About the character
James Smith is a returning figure in Shipton Abbott whose appearances link several episodes to the same wider community. His page focuses on credited appearances rather than inventing an unsupported chronology.
Place in the series
James Smith appears across Series 4. The table below keeps every currently verified regular-episode credit together without revealing a culprit or case solution.
Verified appearances
| Series | Episode | First UK broadcast | Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series 4 | 1 | 27 March 2026 | A novelist’s final plot |
| Series 4 | 3 | 10 April 2026 | A Morris event emergency |
| Series 4 | 5 | 24 April 2026 | The Green Man and an off-grid fire |
| Series 4 | 6 | 1 May 2026 | Fire at the pirate festival |
About Vincent Franklin
Vincent Franklin is an English actor who trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and has become one of British television's most dependable character performers. He is especially known for political and institutional satire, as spin doctor Stewart Pearson in The Thick of It (2007-2012) and Olympic official Nick Jowett in Twenty Twelve (2011-2012). His drama work includes Andy Shepherd in Happy Valley (2016-2023), Mike Travis in Bodyguard (2018), Drawlight in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2015), Henry Best in Cucumber and Banana (2015), Christopher Rawson in Gentleman Jack (2019) and the Prime Minister in The War Between the Land and the Sea (2025). He is also a regular in Mike Leigh's films, including Topsy-Turvy (1999), Vera Drake (2004), Mr Turner (2014) and Peterloo (2018). In Beyond Paradise series 4 (2026) he plays James Smith, the new senior officer who replaces Chief Superintendent Charlie Woods.
Vincent Franklin TV shows and films
- The Thick of It (2007-2012, Stewart Pearson)
- Twenty Twelve (2011-2012, Nick Jowett)
- Happy Valley (2016-2023, Andy Shepherd)
- Bodyguard (2018, Mike Travis)
- Gentleman Jack (2019, Christopher Rawson)
- Beyond Paradise (2026, James Smith)