Beyond Paradise

DI Humphrey Goodman takes up his new post in Devon, leaving The Caribbean well and truly in the past.

If you're a fan of Death in Paradise, you should like it, if you were a fan of Kris Marshall's spell in Saint Marie, then I think you're going to love it.

It's different enough from Death in Paradise, to not just be DiP without the weather, but there's also something very familiar and cosy about it.

It's quite light, it's verging on afternoon drama, but it's engaging, intriguing enough, and has a few laughs.

Spinoffs don't always work, and very few seem to last, but there's enough here, providing it does well, for this to run.

I adored Humphrey, and he's as goofy here as he was before, but additionally he's as sharp, clever and observant, he's lost none of his quirkiness, none of his character, he's picked up exactly where he left off.

It's nicely produced, it's an area I know very well, mixing up Devon and Cornwall, that's going to rile a few people, hopefully it'll put both counties on the map.

It's a winner, 8/10.

I'm a big fan of Death in Paradise and Humphrey in particular. I'm also a fan of Johnathan Creek and this series has the same kind of feel.

I've rewatched Death in Paradise so many times and the Humphrey episodes are just that little bit more fun, and now we have more of the kindest, most unintentionally funny, brilliant detective St. Marie ever had. What's not to love?

I'm really enjoying the series so far, the cases are weird and new and enjoyably confusing, and I love that they've found a way to bring it home but still base it in a small community. Plus they've actually kept the character, there's even been a couple of call-backs to the original series. So many spin-offs take a beloved character and throw their entire personality and history out the window, as if just the name and the actor are enough, they aren't. But this series is obviously created by someone who really appreciates DI Goodman in all his bumbling glory.

This is a lovely gentle series of local 'whodunnit' crimes set in a rural village in Devon. The countryside and aerial coast photography is gorgeous, will definitely encourage more tourism! Kris Marshall is as good as ever, continuing his 'bumbling genius' detective role from Death in Paradise. The support cast are wonderful, the local accents are delightful to hear, and the stories are interesting and varied, without murder and other gruesome crimes. The humour is wry and amusing, I think, and it's just a lovely comfortable show to watch, especially for those of us from the 'colonies' hankering for our British entertainment, rather than the usual brash American stuff.

Until the ex-fiancé was introduced into the mix. She's that naive to think it's okay and it's strictly a business arrangement and it's going to stay that way. And Humphrey is okay with it. Humphrey is enough of a clueless dork who spends money on another useless boat, that we don't need Archie in the story to cause friction. Humphrey does that on his own well enough. Reverse the roles and let's see if she would be okay with an ex coming into the picture... Was interested in this to see if I would enjoy it as I was a fan of Death In Paradise, but it's more of the same predictable writing. Same old predictable tropes that are still prevalent in the year 2023. I'll pass if the writing doesn't improve.

Was really looking forward to this death in paradise spin off, especially as Kris Marshal was one of my favourite DIs from the series, and also because being a West Country boy it's set in my part of the world.

Filmed in Cornwall but bizzatly set in Devon, obviously didn't want to be seen to be mimicking Doc Martin too closely, although actually it's just a police version of doc Martin with a less grumpy lead. Just like Doc Martin & other West Country based series such as the dreadful McDonald and Dodds the actors have been sent to the same school of generic West Country accent coaching, (clearly based in the middle of Bristol) and ridiculously unsubtle, over the top and of course spoken by every single resident.

The locals are depicted as the stereotypical dumb village idiots which is just boringly tedious, plane lazy and unimaginative writing.

You couldn't get away with depicting any other social group in this way these days but here we are yet again!

The police officers in death in paradise weren't written as being imbeciles so why are they in this, especially the incredibly irritating older female secretary character.

It's a shame because this stupidity really ruins what could be an acceptable series, the fact it's different mysteries rather than murders is an interesting touch and of course some lovely scenery and touching moments between Humphrey and Martha. However the tiring carrot crunching yokel routine just ruins it.

You can mix comedy with more serious issues as shown in Death in Paradise and other successful pats series such as Heartbeat, but beyond paradise just come across as being an idiotic farce than amusing light hearted police drama.