BBC TV police drama Beyond Paradise taking a ‘grittier’ turn

One of the stars of the hit BBC TV drama Beyond Paradise says the show has taken a “grittier” turn in its third series.

Zahra Ahmedi plays DS Esther Williams, who works alongside DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) and has to deal with his unusual approach to detective work.

The show is filmed in Cornwall and Devon, with the Cornish town of Looe playing the part of the fictional Devon town of Shipton Abbott.

The show is now in its third series and has attracted a loyal audience, showing off the charms of the South West to an international audience.

The third series of Beyond Paradise started with a bang in more ways than one, with a car crashing into a river with a grisly cargo aboard.

Zahra Ahmedi told the BBC’s David White that the subject matter was getting “slightly grittier”.

“I think this series has slightly more edge to it in terms of the crimes, I wouldn’t go so far as to say sinister but the motives behind them are slightly darker,” she said.

“That’s a really interesting movement in terms of the crimes.”

Zahra Ahmedi cheerfully admitted the character of Esther Williams had been very work-focused in the previous two series, so she was pleased to see how the relationship with her daughter Zoe (Melina Sinadinou) was being explored in the latest scripts.

“I think what the developing storyline is for Esther in this series is an exploration of herself as a woman with a now-adult child and the freedom that comes with that and the more time that she has,” Ms Ahmadi said.

“When you play a character for a long time it’s really important that you love them, essentially, you’ve really got to care for them.

“I really like Esther, I really respect her, I really respect the choices she has made in life.

“She hasn’t been dealt an easy hand and she’s really not only tried to make the best of that but she’s taken her responsibilities really seriously.”

The show was the UK’s most-watched new drama of 2023 and was nominated for a National Television Award.

The second series drew an average of nearly seven million viewers, solidifying its place as one of the BBC’s top dramas of 2024.