The BBC has announced that filming has commenced on Return to Paradise, a new spin-off of the popular murder mystery series Death in Paradise. The six-part series will be set in Australia and feature the franchise’s first female lead detective, DI Mackenzie Clarke, played by Anna Samson.
Samson, known for her roles in Dead Lucky and Wake in Fright, will be joined by an ensemble cast, including Lloyd Griffith, Tai Hara, Catherine McClements, Celia Ireland, Andrea Demetriades, and Aaron McGrath.
Return to Paradise follows DI Mackenzie Clarke, an Australian expat who has made a name for herself in London’s Metropolitan Police for solving “uncrackable murder cases”. However, she finds herself forced to return to her hometown of Dolphin Cove, Australia, under a cloud of suspicion, having been accused of tampering with evidence.
The series is produced by BBC Studios Productions Australia and Red Planet Pictures for the ABC in association with the BBC. It will air on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK and will be distributed globally by BBC Studios.
Co-creator and Executive Producer Peter Mattessi expressed his excitement, stating: “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.”
