It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload, the podcast last Speak Therebine, Welcome back to TV Reload, the podcast that gives you behind the scenes insights into your favorite TV shows. I'm your host, Ben Norris, and on this episode, I am joined by the brilliant Chris Marshall, the star of the hit series Beyond Paradise. If you haven't signed up to BritBox here in Australia, please do so. I've just joined the streaming service and
I'm a little bit obsessed anyway. Chris joins me right here in Australia for a warm, hilarious chat about his TV series Beyond Paradise, which I would say is a comfort watch. We will unpack this cozy little crime show which strikes a nostalgic chord with fans, the joy of Humphrey Goodman, and how the series blends gentle humor with
clever storytelling. You will hear us talk about the magic behind the show's music and location, why even Chris struggles to guess the killer even though he has the scripts, how the series balances standalone cases with deeper emotional story arcs, and yes, of course I will talk to him a little bit about love. Actually, it's a relaxed, joyful chat with plenty of laughs and a few behind the scenes gems for fans of British television classic who've done it,
or just really people who love great television. Let's get into it. Here is Chris Marshall. Hi Chris, we'll start again.
How are you really good? How are you?
I'm very good. Welcome to Australia. You just said to me before we started that you are in fact here in Australia, and I want to start by asking other people being nice to you.
Oh, you know Australia and the colorius. Australian people are always wonderful to me. I know Australia really well. I've done a couple of movies here, and you know, it's been about sort of eight nine years since I was last here, and you've given me some rain to make myself feel at home. So my first time in an Australian winter. So, and I use the quote unquote winter because to me this is like spring. So I don't know what the temperatures like Melbourne a little colder, maybe much.
Colder, like an actual fact, I was freezing this morning. The dog just turned around and went back inside the house, you know, and that never happens.
Yeah, but what temperature is freezing?
Actually, it's not that bad, you know what. I am in a constant exaggerator, so just bear that in mind for the rest of the interview. But I'm always telling people. I'm like, it's two degrees. We're an actual fact. It's just the feels like temperature. But feels like this morning when I woke up with minus two. So there you go.
Okay, that's pretty cold.
I want to start by saying how much I love this show. My partner is genuinely obsessed with just horror movies, so getting him to watch anything at all that is not bloody disgusting is really hard. And we I was really nervous because he hadn't seen series one and series two, and so I was like, this, this could be an odd point to start series three.
Yeah.
Yeah, And when it finished, he was like, we need to watch more of this. So we just plowed in and it's it's just fabulous. I love it.
Oh, thank you so much, thank you. What's your partner's name.
He's Ben, and I'm Ben. Just very easy for you.
That's amazing. Brilliant. Well, thank you Ben, and thank you Ben, because yeah, it's such a fun show to make, you know, we have such a laugh making it. To me, it's just obviously it comes from its mothership, Death and Paradise, you know, so it shares the sort of same DNA. But to me, it's a very unique show on its own.
It needed to be otherwise there was no real point in making it, because you can't just transpose a show from the Caribbean to a slightly windier, colder version of it in the UK and not have its own DNA. So yeah, but it's such a great show to make, and yeah, it's joyous.
I feel like for me it's kind of this nostalgic warmth that comes from watching it. But I grew up watching ABC and Australia, which is at that time, you know, twenty thirty years ago, was just all English shows. So for me, my weekends was always inspecting more, you know, sort of midsummer murders, you know, that sort of trajectory, And this show to me is that kind of engaging show like that which makes me feel warm inside. You're
solving some murders. So I don't want to make it sound like it's all sweet and lovely, but there's something very nostalgic and fun about it.
Yeah, I mean I call it murder with nice hair. Yeah. To me, it's you know, it's I mean, obviously, the world we live in is quite bleak at the moment, and you know, there are a few issues kicking around and have been for a while, and we've had to deal with COVID and all that kind of stuff, and a lot of people have had to sacrifice a lot.
