BBC and Britbox have confirmed that a Death in Paradise spin-off series has been commissioned and will see the return of Kris Marshall as DI Humphrey Goodman. Kris played the lead in the popular BBC series in the show’s third, fourth and fifth seasons before he was replaced by Ardal O’Hanlon.
Death in Paradise is one of the BBC’s most popular dramas as it is set to enter its 12th season in the coming months.
Its success saw it as one of the first shows to return to production after the coronavirus pandemic hiatus in 2020.
Calls for a spin-off series and the return of DI Humphrey Goodman have been circling for a few years, and now viewers’ prayers have been answered.
BritBox Chief Creative Officer Diederick Santer described the spin-off as a “no brainer” and added: “Familiarity is so key.
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“That comes with well-known IP, spin-offs, talent and location. This is so important and really cuts through.
“We want to challenge producers a bit,” said Santer. “If you say you want too much crime and mystery, it’s too formal.”
The show, Beyond Paradise, will air on BBC One in the UK and Britbox International in selected countries.
The BBC has also revealed that Sally Bretton, who plays Martha Lloyd will reunite with Kris’s character.
“One of the show’s most popular characters, the endearingly awkward and rather unconventional DI Humphrey Goodman, led the island’s police team in solving the most mysterious of murders.
“However, when Humphrey fell hopelessly in love with island tourist Martha Lloyd, he decided to leave the sun-soaked paradise to follow her back to the colder climes of the United Kingdom,” the series description reads.
“Seeking a quieter life away from the stress of the city, Humphrey has taken a job as Detective Inspector in fiancée Martha’s hometown.
“However, they soon find that country life is anything but peaceful, and Humphrey can’t help but be distracted by the town’s surprisingly high crime rate with a new, and very different, case challenging him each week.”
Kris said himself: “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.”
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Executive Producer for programme-makers Red Planet Pictures, Tim Key, said: “We always knew there were more Humphrey Goodman tales to be told and with the brilliant Tony Jordan leading the writing team, bringing all the Death in Paradise spirit, humour and joy to this brand new, original series, we can’t wait to get started.
“While Humphrey is used to contending with fiendishly clever puzzles, the biggest challenge of all is navigating his private life and finding out what happens beyond the ‘happy ever after’.
“We’re delighted to be working with Kris and Sally again and creating a little bit of Paradise in the UK.”
Kris left the show back in 2017 and claimed the reason he left the show was that his son was becoming “too Caribbean”.
During an appearance on Lorraine back in 2020, he explained: “Well, the thing is, after doing four great years on Guadeloupe, the island where we filmed Death in Paradise, I realised I really had to get my son to school.
“He was becoming a bit too Caribbean… He refused to wear shoes, he would only drink coconut water and eat pineapple.
“He was very good on the beach but not so good with maths and English. I decided it was time to get him back to school, so the show had to go.
“Six months later, I’m standing on a film set in a car park in Dagenham at 4am, thinking, ‘Have I made the right decision?'”
Beyond Paradise will air on BBC One in the UK and BritBox internationally.
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