Beyond Paradise Series 2, The Cast Interviewed

Beyond Paradise, the Death in Paradise spin-off series set in the idyllic village of Shipton Abbott, is returning to BBC One and BBC iPlayer for its highly anticipated second series on Friday, March 22. With six new episodes premiering weekly, viewers will once again join DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) and his team as they solve a variety of baffling crimes.

At the start of series two, we find DI Humphrey Goodman in a good space. After the ups and downs of series one, he and Martha (Sally Bretton) have resolved their issues and rediscovered their humor and sense of fun. Humphrey is eager to get back to sleuthing in the picturesque and rural Devon. Here the cast tell us about what we can expect from the new run of episodes.

Speaking about their relationship, Kris Marshall shares, “After dealing with the emotional challenges involved with IVF, they’ve come full circle and re-found their zest for each other. They’ve come to terms with the fact they can’t conceive a child and it’s made them stronger. There’s a lightness to them which they maybe lost during their early time in Shipton Abbott. The main thing is that they’re happy.”

As for the show’s popularity, Marshall attributes it to the strong following of the Death in Paradise universe, of which Beyond Paradise is a part. He adds, “I hope people who haven’t watched Death in Paradise enjoy tuning in because Beyond Paradise is a completely unique and original show. It shares the same DNA, but it has its own identity.”

In terms of the cases the team will face this series, Marshall reveals, “We’ve got a murder on a steam train, the story of a local fishing legend who goes missing from a trawler at sea, a schoolteacher who goes missing in a fog on a beach, a lady who is shot in the back with a bow and arrow, and an arsonist predicted by a medium. The team definitely have their hands full this series!”

Another beloved character from the show is Selwyn the Duck, who gained quite the fan following in the last series. Marshall shares his experience working with the duck, saying, “She’s a very well-treated duck, she even has her own trailer.”

Sally Bretton, who plays Martha Lloyd, describes her character’s journey in series two, “You find her very busy at her restaurant. It’s all going very well; she’s settled and in a really good place.” She adds, “Series one had around 8 million viewers tuning in every week. I think it has many things going for it. You have the crime and the puzzle aspect that viewers watch and try and work out alongside the Shipton Abbott police team. It also has so much warmth as the characters are so likeable. I think it’s got that light touch and humor that the audience can connect with.”

In this series, Martha’s restaurant, 10 Mile Kitchen, seems to be thriving and catering to many events. Bretton explains, “She’s enjoying it; she’s finding her feet. She’s taken on another member of staff, and she’s in her element, it’s been a dream for a long time, and I think she’s finally got the confidence now and is enjoying her success.”

Esther Williams, played by Zahra Ahmadi, has also found her place in Shipton Abbott. Ahmadi shares, “Esther’s having a really nice time, she’s settled into life at the police station with Humphrey and the dynamic is really good between the team. She’s trying to get her daughter Zoe a job, who’s – for the most part- a good teenager.”

She adds, “For the second series, some of the cases are bolder and bigger. They’re more linked to the local surroundings. There’s a fishing boat case, and there’s a real sense of magic around the sea. We’ve got a murder mystery on a steam train, the school priest going missing, and a medium predicting an arson attack. I feel like the stories come more out of the land this series.”

Anne Lloyd, played by Barbara Flynn, is on a journey of self-discovery and looks for love on dating apps. Flynn shares, “She finds the abbreviations on dating apps quite intriguing. She finds it confusing and immediately is an addict, she becomes a teenager who isn’t concentrating on what’s going on in the room as we all do when we enter this rabbit hole that is the online world! She’s looking for companionship, a distraction, something new.”

Flynn also emphasizes the importance of the Shipton Abbott police station, saying, “To be without the police station would mean that Shipton Abbott wouldn’t have that sense of security that the community has really grown to like, and Humphrey has ended up being such an incredible personality, he’s given it popularity and gets the job done.”

The second series of Beyond Paradise promises to be as entertaining and charming as series one, with new cases and character development that will keep viewers hooked. Make sure to tune in to BBC One and BBC iPlayer weekly at 8pm starting March 22 to join DI Humphrey Goodman and his team on their crime-solving adventures in Shipton Abbott.