Exciting news for Australian fans of Death in Paradise
The BBC has announced that filming is already underway on its new series Return to Paradise, a spin-off of the highly successful murder mystery series Death in Paradise.
Filming is already underway in Sydney and along the beautiful Illawarra coast in New South Wales. The series will consist of six parts and will have a distinctive Australian feel, while still paying homage to the original series.
It is produced by BBC Studios Productions Australia with Red Planet Pictures for the ABC in partnership with the BBC, who will air the series on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK.
Who is in it?
This series will have the first lead female detective, Mackenzie Clarke who is played by Anna Samson (Dead Lucky, Home and Away). She will be joined by an impressive ensemble cast, many of whom are already familiar faces to viewers of Australian television; Lloyd Griffith (Ted Lasso, Nolly), Tai Hara (Colin From Accounts), Catherine McClements (Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries), Celia Ireland (Wentworth), Andrea Demetriades (Mother and Son), and Aaron McGrath (Gold Diggers).
What is it about?
Return to Paradise revolves around DI Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson), an Australian detective who had carved herself an impressive career in London’s Metropolitan Police with a reputation for solving uncrackable murder cases. When she finds herself unjustly accused of evidence tampering, she packs her bags and heads back to her hometown of Dolphin Cove. She is not welcomed back with open arms though, as Mackenzie left the town under a cloud years previously after leaving her fiancé Glen at the altar.
Mack joins the Police at Dolphin Cove Police Station and returns to doing what she does best, slowly starting to win over the residents of Dolphin Cove again with her crime-solving expertise.
Co-Creator and Executive Producer Peter Mattessi says:
“I’m beyond excited to welcome Producer Di Haddon and our two fabulous directors
Mat King and Tenika Smith, who are coming together with our amazing cast to bring the world of
Return se to life. We are having so much fun creating this brand-new mystery series that brings an Australian twist to one of the globe’s most successful television franchises. We think audiences in Australia, UK and around the world are going to fall in love with our wonderful characters, our delicious whodunits, and our gorgeous coastal Australian locations.”
When will it be released?
Return to Paradise will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK, and ABC and ABC iview later this year in Australia. It will then be distributed globally by BBC Studios.