BBC Beyond Paradise first look as Humphrey Goodman tackles ‘impossible’ murder case
Beyond Paradise is back for a brand new series - with DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) and his team ready to investigate some of the biggest crimes to hit Devon
Beyond Paradise is back for a new series – as Humphrey Goodman tackles a new case. The stellar cast of the hit BBC detective drama – a spin-off from Death In Paradise – is back for a brand new set of episodes.
In the first episode, things get off to a tough start as a body is located in a river on the county border between Devon and Cornwall. Whilst Humphrey and Esther insist it is their case, their Cornwall counterparts are not so keen and believe they should take charge over the investigation after the body is found from what seems like a drunk-driving accident.
Whilst the Cornish team are convinced it could just be a case of a tragic accident, Humphrey’s instincts are that there is foul play. Who is right – and who will find out what really happened?
Hugh Dennis guest stars as as a local councillor who has links to the dead man, whilst Sally Bretton returns as Humphrey’s partner Martha and Barbara Flynn is back as Martha’s mother Anne.
A first look shared exclusively with The Mirror sees Hugh’s character Arthur Donalan rushes to the phone to report his worries about his partner. “Police, it’s my partner. We had an argument and he has just driven off but he has been drinking and he really shouldn’t be behind the wheel, I’m worried about him,” he tells the operator.
A car can be seen speeding through the country roads before crashing off a bridge and landing in the water – but what really happened, and is all as it seems with the death of the young man?
Speaking about the first episode, Zahra Ahmadi – who plays DS Esther Williams – revealed: “The first episode involves a crime on the Devon-Cornwall border. It’s fun because it addresses the age-old “cream or jam first” debate! We see the Cornish equivalent of Humphrey and Esther, and there’s a bit of rivalry between the teams as they figure out jurisdiction.”
A car veers off the road and into the water(Image: BBC)
Speaking about another of her favourite episodes, she shared: “My favourite was episode five. I really enjoy the episodes that have a supernatural element to them and this one delves into local legend.
“Even Esther gets a bit spooked at points because it’s such a hard case to explain before Humphrey solves the mystery! Special mention to Miles Sloman who wrote the episode. We did a writing course together and it was such a privilege to act out his words and bring his vision to life. He even came to set to watch us perform, which was really special.”
Speaking about his own favourite episode, Kris added: “One of the standout cases is a kidnapping involving someone close to the police team, which unfolds later in the series. The crime is particularly intricate and cleverly written and I was genuinely impressed by the complexity of it. I won’t give away any spoilers but it’s a fascinating case to solve and I’m intrigued to see if anyone can figure it out. I think people will be surprised, it’s a real highlight of the series.”
