Beyond Paradise Christmas special 2024 - cast, plot, start time and latest on new season

The BBC will air the Christmas special of its hit crime drama Beyond Paradise this week, as Humphrey and Martha return for another festive mystery. The Death in Paradise spin-off has become one of the UK’s most popular dramas since its debut last year, attracting millions of viewers.

Fans of the franchise will be enjoying a double dose of Paradise this Christmas, with the original series, Death in Paradise, also lined up for a Christmas special on Sunday, December 22.. The Beyond Paradise Christmas special 2024 will air on BBC One on Friday, December 27.

The Christmas special will see DI Humphrey Goodman and his team called in to investigate when a widower starts seeing the ghost of his late wife. Here's everything you need to know about the Beyond Paradise Christmas special 2024.

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What is the Beyond Paradise Christmas special about?

*Spoliers for the second season ahead*

The second series of Beyond Paradise ended with Humphrey and Martha coming close to tying the knot, while their fostering journey reached a heartwarming conclusion as they welcomed Ryan into their home. Ahead of the Christmas special, the BBC teased: "When recently widowed Bob Holland is ordered to leave his home by a vision of his late wife Linda, he is thrown into emotional turmoil, a vivid reminder of his harrowing grief.

"Deeply disturbed by this series of troubling events, he turns to his friend Anne for comfort, who shares his encounters with the Shipton Abbott police team. Unsure whether Bob's ghostly visions are a manifestation of grief or something more sinister, Humphrey and Esther get to work unravelling the mystery."

Meanwhile, Bob's daughter Fiona and her husband, a maverick inventor Colin, appear stumped and concerned when deliberating who could be behind this ghostly apparition. The synopsis continues: "Is Bob simply struggling with the pain of the first Christmas without his wife, or is there a darker force at play?

"Meanwhile, Kelby and Margo are on the case after a break-in at the church leaves the nativity scene incomplete. With the Christmas service fast approaching, and CS Charlie Woods due to attend, can Kelby solve the mystery of the missing Virgin Mary and impress the Chief Superintendent?"

Away from the station, Humphrey and Martha's fostering journey continues as they open their home to introverted teenager Jaiden over the festive period. Struggling to connect, and with Humphrey otherwise occupied at work, Martha feels out of her depth.

When is the Beyond Paradise Christmas special on TV?

The Beyond Paradise Christmas special for 2024 will officially air on Friday, December 27 at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Who is in the cast of the Beyond Paradise Christmas special?

Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton return as Humphrey and Martha. The rest of the cast includes:

• Zahra Ahmadi as DS Esther Williams
• Dylan Llewellyn as PC Kelby Hartford
• Barbara Flynn as Anne Lloyd
• Felicity Montagu as Margo Martins
• Jade Harrison as CS Charlie Woods
• Melina Sinadinou as Zoe Williams
• Mark Heap as Bob Holland
• Rosalind Adler as Linda
• Tamla Kari as Fiona
• Seann Walsh as Colin

When is the new season of Beyond Paradise coming out?

The third season of Beyond Paradise is expected to air on BBC One and iPlayer in early 2025. Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, said earlier this year: “Beyond Paradise has become such a huge hit with millions of viewers across the UK. It’s a show that is absolutely on a roll, and we’re beyond pleased to bring more fiendishly clever mysteries from the Shipton Abbott team to the BBC.”