And to me, as much as I love the gritty, bloody, sort of handwringing dramas, there's something about something a bit more lighthearted that, like you said, Ben, it's nostalgic and it's sort of there's a warmth to it. And you know, I grew up in the eighties, you know, and we only had two three channels in the maybe four in the eighties. You know, we were fed. You know, those types of shows you mentioned before, but also the American shows and like Columbus and Rocket Files and you know
Miss Marple. I know that's English, non American, but you know, Poiro and so and a less so with Prioro, but those other shows definitely had a sort of a slight tongue in cheekness about them. You know, I loved and your parents were fine with you watching it and used to watch it with you. And I have people coming up to me now who are now in their early twenties, and you know, and they come up to me and they say, look, you know, this is a death in Paradise,
early death and Paradise. It is what I used to watch with my folks on a Friday, Thursday, Friday whenever it was on evening and so, and it was something we bonded over, and it would be it would be like a It would almost be interactive and collaborative because
the family would try and work out the puzzle. And that really kind of warms my cockles, you know, because it really does ben because you know, it's you know, if you're doing something, I mean, obviously your make drama for yourself and for consumption of its ownness, but you also to hear that it actually starts to become part of people's life and how they bond with their own
members of their own family. That really that takes it next level for me, and that really does improve the whole reasonless for doing it, and it means that means so much, and it's quite humbling.
I love that I hear the theme song to like Murder she wrote, and it makes me think of my grandparents. There's this sort of memory of being able to sit around the lounge room and watch TV that we can all be a part of. And it's so funny we're talking about this show now decades later after that, and I can imagine people will further generations will be similar to this. They'll hear the theme song to this and feel at ease.
And the music is such an important part of the show as well. I mean really the producers and myself and you know, you know, our composer is Magmus Fines, who is one of the best composers out there and also a member of the Fines dynasty, you know, while along with Ray and Joe Finds. You know, he's their brother.
So he's such an integral part of the show because like music does, you know, it sort of immediately transports you back to a memory or a place where you listen to and heard and felt that music, and so music does that more than anything else in a way, even more than visual cues. I think the theme song is it's not just chosen ad hoc. It's not just
thrown in there. It's really thought about because it is important, and I think it's you know, to be part of people's sort of fundamental viewing light that they share with their parents. It's why we do it.
Some of the best shows, you think about the music and the location, and they're just as integral to the characters themselves. Think about shows like Sex and the City is a great example. You know, New York is a character of its own, and the score you just need to hear a little bit of that piano and you're transported into it. And I feel like that's something that
this show does very well. It leans into that. Wanted to ask you about whether or not you were really shit growing up with guessing who the murderers were while you're watching the show, because I was the shittest in our family. Sorry to keep swearing on the podcast.
That's fine by me, and it will else would be offended at this point. Swearing as part of our vernacular. You know, I think the Brits and the Aussies have this. You know, we're like cousins, you know, we have this kindredness, this kindred spirits. I think and far more than necessarily the Americans, you know, much as I love the Americans, you know, the Britain and Naussies have the similarize a humor.
How good were you working out who the bad guy was, who the murderer was when you're growing up watching?
Well, I wasn't particularly good when I was growing up then, and I'm not particularly good now either. And I mean I literally have the script in front of me and I still can't really work it out. I go back on the script because you know, when I first started reading the scripts for Beyond Paradise and Death in Paradise, it's a typical actor thing. You read just to see how many lines and what storyline you've got, you know. I mean, I make a joke, and it is it
is a joke. It's a joke because it's sort of a half truth. Most actors read scripts and go bullshit, bullshit, my line, my line, my line, bullshit. So it's true.
I know. I've got friends that are actors, and I'm like, but how do you know you're supposed to like? What about the inflections and the tone based on their like? Well, you know, I'd like to tell you that we are but we're not doing that.
What do I do? What do I do? How? In several am I to the story? So I just.
Imagine your one set going is it this guy? And they're all like, you read the script right literally?
But I mean, but now I make a bit more of an valiant effort to just actually read the plot, okay and work out who the murderer is. And I have to say, I am utterly shit at it. I mean, I really am. I mean, I'm just I'm terrible at it.
