As a huge Death in Paradise fan, I'm irrationally excited by the prospect of Beyond Paradise, the new spin-off starring Kris Marshall as DI Humphrey Goodman.
So, obviously, I was thrilled when the Beyond Paradise trailer finally landed and have been analyzing it for clues as to what the series will be like.
We can’t help but notice that the trailer has echoes of Doc Martin, so it could be the perfect antidote for fans missing the Martin Clunes series.
So, let's open the case…
Clue 1: Humphrey leaning against a police car
The very first frame of the trailer is a blatant attempt by the makers to link the Beyond Paradise and Death in Paradise worlds. Every new Death in Paradise detective leans against the famous yellow and blue car to establish to viewers that they're the new cop on Saint Marie and here we have Humphrey leaning against a similar-looking car. It's saying to Death in Paradise fans: "You’re safe here, this is the world of Death in Paradise." Also, note that Humphrey is sporting very similar clothes to the ones he wore in the Caribbean!
Clue 2: Phil Daniels as a fisherman
So, the Phil Daniels fisherman character has a certain Doc Martin look about him. The light-hearted fisherman suggests that Beyond Paradise might have a gentler feel than even Death in Paradise. The fisherman (well, assuming he is that) also describes Humphrey as "odd" suggesting Humphrey hasn’t changed that much from his Death in Paradise times. He was always odd but rather brilliant.
Clue 3: Beautiful Shipton Abbott shots
With sweeping shots of fictional Shipton Abbott harbor and beach scenes, the makers are once again showing that you’re not a million miles away from Saint Marie, the setting for Death in Paradise. It's also notable how sunny Devon is looking, suggesting there’s an element of the Caribbean in Shipton Abbott. It’s actually again hard not to draw comparisons with Doc Martin, which was filmed in Cornwall and always looked stunning.
Clue 4: Humphrey/sidekick dynamic
Humphrey enjoyed two memorable partnerships on Death in Paradise, firstly with Camille Bordey and then with Florence Cassell. Now, we have Humphrey sharing the same kind of interaction with DS Esther Williams, played by Zahra Ahmadi. Also, just like in Death in Paradise we see there will also be a focus on the more junior officers. And, in major echoes of Death in Paradise, we even have an officer leaping onto a boat!
Clue 5: No murders
Now, the one possibly major change from Death in Paradise is that we don’t actually see any murders in the trailer. Might the crimes be different in this series? "Everything is not quite what it seems, we were trying to prove something that never actually happened", says Humphrey in the trailer, but there's no mention of murder. There is what looks like a crime tent in the middle of a field, but there’s no shot of Humphrey collecting all the murder suspects together as he did in his Death in Paradise days.
Clue 6: Martha
Humphrey reveals in the trailer that he moved to Shipton Abbott because that was where Martha, his fiancee, was born. And in another change in the dynamic of Death in Paradise, it looks like Beyond Paradise will focus on their relationship. While in Death in Paradise the leading man is often looking for love (even if they don't realize it), here it's clear that Humphrey has found love and that will give the show a different vibe.
Conclusion
The evidence in the trailer strongly suggests that Death in Paradise fans will love Beyond Paradise, but that it will have a different feel. It appears that it might have more comedy and not revolve around murders so much. It also appears that it will be the perfect show for anyone missing Doc Martin.
Beyond Paradise will begin on BBC1 on Friday, February 24 at 8 pm.
