When it was announced that a spin-off series of Death in Paradise – the BBC’s much-mocked, but massively popular 13-season comedy crime series – was going to take Kris Marshall’s DI Humphrey Goodman from the blue seas of the Caribbean and plant him in Shipton Abbott in Devon, fans weren’t sure it could be pulled off.
After all, the whole point of Death in Paradise, which is still ongoing, is that the murders take place on sunny Saint Marie, a fictional island in the tropics. And part of the fun is all the argy-bargy between the Caribbean and British police officers.
But Beyond Paradise season one more than made it over the line, with 8.7 million viewers watching the show’s first episode over its first month. The spin-off series contained lots of the original’s winning components – Goodman’s relationship with Martha Lloyd (Sally Bretton) was the bridge between old and new, and it was interesting to watch Goodman settle in to his new life in England, all while he helped to solve a few crimes.
Now, Beyond Paradise is back for a part two, and this time it looks like there’s an Agatha Christie-style murder to untangle. Here’s everything to know about the new series.
What’s the new season going to be about?
Details about the plot of the upcoming six-parter are few and far between, but cast members have been dropping some hints as to what fans should expect. Speaking on The One Show, Marshall said: "We've got a murder on a steam train, a medium who predicts arson attacks – that's quite a good one – a local fishing legend lost at sea. We've got loads of good stuff."
What has happened so far?
Last season saw Goodman get to know his new colleagues – they initially thought he was a little bit odd – and solve a few crimes alongside his new partner, DS Esther Williams (Zahra Ahmadi).
Meanwhile, Goodman and his girlfriend Martha were trying, and struggling, to conceive. After some difficult rounds of IVF, Martha chose not to continue trying for a baby, and this resulted in a major fallout between the two. At the end of the series the couple made up, and in season two it looks like the pair are back stronger than ever.
Who will star in the next season?
Happily, most of the cast are returning: Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton are back playing Goodman and Martha; Zahra Ahmadi returns to play Williams, Dylan Llewellyn is back playing Police Constable Kelby Hartford, Felicity Montagu is back as Office Support Margo Martins and Barbara Flynn returns as Anne Lloyd.
When will it be released?
Season 2 will premiere on March 22 on both BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Is there a trailer?
Yes, we’ve popped it at the top of the page.
Where was it filmed?
To create the series’ fictional costal town Shipton Abbott, producers filmed along the south-east coast: in particular in and around Port Eliot, the Cornwall fishing towns of Looe and Saltash, Bere Ferrers in West Devon, and in other areas down the Rame Peninsular.
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The second season was filmed last year, and at the time Marshall said: “Shipton Abbott' is such a wonderful location to call home for a while and it's a delight to join up with my fellow police team for another batch of weird and wonderful cases, and to see what's in store for Humphrey and Martha in the next chapter of their lives."
Beyond Paradise season 2 will premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on March 22