Kris Marshall’s adventurous streak took over during filming for Beyond Paradise’s third season – the Humphrey Goodman star was keen to perform his own stunt for the BBC drama.
At 51, Kris Marshall is slipping back into DI Humphrey Goodman’s shoes for season three of the hit BBC One series, alongside Sally Bretton as his on-screen love interest, Martha Lloyd.
Kris has always harboured ambitions of being an action hero and was ready to skydive for the third season of Beyond Paradise. However, the showrunners were quick to clip his wings due to insurance concerns.
“I was really up for it, though there was a small matter of insurance,” Kris admitted, revealing that the producers vetoed his daredevil plans with a firm response.
“They said, ‘no chance,'” Kris remembers. “If it was the last day of filming, they would probably let me do it. But there’s an adage that says to never do a dangerous stunt on your last day of filming.”
DI Humphrey Goodman returns to unravel more mysteries in the much-loved Death In Paradise spin-off. This season, Humphrey juggles a myriad of professional puzzles and personal hurdles.
(Image: BBC/Red Planet Pictures/Joss Barratt )
The previous season ended on a cliff-hanger with Humphrey and Martha opting out of marriage, despite fans rooting for their happily ever after. Yet, according to Sally, the couple is in a great place: “They’re in a really good spot together,” she shares. “They’re very busy but happy.”
Kris is loving the breath of fresh air that the couple’s solid relationship brings to our screens, especially amidst a sea of TV drama filled with breakups and constant conflict. “They’re on the same page,” he shares, “it’s unique to have a TV couple that aren’t having incredible amounts of interpersonal drama the whole time.”
However, it’s not all smooth sailing for Humphrey and Martha, as their work life is fraught with challenges. The new season launches with a gripping case: Niall, still reeling from a boozy squabble with his partner Arthur, drives away, only to be found dead in the River Tamar later.
What seems like an accident soon escalates into a clash of jurisdictions between Humphrey and DS Esther Williams’ team against their Cornish colleagues. Enter the scene are Steve Oram as DI Jacob Tremayne and Gabby Best as DS Fenella Ford.
Humphrey suspects foul play in Niall’s death, but finds a formidable opponent in Jacob, who’s keen to wrap up the case swiftly.
The plot thickens as Niall, a Devon resident, meets his end right on the Devon-Cornwall border, igniting friction between the two police departments. For Kris, hailing from Somerset and familiar with the historic Devon-Cornwall rivalry, this plotline was particularly enjoyable.
“I like to think that it’s something that would happen between the police forces of Devon and Cornwall,” Kris muses, “Although I am aware that Devon and Cornwall has only one police force. I would be surprised if that’s the last we saw of our Cornish policeman.”
While Humphrey navigates the choppy waters of red tape, Martha is tackling her own set of hurdles. Season one saw her cosy life in London upended as she moved back to Shipton Abbott to be nearer to her kin.
Now, Martha’s diving headfirst into breathing new life into her eatery, Ten Mile Kitchen, and she’s also chasing a dream that tugs directly at her heartstrings – fostering children.
“They have a placement for a stretch of time,” Sally divulges. “It’s not like the ones they’ve had before.” This more lasting arrangement introduces a fresh batch of thorny issues.
(Image: BBC/Red Planet Pictures/Joss Barratt )
Kris chimes in, “Nobody’s perfect all the time, and things will go wrong,” Sally hints, “They’re learning how to juggle everything,” with a knowing smile, “It’s quite the uphill journey.”
But that’s not all Martha has on her plate. Enter Anne (Barbara Flynn), Martha’s mother, who schleps back to Devon post-relationship flameout only to come up against a health scare.
However, instead of leaning on her daughter, Anne recoils, hesitant to heap more onto Martha’s already brimming plate. “Anne takes a step back because Martha has so much going on,” Barbara explains, “She doesn’t want to add to her stress.”
This silence spells trouble, though. It’s not until Zoe (Melina Sinadinou) gives Anne a nudge that she comes clean about her ailment. But by the time she does, Martha is fuming over being left in the dark.
Sally remarks with conviction that “Martha’s fiercely protective of the people she loves,” explaining her character’s tough love approach when Anne falls ill: “When she finds out Anne’s sick, she gives her a hard time. But it’s because she doesn’t want Anne going through things alone.” Strikingly, Anne isn’t one for coddling; Sally adds, “There’s no way Anne will let Martha parent her,”.
Their relationship may be tempestuous, but their connection is ironclad. Sally acknowledges the tug-of-war dynamic: “They drive each other mad,” but she quickly reinforces the depth of their attachment, “But they’re incredibly close. Anne puts Martha back in her place, and they find their equilibrium again.”
Martha’s life is further complicated by the reappearance of an old flame, Archie (Jamie Bamber), bursting onto the scene with a business pitch rather than romantic intentions.
(Image: BBC/Red Planet Pictures/Joss Barratt )
Having taken his last bow in Beyond Paradise’s debut season post a fiery face-off with Humphrey, many thought Jamie Bamber’s portrayal of Archie was over until executive producer Tim Key presented the prospect of a comeback that piqued Jamie’s interest.
The Battlestar Galactica star reflects on his character, “Archie was always one of Humphrey and Martha’s obstacles,” pointing out the necessity for evolution, “You can’t have the same obstacle forever. And it was true to Archie’s character without repeating what we’d already seen.”
What’s different this time around? Jamie reveals that Archie has moved past his desire to rekindle his romance with Martha. Following a stay in Australia, where he honed his winemaking craft, Archie has made peace with the end of their love story.
However, fresh chemistry ignites as he crosses paths with DS Esther Williams (Zahra Ahmadi), leading to potentially exciting developments.
Jamie opened up about his character’s complex love life, remarking, “He’s successful in many areas of his life, but not in relationships,” and pondered, “Maybe this time will be different, or maybe he’ll make the same mistakes.”
He couldn’t hide his excitement about returning to the set, gushing about the positive atmosphere: “It’s one of the happiest casts and crews I’ve ever worked with.”
Jamie is particularly captivated by the show’s innovative approach to the police genre, questioning the norm by asking, “Why do police shows always have to be about dead bodies?” He believes that “Most police work isn’t murder investigations – solving the puzzle should be enough.”
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