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TL;DR:

  • A spinoff of the BBC series Death in Paradise is in the works. 
  • Kris Marshall will reprise his role as DI Humphrey Goodman in the show, which is called Beyond Paradise. 
  • Marshall says he’s eager to see “how life has panned out” for his character back in the U.K. 
Actor Kris Marshall from 'Death in Paradise' wearing a suit and touching his glasses with his hand
Kris Marshall | Venturelli/WireImage

The streaming service Britbox and the BBC are planning a spinoff of the popular British mystery series Death in Paradise. The new show will be called Beyond Paradise. It will focus on Kris Marshall’s DI Humphrey Goodman character from the original show. 

‘Death in Paradise’ spinoff coming to BritBox 

Death in Paradise premiered in 2011 on the BBC. In the U.S., it is available to stream on BritBox. So far, there have been 11 seasons of the show, which is set on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie. The 11th season aired earlier in 2022 in the U.K. A twelfth season – including a Christmas special – is in the works.

Now, the long-running detective show is getting a spinoff. Beyond Paradise will focus on Marshall’s character, who appeared in seasons 3-6. 

Developing a spinoff of the popular series was a “no brainer,” BritBox’s chief creative officer Diederick Santer told Deadline. 

“Familiarity is so key and that comes with well-known IP, spin-offs, talent, and location,” he said. “This is so important and really cuts through.”

Kris Marshall says he ‘always wanted to know what happened next’ to DI Humphrey

https://twitter.com/bbcpress/status/1542130980860952578

DI Goodman made his debut in Death in Paradise’s third season, when he arrived in Saint Marie to investigate the mysterious death of DI Richard Poole (Ben Miller). Humphrey takes over as chief inspector for the island, which is a British territory. Eventually, he falls in love with a woman named Martha (Sally Bretton) who is visiting Saint Marie. At the end of season 6, he returns to the U.K. to be with her. 

Marshall – who has recently been seen in the PBS drama Sanditon – said he was excited to see how things worked out for Humphrey after he left Saint Marie behind.    

“I had the best time playing Humphrey out in Guadeloupe and while I was delighted that he got his happy ending with Martha, I always wanted to know what happened next,” the actor said in a statement. 

“It’s a joy to be putting his crumpled jacket back on and seeing how life has panned out for him back in the U.K.,” he added. “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.”

Humphrey is now working as a police officer in a small town with a surprisingly high crime rate 

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While Beyond Paradise does not yet have a release date, filming will take place in the U.K. later in 2022. There will be six, hour-long episodes in the first season. Here’s the official description from the BBC: 

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.

Executive producer Tim Key says the new show will have the same “spirit, humor, and joy” that Death in Paradise viewers have come to love.  

“We can’t wait to get started,” he added. “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’.

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