Death in Paradise fans have exit fears after premiere

The detective show returned to screens tonight.

By George Lewis

6 Jan 2023

death in paradise s12,06 01 2023,1,l r sophie chambers chelsea edge, di neville parker ralf little,red planet pictures,denis guyenon

BBC

Death in Paradise series 12 episode 1 spoilers follow.

Death in Paradise fans have taken to social media to express their worries about a potential exit for a major character.

The BBC detective series returned to screens on Friday (January 6), with DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little) solving a case where an astronomer fell to his death.

It wasn’t just the central mystery that captivated viewers, however, with Neville and Sophie Chambers (Chelsea Edge) sharing a drink and a kiss on the beach at the end of episode. Sophie is only supposed to be back on the island for a few days, lending questions about the new couple's future.

With their relationship blossoming, the show’s official Twitter account encouraged fans to get behind the happy couple, asking: “So... what ship name are we going with for Neville and Sophie?”, with names including ‘Charker’ and ‘Nophie’ coming up.

Some fans, however, were nervous at the prospect of this relationship changing the circumstances of the character’s lives, with one user asking: “So does that mean Neville will be leaving the island & we get a new inspector??”

Another fan also referenced the previous departure of Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall), who departed in series six to live with girlfriend, Martha Lloyd: “So I take it Neville will do a Humphrey and move back home with Sophie in the near future,” they wrote.

Another agreed: "I hope Sophie being a love interest doesn't mean Neville is leaving #DeathInParadise"

So... what ship name are we going with for Neville and Sophie? #DeathInParadise pic.twitter.com/sthizc4Rsi
— Death in Paradise (@deathinparadise) January 6, 2023

Little has played Neville since 2020, joining the show in the ninth series after Ardal O’Hanlon’s spell as Jack Mooney.

Marshall, who played Humphrey from 2014 is 2017, is due to reprise his role as the character in the upcoming spin-off show, Beyond Paradise. Instead of the Caribbean, the locations for the detective’s latest investigations will be on British soil, with writer Tony Jordan saying the show will offer the same “uplifting escapism.”

“It’s got the same uplifting escapism as Death in Paradise, and a puzzle to work out in every episode,” he said. “he way we differentiate it is, it’s not always murder, and the way we do our reveal has changed. We’ve taken the good stuff, and we’ve added to it, and made it slightly different.”

Death in Paradise airs on Friday nights at 9pm on BBC One; the spin-off, Beyond Paradise, is currently in production.