Beyond Paradise's Humphrey and Martha face fostering "challenges" in Christmas special, says Kris Marshall
"Each placement brings its unique challenges, and Martha and Humphrey face them together."
It's Christmas, so as well as plenty of festive specials to look forward to, we can also get excited about a return to Shipton Abbott for a Beyond Paradise Christmas episode.
The new episode will see DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) and his team investigate a haunting mystery, but will also see Humphrey and wife Martha (Sally Bretton) about to embark on a new chapter in their own personal lives.
The Christmas special will see the couple take in a teenager called Jaiden (Austin Taylor) as part of their fostering, and speaking more about what's to come, Marshall told the BBC in a press pack for the episode: "So far, the only foster placement Humphrey and Martha have had was a young boy called Ryan, who was cheeky, energetic, and relatively easy to look after – but that was just a short-term placement."
He continued: "Every child is different, and fostering is an emotional roller coaster. Each placement brings its unique challenges, and Martha and Humphrey face them together.
"While Humphrey is supportive and involved, most of the parenting tends to fall on Martha’s shoulders. But Humphrey does find the whole fostering experience deeply rewarding."
Bretton also revealed: "Jaiden is a bit of a challenge at first. Like any typical teenager, he’s glued to his phone and headphones, and it takes him a while to warm up to Martha. She really tries to make a connection with him but it’s not easy.
"As the episode unfolds, we learn that Jaiden is struggling with being separated from his little brother. It’s a big learning experience for Martha and Humphrey, who have only cared for younger children before.
"Handling a teenager presents new challenges, but Martha is determined to make it a special Christmas for Jaiden, nonetheless."
Read more:
- Beyond Paradise star Kris Marshall confirms next year's Christmas special is already done
- Beyond Paradise announces release date for Christmas special
The new episode will air on 27th December and also features a bit of a festive ghost story, if you will.
According to the episode's synopsis: "When a widower starts seeing the ghost of his late wife, DI Humphrey Goodman and the team are called in to investigate.
"DS Esther Williams is deeply sceptical, but Humphrey is more than happy to dive into his first haunting. It's Christmas after all, and who doesn’t like a festive ghost story?"
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And if Beyond Paradise fans simply can't get enough of the Shipton Abbott-based Christmas storylines, Marshall has also confirmed that filming on the 2025 episode has actually already finished.
When speaking on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with The National Lottery on Virgin Radio UK, Marshall said: "We’ve actually just finished filming Christmas 2025. So I’m actually one Christmas ahead. [We finished] literally last Friday, last week."
The Beyond Paradise Christmas 2024 special will air on Friday 27th December at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guideto find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
