SEA change

KRIS MARSHALL taiks about the challenges ahead in Shipton Abbott

- STEVEN PERKINS

Kris Marshall found himself, quite literally, in deep water when he gamely took part in a special photo shoot last year while filming the fourth series of BBC1's hit whodunnit Beyond Paradise on location in Cornwall. So when TV Times later catches up with our cover star for an exclusive chat, we have a burning question: how cold was the sea?! 'It was actually quite pleasant!' the always-jovial actor, 52, reassures us. 'The seawater in the UK is around its warmest in September, and we shot this in October. The photographer, Joss Barratt, and I had an idea to do a couple of shots in and around the fictional Shipton Abbott [the Devon coastal town where the show is set]. The sea is my greatest love: I'm in it all the time!'

It's a fitting image for Kris' beloved character DI Humphrey Goodman, who begins the new six-part run all at sea after the houseboat he shares with his wife, Martha (Sally Bretton), comes loose from its moorings. The couple soon discover it needs major repairs, meaning they'll have to find somewhere else to live. But how will Humphrey respond when Martha suggests a house on dry land?