BBC Beyond Paradise's future confirmed after locals share brutal reality of living in TV town

Daily Record

23-04-2025

The BBC has reportedly given the green light for a fourth season of Beyond Paradise. The popular drama is a spin off series to the hit show Death in Paradise and is set in the fictional Devon town of Shipton Abbott.
Although the BBC has not officially announced the return of the series, media reports indicate that filming for the new season of Beyond Paradise will commence in July, according to TV Zone. The media outlet claims to have seen production listings that corroborate its report.
Beyond Paradise centres around DI Humphrey Goodman, played by Kris Marshall, and his team as they endeavour to crack perplexing cases in the picturesque town. However, residents of the actual town where the show is filmed have voiced their experiences of living there, stating that it's quite different from what is depicted on screen.
The coastal town used for filming is called Looe, which is actually located in Cornwall, not Devon. Cornwall Live reports that the area has grappled with issues that starkly contrast the idyllic "paradise" portrayed on-screen to fans.
In a previous article, the news outlet highlighted concerns typical of many Cornish coastal towns, such as "housing, economic and social deprivation, the decline of the fishing industry and even loneliness."
It was reported that around 30 people were residing in a caravan park on the outskirts of the town due to homelessness.
A surge in housing demand coincided with many properties being transformed into Airbnbs for tourists.
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The issue of "hidden homelessness" was also brought to light, with locals resorting to living in vans, tents or couch surfing.
Looe is also notorious for its flooding incidents, which can have a significant effect on local businesses.
Kris, 51, initially appeared as DI Humphrey Goodman in Death In Paradise back in 2014. Following his exit from the show in 2017, he made a comeback to the franchise in 2023, reprising his role in Beyond Paradise.
The news comes after Marshall recently expressed high praise for his co-star Jamie Bamber, who plays Archie in the show.
His character, who is an ex-lover of Martha Lloyd, exits the show at the end of the first series after an unsuccessful attempt to kiss the café owner.
Archie's return in the third season caused quite an uproar as he got involved with Humphrey's colleague Esther Williams, played by Zahra Ahmadi.
Kris has shared his enthusiasm about working with Bamber again: "Working with Jamie is fantastic. It's nice to have another actor of a similar age and experience on set, especially since we have both been in the industry since the 90s."
In other Beyond Paradise news, fans have recently discovered that Felicity Montagu, who plays Margo Martins has a famous daughter that she previously starred with in another BBC show.
Felicity starred with her daughter Olivia as they shared the microphone in the BBC Radio 4 series Guilt Trip, playing characters that mirrored their real-life relationship.
Their performance in the comedy drama was inspired by a package holiday they took together to Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands.