Beyond Paradise

When they said "Beyond" Paradise. I didn't know it would be completely different. I like a good Ole Cozy murder mystery. I know in real life murder is the most horrible thing. But Agatha Christie, Matlock, Murder She wrote, Death in Paradise are fun fake murder mysteries. That is what I love about them not too serious and fun acting and fun mystery.

I don't care about thefts of paintings and such. It's sooooooo not what I loved about Death in Paradise and its definitely no fun to have serious stories of not being able to have a baby... why? Why would you put in such a serious story line? It just makes Humphrey sad and it's not fun. Oh well just my opinion.

We cannot help but compare this series to Death in Paradise. DiP instantly showed its core identity and we were hooked. It was crime-solving with true friendship, joviality, trusted teammates and likeable characters. We enjoyed them in their off-time as if we were part of their merry making. The writers achieved a unique and tight balance; well written and a pleasure to watch, season after season.

I just finished season 1 of Beyond Paradise. I am disappointed at the product that has been delivered to a pre-existing captive audience! It struggles to find its identity: Is it a comedy, a comedy/drama or just a dark drama? BP has few likeable characters, it is thin on comedy. We want DI Goodman to be clumsy and endearing, to excel in his work and enjoy a home life - the formula we loved. Instead he is living a sad undercurrent at home. He has no reprieve from sleuthing. The best supporting character was supposed to be his fiancee. She instead offers nothing but pain. It is dark and depressing. We did not sign up for a soap opera home life. It distracts from the story and is a major disappointment that does not serve the series or its audience well. I would not be surprised if it is cancelled unless they change tack.

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 am pleasantly entertained by the comic police investigations by Humphrey and his police team.

However I find myself reaching for my phone every time Martha gets a scene. She is a potentially charming character, but she has somehow been burderned by BBC script writers who scrape the barrel for woeful daytime soap plots.

I cannot guess why the BBC has tried to mix overwrought histrionics with the otherwise comic and light theme of the detective work. This strange conflation of genres rather emphasises that the soap plots are tacked on, and so stand out like a sore thumb.

Perhaps it is BBC social propaganda, or perhaps it is a cast member or film maker who wants to do something more 'worthy' or 'serious'.

Either way it working like a reverse romance where I am rooting for Humphrey to find another girlfriend (or script writer).

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.