Kris Marshall returns to his Death in Paradise role of DI Humphrey Goodman in new spin-off series, Beyond Paradise. The six-part BBC series will reunite him with Sally Bretton, who plays Humphrey’s fiancee Martha.
Viewers last saw Humphrey in 2017 when the character left the sunny island of Saint Marie and returned to London after falling in love with Martha. After that, Ardal O’Hanlon and then Ralf Little took over as the main detectives on Death in Paradise.
Now, Humphrey and Martha are back and the couple have since left London and moved to Shipton Abbott, Martha’s hometown near the beautiful Devonshire coast. As they embark on their new life, the pair are quickly thrown in at the deep end as Martha sets out to pursue her dream of running her own restaurant and Humphrey joins the local police force.
Read more: Beyond Paradise: Start time, cast, plot and locations for Death in Paradise spin-off
But where is Beyond Paradise filmed? Here's everything you need to know.
Beyond Paradise filming locations
The new Death in Paradise has been filmed in and around Looe in Cornwall. To hear how the residents felt about the BBC series filming there, read here.
Speaking about filming in the area, Kris Marshall said: "I'm a Somerset boy by birth and I grew up there as well. Somerset is the next county along from Devon and Cornwall, so it's all part of the West Country and in my opinion it's the most beautiful part of the UK. It has everything; cider, cheese, countryside, amazing coastline. Probably my favourite spot in the area is in Cornwall, and it's a Cove called Kynance Cove. It's like a smuggler's paradise down there. The sand is white and there’s crystal clear blue sea. If it wasn’t so cold, you would think you were in the Caribbean."
Star Zahra Ahmadi, who plays DS Esther Williams, lives locally to the area of Devon and Cornwall in real life. She said: "I live here, so for me, the real pleasure has been working from home, which is something that is very rare when shooting. I’m always in a hotel or an apartment, so it's such a privilege to wake up in my own bed.
"This job has been such a dream for me and I'm proud to be from the West Country. I love the fact that the cast and crew are asking me for tips on where they should visit or where’s good to eat and drink."
Meanwhile, PC Kelby Hartford actor Dylan Llewellyn said that the working conditions sometimes proved difficult. He explained: "At times it was difficult to shoot inside the set of the police station as it got really hot! But I loved having my own desk there. We shot a lot in Looe, which I would say was my favourite location."
Felicity Montagu, who rounds up the police cast as Office Support Margo Martins, added: "I’ve been getting to know the drivers who live in the area and they're very proud of it. It's been quite inspiring."
Writer Eddie Jordan said of the location: "The Caribbean is a tough act to follow! There are lots of beautiful places in the UK, and it was a tough choice. I remember growing up as a kid and my family holidays were in Devon, staying in caravans in Westwood Ho. I love Cornwall and the West Country and lived in Bristol for a while, so it’s very familiar to me. It is paradise in its own way, so was a perfect fit and gave me everything the show needed. It’s not set on the sea front, but the sea is there. What is amazing about the west country with the small towns and villages is the genuine community feel."
Executive producer Tim Key added: "There were lots of conversations about where we take it but we settled quite quickly on the West Country as we felt that Devon hadn’t had a huge amount of exposure in TV drama, Cornwall often nabs the glory. We travelled around lots of different places and were on the hunt to find somewhere that felt like a real town over a seaside resort. When we went to Looe, which is actually in Cornwall, it was a beautiful tourist town, but also a thriving community with fishing businesses, so we felt we had found our home. The fictional town is set slightly back from the coast, so we have all sorts of story worlds to dive into, including the folklore of the town, which is touched upon in episode one. The series looks beautiful, and we were lucky with the weather as well!"
Beyond Paradise begins on BBC One on Friday, February 24 at 8pm. For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.
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