Beyond Paradise is enjoying its first-ever Christmas special on Christmas Eve on BBC One and we have a fab picture, above, showing Humphrey and Martha looking very happy under the Christmas tree. Bless!
Yes, just like its sister show, Death in Paradise, spin-off Beyond Paradise is also getting a seasonal edition.
Beyond Paradise, which aired earlier in the year, sees Kris Marshall back as his Death in Paradise character, DI Humphrey Goodman. But rather than cracking crimes in the Caribbean, Humphrey is now living in England with his fiancee Martha Lloyd (Not Going Out’s Sally Bretton).
Kris tells us: "It's a great honour to be given the Christmas show accolade, and a real validation of what we're doing. I don't think I've done a show where we got a Christmas special after only one series, so yeah, we're stoked!"
The episode will be an hour long. But what's happening in the festive special? Here's all your questions answered….
Beyond Paradise Christmas special 2023 release date
The Beyond Paradise Christmas special will be shown on BBC One on Christmas Eve at 9 pm (see our TV Guide for full listings). It will also be available on BBC iPlayer. It is available on BritBox in the US. Meanwhile, the Death in Paradise 2023 Christmas special will air on Boxing Day at 9 pm.
Plot
Well, Humphrey and Martha almost managed to split up at the end of the first series with Martha fearing that Humphrey would resent the fact that they couldn't be parents. But they did some serious soul-searching and were reunited in Saint Marie, of all places! So, with the wedding back on, when will it take place? Well, pictures have shown Humphrey and Martha apparently getting married in the fictional Devon town of Shipton Abbott. Martha is wearing a traditional wedding dress, although she does have flip-flops on as they're on the beach! While Humphrey looks smart-ish in a suit — well he’s always a bit disheveled!
However, it looks like the wedding will take place in Beyond Paradise season 2 as there's no hint of it in the plot details the BBC has revealed. Plus would you have a beach wedding in the middle of winter?!
The BBC simply teases: "As the residents of Shipton Abbott gear up for Christmas, Humphrey and the team are baffled by a series of bizarre burglaries which aren’t quite what they seem. However, when the team make a breakthrough with an unexpected connection, it’s a bittersweet discovery that makes them reconsider the true meaning of Christmas.
"Back at the station, Kelby is forced to babysit a cheeky young shoplifter and Humphrey feels the pressure when CS Charlie Woods continues to question why their beloved local police station should remain open. Meanwhile, navigating the trials and tribulations of family life, Esther’s teenage daughter, Zoe (Melina Sinadinou), is less than impressed when she is made to work in Santa’s Grotto. And a chance encounter gives Martha food for thought about the future…"
Kris tells us it will be an upbeat episode: "This is a Christmas episode, we can't have any more sadness for them! I'm very proud of how the IVF storyline was handled — I think it's an important story to address well, because it means so much to so many people and you don't want to mess it up. But we're moving on now, we're onto Humphrey and Martha's next steps in their journey, whatever that might be. I will leave the good viewers to pontificate whatever they think that journey could be!"
Cast
Returning are Kris Marshall as DI Humphrey Goodman, Sally Bretton as Martha Lloyd, Zahra Ahmadi as DS Esther Williams, Dylan Llewellyn as PC Kelby Hartford, Felicity Montagu as office support Margo Martins and Barbara Flynn as Anne Lloyd.
James Fleet (The Vicar of Dibley), Isaac Vincent-Norgate (Sanditon), Amalia Vitale (Endeavour), Kulvinder Ghir (Still Open All Hours), Sheila Reid (Benidorm) and Bellowhead are all guest stars. Chris Jenks also returns to play Josh Woods, with Jade Harrison as CS Charlie Woods and Eva Feiler as Lucy.
Is there a trailer?
No, not yet.
