Kris Marshall as Humphrey Goodman (Image: BBC)
BBC One’s Death in Paradise is set to return on Friday, January 31 at 9pm, featuring Don Gilet as Mervin Wilson. His character travels to the Caribbean to meet his mother for the first time, a plan that doesn’t quite pan out.
As he remains on the show, fans have been reflecting on their favourite detectives who have graced and exited the series. Kris Marshall entered the scene as the bumbling London detective Humphrey Goodman in the third season.
His initial assignment was to solve the murder of his predecessor, Richard Poole (Ben Miller). However, after his wife left him, he decided to stay on the island permanently.
In the sixth season, he resigned to return to London and start anew with Martha Lloyd (Sally Bretton).
Kris has previously discussed his reasons for leaving the series, attributing it largely to his desire to raise his young family. He shared with Lorraine Kelly on her show: “I realised I had to get my son to school.”
Humphrey Goodman returned in Beyond Paradise (Image: BBC)
“He was becoming a bit too Caribbean he refused to wear shoes and would only drink coconut water and eat pineapple. He was very good on the beach but not so good with Maths and English, so I decided that it was time to get him to school.”
He added: “So the show had to go, really. But six months later I’m standing on a film set in a car park in Dagenham thinking at 4 o’clock in the morning thinking, ‘Have I made the right decision?'”
Kris Marshall made a triumphant return as Humphrey in the spin-off series Beyond Paradise, captivating audiences as they follow the beloved character and Martha across the scenic yet fictional town of Shipton Abbott.
On , supporters eagerly exchanged opinions about their top pick for detective, with a strong contingent rallying around Humphrey as their unrivalled favourite.
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Humphrey Goodman and Martha Lloyd (Image: BBC)
Yorkshirelad4 revealed: “I liked Humphrey played by kris Marshall. What made me smile was when writing his notes he used scrap paper instead of a book.”
Adding to the accolades, Darkersaturn mentioned: “Humphrey has always been my favourite, but that’s because he’s a lot like me in a lot of ways.”
Finding common ground, Tarantula22 chimed in: “Humphrey. I know Richard has his fans but let’s face it. When DiP is mentioned, most people’s thoughts go to the Humphrey era.”
With a personal touch, Sk888888 shared: “Humphrey will always be my #1 (the Parrot episode was the first one I ever saw) but I came to love Richard, still can’t re-watch Season 3, episode 1.”
After his time in DiP, Marshall graced the screen in Sanditon playing Tom Parker, took on guest roles in We Hunt Together and Promises, and ultimately circled back to his fan-favourite role for Beyond Paradise, which has proudly reached its third season.
Death in Paradise returns to One on Friday, January 31 at 9pm