And and you know, I'm not on social media, but but I maintain a sort of shadowy presence on it when when I tend to sort of look at the threads and the the timeline, when when when the show's going out, and I am amazed at how brilliant the audience are, you know, because the puzzles, the clues are there if you're looking for them, and I'm amazed at how good they are, not just the who, but the why and the how as well. And I'm really that's
I'm shocking at it. I'm so bad at it. I mean, I'm glad I don't write this thing because it would be like Scooby Doo. It would be it would be terrible.
So I've got this training now from growing up with it. Like I'm not joking when I said that, I was trying, like I was brought up watching these sorts of crime dramas. But with the first episode of series three was happening and my partner was so invested, and I just said, straight up, I said, about ten minutes into it, this is who did it, which turns out to be correct for viewers at home that have not seen this yet.
Just so you know, I got it in ten minutes, which I'm very really proud of, which I'm bringing up at the podcast.
Did you get the thing is though? Because did you get the how and the why? Because I think I mean this. I mean there's a couple of episodes, especially in season three, I think, where it can only be one of two people or you know, or maybe even one person. I'm thinking specifically about the first episode. I don't think that's a spoiler.
I hope that. I was listening to all your interviews this morning that you've been doing around the country all right, and you've actually dropped spoilers that ruin things. I was like, Wow, Chris is really good at this press stuff.
Yeah, No, I'm not. I'm not. I'm I'm going into trouble about it all the time, mate, I mean, honestly, oh man, honestly, I'm yeah. I mean I've been. I've had so many dressing downs, behind doors, behind closed doors. With the amount of spoilers, I'm dropping all over the place. I need some sort of more media training, I think. But yeah, no, but it's you know, it's who is not necessarily the hardest part of it, I think, although
that is fun. The fun part as well is the how and the why and when people get that as well. I mean, I'm constantly in aura them, really because I just don't know how they do it.
I heard they work backwards. I read this, I watched and I didn't read this, but that makes me sound way too intelligent. I watched a documentary on how original murder mysteries were always written backwards. They had the ending, they knew who it was, so they go backwards and then they can pepper the stuff in. So I think
that's kind of the genre. And I then read, sorry, read, I keep saying that when it's not true in actual fact, if in the process of shooting a movie or a TV series, where they decide to change who the murder is, which sometimes has happened with the network. The network's like,
you know, I think it should be this. They were talking about the fact that the show never works, you know, it's actually not good in the process of putting these sorts of shows together to whever change who did it in the you know, in the process because it doesn't make sense because the writer has obviously written it backwards.
I didn't know that. I mean, to me, that seems harder, doesn't it, Like something backwards that's like saying the alphabet backwards is much harder than saying it the right way.
I mean, maybe I get Christie walked backwards. I don't know.
Maybe that's where Now there's a show. There's a show, Miss Marvel, but miss Sepper up.
Joe. It's really great about season three as well. And I want to say this because there might be people listening to my podcast that will have not seen the show. And I felt watching the series was really funny because I think people jumping in at this point they don't need to know too much. Like it's it's the subtlety of the continuum of this character and this story is Pepper throughout the series, so we do fall in love with you and your story, but the episodes are still
quite contained, you know. So my partner was probably spoiled by going, oh, they're looking to foster someone, and then went back to the series one and saw you lose a baby, which was traumatic. But it's interesting to I think for people to jump in at this point not feel worried or need to go back.
Yeah, I think, and I think, you know, that's part of his strength. And also I think also it's I mean, I don't know if it's done on purpose or not, because they are standalone episodes, and I think they are both things you know, you can drift in and out of it and still kind of keep abreast of what's
going on. But also they are they work on different levels as well, in terms of the story the more emotional storylines, you know, and storylines where I don't know, for example, you know, the fostering storyline and the IVF storyline from season one, you know, And I think that's its strength as well. I think that it's both those things. There's stuff there if you want to just binge watch it, but then also if you're watching it as it's being transmitted.
People still do that then, you know, or you're watching it on catch up or whatever, you know, you can just dip in and out as well.
Yeah. I think it's interesting that you're on a show now that's so popular that when I was doing the research for this, I read people complaining in Australia that we're delayed. We get it, like I can't remember the exact amount of time, but you know you're on a good show when the complaint is we ain't getting it fast enough.
