Beyond Paradise (BBC1, 8pm) – Fresh mysteries await DI Humphrey Goodman and his team in Shipton Abbott
This month alone, she’s starred in the Channel 5 thriller The Au Pair, and cropped up in a Comic Relief crossover of her two hit BBC shows, the cosy crime drama Beyond Paradise and the sitcom Not Going Out.
Now she’s back for a new series of the aforementioned D.e.a.t.h in Paradise spin-off, in which she plays DI Humphrey Goodman’s (Kris Marshall) other half Martha.
So, at least Sally should be able to empathise with her character, who has a lot going on. The actress explains: “At the start of the series, we find Martha and Humphrey still navigating their evolving understanding of family. They’re very much in the middle of their fostering journey and Martha is also expanding her business. She’s taken on a larger restaurant, which is really fulfilling some of her personal ambitions.
“They’re still living in Anne’s house, which has become a joke between myself and Barbara Flynn who plays her. Will they ever move out?!”
To be fair, you can see why house-hunting isn’t a priority for the couple, especially as this series will see them become foster parents to nine-year-old Rosie, which means they’ve got enough stress without moving as well.
Sally explains: “The balancing act is challenging. On paper, Martha was supposed to be the primary carer, especially with Humphrey’s work commitments, but she ends up taking on a lot more than expected.
“She is managing her business, looking after Rosie, and trying to keep everything in order – it’s a lot. But despite the struggles, they both fall in love with Rosie, and it becomes a deeply rewarding experience for them.
“They go through a whole range of emotions but in the end it’s something they’ll always look back on as a very special chapter in their lives.”
While Beyond Paradise may delve into Humphrey’s domestic life, it remains a detective drama – and this time Martha gets caught up in one the cases.
Sally laughs: “Martha is not exactly thrilled about being dragged into one of Humphrey’s investigations, especially because she’s already juggling so much. She is running a coffee van at a regatta, looking after Rosie, and suddenly finds herself being formally interviewed by Humphrey at the police station over a poisoning case. It’s a bit much for her and, honestly, she’s irritated by the whole thing.
“I remember reading the script for that scene and actually laughing out loud – Martha’s frustration really came through. It’s a fun and intense moment.”
That’s all still to come though, as in the first episode, Martha is concentrating on her expanding business, while Humphrey and Esther (Zahra Ahmadi) look into a mysterious d.e.a.t.h.
As the body was found in the river on the Cornwall-Dorset border, the Shipton Abbott team are forced to work alongside their Cornish counterparts, who decide the d.e.a.t.h was a tragic accident. However, Humphrey can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to the case than meets the eye.
