Return to Paradise: Release date speculation and cast for Death in Paradise spin-off
The Death in Paradise franchise is going Down Under.
Death in Paradise fans, it's time to get excited for a brand new spin-off series and this time round, we're venturing even further afield than Saint Marie and Shipton Abbott.
Return to Paradise will be unfolding in Australia in the fictional town of Dolphin Cove, where we're set to follow the franchise's first female lead detective, DI Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson).
While Death in Paradise has now reached its season 13 end with a new detective on its horizons, and Beyond Paradise continues to pull in viewers with its mysteries, this new series will follow an entirely new cast in a new setting with some new crimes ahead of us.
With a first-look image of Samson's Mackenzie Clarke having now been revealed, fans are growing even more excited for the new series, which will be landing on our screens this year.
Read on for everything you need to know about Return to Paradise, including who is confirmed to star alongside Anna Samson.
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Return to Paradise release date speculation
While the BBC haven't confirmed an exact release date for Return to Paradise just yet, we do know that the series will be premiering sometime this year.
Filming has now kicked off on the series and will continue across various locations throughout Sydney and the stunning Illawarra coastal region.
The series will consist of six episodes and will air in the UK on BBC One and iPlayer, and then on ABC and ABC iview in Australia later this year.
Return to Paradise cast: Who's set to star in Death in Paradise spin-off?
It wouldn't quite be a Death in Paradise series without a lead detective thrust into a sunnier climate slightly against their will now, would it?
Well, the new series marks the first female lead detective for the 'Paraverse', with Anna Samson leading the cast as DI Mackenzie Clarke. Samson is joined by Tai Hara (Home and Away) as Mackenzie's ex-fiancée Glenn, who Mackenzie awkwardly left at the altar.
The rest of the cast includes Lloyd Griffith (Ted Lasso), Catherine McClements (Total Control), Celia Ireland (Wentworth), Andrea Demetriades (Mother and Son) and Aaron McGrath (Gold Diggers).
Of course, there will be plenty of guest stars to look forward to, we're sure, as Mackenzie gets underway with investigating crimes in Dolphin Cove.
The confirmed cast list for Return to Paradise is as follows:
- Anna Samson as DI Mackenzie Clarke
- Tai Hara as Glenn
- Lloyd Griffith
- Catherine McClements
- Celia Ireland
- Andrea Demetriades
- Aaron McGrath
Who is Anna Samson? Actress who plays DI Clarke in Return to Paradise
Samson is leading the cast as DI Mackenzie Clarke, but the UK-born Australian actress is best known for her role in Home and Away as Mia Anderson.
She is also known for her roles in Australian crime thriller series Dead Lucky, as well as Australian miniseries Wake in Fright. She has also starred in Hunters and Jack Irish.
What is Return to Paradise about?
Like Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise, we can expect Return to Paradise to take us on quite the criminal ride as we follow the inhabitants of Dolphin Cove and the crimes that happen in the area.
Not only that, but we can expect to get some serious insight into Mackenzie's life and her hometown as she's forced to confront her past while investigating some cases at the local police station.
According to the synopsis: "Return to Paradise follows DI Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson), an Australian ex-pat who’s made a name for herself in London’s Metropolitan Police for cracking uncrackable murder cases. When she is accused of tampering with evidence, Mackenzie returns to Australia, back to the last place she ever wanted to be – her hometown of Dolphin Cove.
"Having fled the town six years ago, infamously leaving her ex- fiancée Glenn (Tai Hara) at the altar, Mackenzie is not welcome here.
"But with no other job options, and a unique talent for solving a mystery, no matter how challenging, a reluctant Mack joins the team at Dolphin Cove Police Station."
It continues: "Once a case lands on her desk, she can’t rest until she’s figured it out, and the killer is in handcuffs. It’s that tenacity and work ethic that might just, over time, help Mackenzie win over her new colleagues, and the people of Dolphin Cove."
Is there a trailer for Return to Paradise?
Not yet! Seeing as we've got our first look image, we'd expect there to be plenty more pictures to come as filming gets underway over the coming months and, hopefully soon, a trailer.
We'll be sure to update this article as soon as a trailer gets released.
Return to Paradise will air on BBC One and iPlayer.
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