Yeah, us is the same as well. Actually, so I've read a couple of those complaints myself. Yeah. I think our season three ended about two three weeks ago, so yeah, so a few weeks behind the UK, but not too much really, and we begin filming again soon. I think I've got another spoiler that so.
I will hit that up into Daily Mail.
So was that?
And that after Daily Mail.
I'll recording again and sat in a big red chair. Yeah, So we get filming in there about a month so on season four, so we're so there's loads more coming.
Do you know what I like about talking to someone like you who's now synonymous with this particular character is what you think of this guy? Like would you be friends with him? And like what would you would you offer this guy any advice? Like I always think it's funny when you read about like Jennifer Aniston and her problems with Rachel Green from friends. You know, I always find that really interesting, you know.
I mean, yeah, I do like him. I like him as a person, and I've always tried to all throughout his tenure really both in Beyond Them and death is is. I've always tried to keep him disarming and yet armed at the same time. So never wanted to become any kind in any kind of a way a cynic, you know, because I think if you take if you become cynical.
And I struggle with this sometimes because you know, I never know how much he knows when he when he's when he says he doesn't know, or how how early on in the process he works it out and is the rest of the time is he toying with them? Is he trying to just drive the final nail into their proverbial coughin? You know, I'm sort of It's confusing for me, and I constantly deviate really between different ideas of where he is and how much is an affectation
and how much is pure intuition. So I don't know myself really the answer to that, I think I like to keep it like, I don't know, because I would hate him to become cynical. But I like the I love the fact how I think I've settled on the fact that he knows pretty early on, but he doesn't know how, and he doesn't know why, and so much like the audience, so I think he then enjoys the game and the puzzle because of that. It gives him a sort of playfulness which I really love. I don't
think I could give him any advice. Maybe stop wearing linen because it's I mean, they're not the most I mean, linen is not the most flattering of materials, you know, so so you know, for me, go for a bit more cut, my friend, that would be better. But but yeah, no, But as a as a person, I love his his naivety, his openness, and its moral compass as well. I think, you know, he's definitely got a lot more morality than
I do. He's a kinder person than I am. I think I think he's a kind of person the most.
Been pretty fine today. I don't know have I got you on a good day.
You're like sort of like some evil twin of sort of evil doppel ganger, sort of like that he's the angel and I'm the devil on the other side of the shoulder.
But you know, like I put yourself into these characters in a way as well.
I'm just a bit more cynical than he is, you know, and a bit more cynicorn.
That's what you've said, you don't want him to be.
Yeah, I know, I know, I don't want him to be more like me. I think I don't know. I mean, I'm sort of I'm sort of blastering over the correct but you know, he's a delightful person to play because of his lack of darkness, and I think you know he played and you know it's I mean, I know, I'm predominantly known for my comedy characters and or more lighthearted characters, but you know I have, especially on stage, played darker characters and more malevolent characters, and they bleed
into you. They do, especially when you're doing the mate is a week on stage for you know, the best part of six months. There is a certain dissimilation, you know, and they or osmosis, you know, they sort of they do bend, they sort of breathe into you know, they sort of infiltration, I think, and I think to play a character, and I think I've read other actors say
this as well. You know, especially actors you're playing sort of the darker characters that you know, does it gets difficult because there's a certain amount of stuff you take home with you when you're playing a character for fourteen hours a day, five or six days a week. So yeah, So he's a delight to play like that, and so I walk very easily with him by my side, you know, which is good because I've played him for the best part of twelve years.
So I love that this character is so fixated in my mind that you've watched the iconic character of Love actually sort of away, you know what I mean. Like it's so funny. Watching these character has made it harder for me, Like I haven't gone back and watched Love actually in a long time. So like, forgive me for maybe letting some of that go. But now this is who I think of you. I think of you as this guy.
That's lovely and Colin will always be. I mean, he's iconic, and you know, he's but he's of his time, definitely of his time. I mean, you could never make that movie.
Now, But I mean you could just pick up the character. Forgive me if I'm out of tap with maybe I don't get this all right, But he could be over in the US getting a divorce from one of those ladies that he was hooking up with in that scene, and he could be coming to Australia because he's heard that Aussie chicks are what's a good word, I'm gay, So I sound terrible when I say, what's a good word for hot? Chick'm terrible? The Gaussie chicks are hot. I don't know.
