Beyond Paradise new series to feature Morris dancers and dragons!

DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) and DS Esther Williams (Zahra Ahmadi) stand next to their police truck in an open space next to a field. Humphrey is leaning up against the truck and Esther is facing him, while looking off to her left.

(Image credit: BBC/Red Planet Pictures)

The new series of Beyond Paradise, airing next year, will feature Morris dancers and dragons, the show's makers have teased.

Beyond Paradise season 4, which again stars Kris Marshall as DI Humphrey Goodman, is currently shooting in the fishing village of Looe in Cornwall, which doubles for Shipton Abbott.

The show's executive producer, Tim Key, explains that they are told stories and legends about the area, which they like to include in the plots.

Talking on BBC’s Morning Live, Tim said: "We are filming one at the moment set around the Morris Dancing world and the legend of the Knucker Hole dragon, which is a real thing.

"We've done things before, the Devil on the Rocks, which is a sort of sea-faring legend."

The Knucker Hole dragon legend dates back hundreds of years and involves a dragon known as the Knucker living in a bottomless pit and terrorising unfortunate victims. We're sure Humphrey will come up with a more rational explanation about what’s happening in Shipton Abbott!

PC Kelby Hartford (Dylan Llewellyn), DS Esther Williams (Zahra Ahmadi), DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) and Margo Martins (Felicity Montago) are sitting in wicker chairs around a small, low wicker table on the grass next to a houseboat. They are all in casual clothes and there is a bottle of sparking apple juice on the table, of which they each have a glass. — The locations help inspire the plots (Image credit: BBC/Red Planet Pictures)

Meanwhile, Kris Marshall teased a bit about the new series: “We are welcoming back a very well-loved character from season 1, and we’re doing some scenes with him today.”

Asked what he enjoys about making the Death in Paradise spin-off, Kris commented that he loves the fact that he gets to surf before filming every morning. “I should add the scripts are great and I love coming to work and doing this wonderful job,” he said.

A close up shot of Humphrey (Kris Marshall) in semi-profile, sitting down with a look of mild concern on his face

Kris enjoys a surf each morning before playing Humphrey (Image credit: Red Planet Pictures/Joss Barratt)

Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton star again in the new series. Also in the cast are Zahra Ahmadi (The Bay, Tracey Ullman's Show, EastEnders) as DS Esther Williams, Dylan Llewellyn (Big Boys, Derry Girls) as PC Kelby Hartford and Felicity Montagu (This Time with Alan Partridge, Landscapers, Vanity Fair) playing office support civilian, Margo Martins.

Beyond Paradise season 4 will air on BBC1 in early 2026.