family. He also makes a surprising investment...
What happens in episode three?
Episode three sees the peaceful community of Shipton Abbott rocked when the beloved painting the Solo Mare disappears in a seemingly impossible heist while plans are in motion for its appearance at an exhibition. The theft is even more perplexing given the artwork was under the guard of PC Kelby Hartford at the time. Kelby feels responsible and Humphrey pulls out all the stops to recover the priceless piece. Meanwhile, Humphrey and Archie go out for a very awkward beer. Humphrey doesn't trust Archie. Could Archie be after Martha?
What happens in episode four
Episode four sees reports of strange lights in the sky above North Farm, which lead ramblers to a newly appeared crop circle where they find an unidentified man's body. Humphrey finds himself at pains to suppress conspiracy theorists speculating alien involvement while methodically pursuing the case. Meanwhile, Martha's restaurant is reviewed by an influential food critic as she misses an important IVF appointment and makes an important decision regarding plans to start a family...
What happens in episode five?
Episode five sees a string of arson attacks taking place, with the arsonist leaving the word "Pig" scrawled on each of the victim’s property. One of the victims is Archie, who manages to accidentally admit he's the arsonist to Humphrey! It turns out that Archie is actually owning up to kissing Martha, prompting Humphrey to wonder why she hadn’t told him.
Martha is doing plenty of soul-searching about her decision that she no longer wants a family. She comes to a huge decision and decides that she can't stay with Humphrey knowing that he wants a family. Martha hands back her engagement ring to a devastated Humphrey.
What happens in episode six?
A strange burglary takes place in Shipton, leaving Esther perplexed. The way the crime was carried out clearly points to a local burglar, but he has an alibi. While the bootprints left at the scene point clearly to another potential burglar, the only problem is that she was locked up at the time of the crime. Humphrey, meanwhile, is completely uninterested in the case with his mind completely focused on Martha. Eventually, Humphrey decides he needs some time away and heads to Saint Marie.
The Commissioner finds him at the shack, where Humphrey has been catching up with Harry the Lizard. Humphrey wonders how The Commissioner knew he was there and The Commissioner points to Martha who has flown out to Saint Marie. Humphrey and Martha kiss and are reunited. And Humphrey even gets to meet Neville!
Beyond Paradise cast
Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton star. Also in the cast are Zahra Ahmadi (The Bay, Tracey Ullman’s Show, EastEnders) as DS Esther Williams, Dylan Llewellyn (Big Boys, Derry Girls) who will be playing PC Kelby Hartford and Felicity Montagu (This Time with Alan Partridge, Landscapers, Vanity Fair) playing office support civilian, Margo Martins.
Where was it filmed?
Shipton Abbott, on the Devonshire coastline, isn't actually a real place — the show's creators made it up just like they did with Saint Marie in Death in Paradise. Looe in Cornwall was the main place the show was filmed, with other locations including the Tamar Valley and Bere Ferrers & Weir Quay.
Beyond Paradise guest stars
A host of guest stars will feature in Beyond Paradise. Law & Order UK's Jamie Bamber plays "a face from Martha’s past who looks like he's here to stay."
The other guest stars announced are: Phil Daniels (Rock & Chips), Jade Harrison (The Stranger), Monsterrat Lombard (Rare Beast), Chris Jenks (Sex Education), Yasmine Akram (Bad Sisters), Rufus Jones (Home), Davood Ghadami (EastEnders), Samantha Spiro (Babs), Dan Mersh (The Death of Stalin), David Reed (Endeavour), Ella Kenion (The Green Green Grass), John Macneill (His Dark Materials), Jaye Jacobs (Holby City), John Hollingworth (1917), Ingrid Oliver (The Hustle), Peter De Jersey (Broadchurch), Edward Rowe (Enys Men), Kerry Howard (Him & Her), Pooky Quesnel (Ralph & Katie), Alan Williams (Chernobyl), Nina Singh (The Lazarus Project), Annette Badland (Bergerac), Hannah Traylen (Boiling Point), Ruth Madoc (Hi-de-Hi) and Lily Frazer (Ladhood).
When was Humphrey Goodman the lead detective in Death in Paradise?
Kris Marshall made his debut as Humphrey Goodman in Death in Paradise season 3 in the episode Death of a Detective, which was an especially sad episode for fans. And he left the show during season 6 when he went to London to be with Martha. Ardal O'Hanlon then took over as the lead detective.
Will other Death in Paradise characters turn up in Beyond Paradise?
Yes, Death in Paradise characters are also in Beyond Paradise. In the first series finale DI Neville Parker, Marlon, Catherine, The Commissioner and Naomi all make a guest appearance when Humphrey returns to Saint Marie.
The series has been such a success Beyond Paradise season 2 is now on the way.