Yeah, I don't know either. I mean, you know I'm not walking that rope.
Yeah.
I mean I'm married as well, so you know I'm not.
You don't want to say anything either, Yeah, but I mean I can't.
I've been married fifteen years, you know, so you know I got off a long time ago.
I'll send that to them if they decided to go and do its equal to them.
I mean, you know, I don't know. The thing is, I'm not That's the point I think I'm trying to make is that I'm not sure if Colin would be able to do that anymore without some sort of journey of redemption, you know, and sort of you know, he's a number arc of redemption where where he fails and suddenly realizes that you know, they're not chicks, they're they're they're beautifully equal beings of you know, and all this kind of stuff, and you know, a modern slant on it,
which is, you know, not wrong and not right and not you know, any of those things. But I just think that the way things are made these days, he's definitely love Actually, it was a film of its time. It wouldn't days, i think, and the character of Colin was very much the same. But it's a joke, you know, the whole thing was it's it's the joke is on him in a way, and it's and it's a trope, isn't it. It's a trope that you know, a British accent open. There's a lot of doors in the uass
and so does an Aussie accent. You know. That's hence the joke, you know, that's why Richard wrote the character. I think so. And he's a part of my career and part of a very important part of my career. But it's also you know, it's a joy that I have had the opportunity to wash him away. As you said, you know.
That's great. I'm out of time and I'm about to get myself in trouble, and I hate cutting people off because I always feel like the best things that people give you is the stuff that comes off the back of the question. So I'm sorry for sort of cutting it down, but I leave the podcast with I always ask behind the scenes question, what's something from behind the scenes? And I was curious because I want something about this show.
And I was also after deep diving and watching so many of your interviews and seeing different hairstyles, I was curious about you have to wring them and say, by the way, I'm growing my hair out or I'm cutting it short, Like are you allowed to make those decisions without having tosult the A team?
You mean during filming?
No, not not just just like off season.
You know you'll know, Yeah, I mean, you know, and I've got a mustache at the moment, and yeah, mush.
Because your hair is very beautiful at the moment. Is that just to make sure that people know that you're a man like.
I think you know? But also it's it's kind of it's sort of it's one of those things you know, you spend six months of the year sort of because of continuity, you know as well, you know, and also as a guy, as you know, as I'm sure you're aware,
shaving bugs me. It bugs me. I hate I hate the daily shave, you know, and you know, I just to me that sort of personal topiary that you have to do, this thing you have to go through every day that you know, I just and six months are sitting in a makeup chair at six o'clock every morning, having a shave, you know, at the continuity haircut every week as my hair grows quick, and I just sort of turn into this hobo. Basically in my off season where Grug do you remember?
You're like in the off season, Grug, do you remember Grug? He was like just this hairball. Maybe Grug's the.
UK we got Stick of the dump.
Just say they're the same person.
It is, Uh, that's my touchstone, man.
But I've literally trained myself to not make any noise with laughing anymore when I'm doing these podcasts because it ruins the podcast. And now in real life I find that I'm laughing at people's jokes with no sound coming out laughter. For people are looking at me like, the fuck is coming with this guy? Why have you notice that Ben's been laughing with no sound?
Why can't he vocalizes laughter?
Because this is like episode five hundred and fifty. I worked out in the early hundreds. But if I was laughing over the top of these people that I I was cutting them off. So now I'm this I'm a mute laughter. Anyway, I've literally lost my mind. What a great way to end this podcast. Enjoy your time in Australia. I just waited so much for being so generous with
your time and talking with me about this show. And I hope that people are listening to this who haven't seen it give it a shot, and for the people who are invested. Season three is very good, animating.
Oh Ben, thank you. I've had the best time. Thank you. This is my favorite podcast.
Yeah you say that every time.
No, honestly, I've absolutely loved it. And you know, hello to everyone in Australia. I love Australia. I've had a great time there over the years and and hopefully continue to have them any more.
Have the best time. Yeah, enjoy really good show, Thank you again.
Amazing Thanks Ben,