BBC, ABC embark on Return to Paradise
FIRST LOOK: Anna Samson plays the first female detective in the Death in Paradise universe, starring as Mackenzie Clarke in upcoming Australian spin-off Return to Paradise.
Filming is now underway on the series, which is shooting in locations across Sydney and the Illawarra coastal region, giving the six-part crime series a distinctive feel while also paying tribute to the ‘Paraverse.’
It follows Samson’s DI Clarke, an Australian ex-pat who has 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. 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.
The cast also includes Lloyd Griffith, Catherine McClements, Celia Ireland, Andrea Demetriades and Aaron McGrath.
The series is produced by BBC Studios Productions Australia with Red Planet Pictures for the ABC in association with the BBC. It is due to launch on ABC and ABC iview in Australia later this year, before arriving in the UK on BBC One and iPlayer.
It is co-created and executive produced by Peter Mattessi, James Hall and Robert Thorogood, and produced by Di Haddon. It is directed by Mat King and Tenika Smith.
Executive producers for BBC Studios Productions Australia are Kylie Washington and Warren Clarke, for Red Planet Pictures Belinda Campbell and Tim Key, and for ABC are Rachel Okine and Brett Sleigh.
The series is distributed globally by BBC Studios.
Death in Paradise first launched in 2011, following by its UK spin-off Beyond Paradise in 2023.
tagged in: ABC, Anna Samson, BBC One, BBC Studios Productions Australia, Death in Paradise, Red Planet Pictures, Return to Paradise