Return to Paradise: everything we know about the Death in Paradise spin-off

Return to Paradise's DI Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson)
Return to Paradise's DI Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson) (Image credit: BBC/John Platt)

Return to Paradise is a new Death in Paradise spin-off starring former Home and Away actress Anna Samson as London Metropolitan police officer DI Mackenzie Clarke who's forced to return home to Australia.

It's the second Death in Paradise spin-off, following on from the success of Beyond Paradise, which sees Kris Marshall returning to his role as DI Humphrey Goodman as he enjoys a new life in Devon with partner Martha.

The new show is six parts and has started filming across Sydney and the idyllic Illawarra coastal region. Here's everything we know...

Return to Paradise release date

Return to Paradise will air on BBC One in late 2024 it's been confirmed although we don't have an exact date. It will probably head to BritBox in the US, while it will be screened on ABC in Australia.

What's the plot?

Humphrey was introduced to DI Neville Parker

Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise have crossed over, will Return to Paradise join in the fun in the "The Paraverse"?! (Image credit: BBC)

Meet Mackenzie Clarke, a high-ranking officer in the London Metropolitan Police. She's of course known for being brilliant at solving tricky cases. But she's forced to return home to Australia after being accused of tampering with evidence.

The main twist here on Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise is we are following the adventures of a female detective, rather than a male cop. Mack returns to her childhood home of Dolphin Cove, which is stunningly beautiful and a place that she loathes!

The makers tease: "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." 

Return to Paradise cast

Anna Samson (Dead Lucky, Wake in Fright, Home and Away) stars as Mackenzie Clarke. Other key cast includes Lloyd Griffith (Ted Lasso, Nolly), Tai Hara (Home and Away, Colin From Accounts, Austin), Catherine McClements (Total Control, Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries), Celia Ireland (Wentworth, Total Control), Andrea Demetriades (Mother and Son, The Artful Dodger) and Aaron McGrath (Gold Diggers, Preppers).  

Is Dolphin Cove a real place?

Yes, there’s a place called Dolphin Cove in Australia. Dolphin Cove though isn't a town but rather a beautiful beach which is a tourist attraction in the Cape Arid National Park in Western Australia. There was also an American TV series called Dolphin Cove, which ran for one series in 1989, and was also set in Australia.

Is there a trailer?

No not yet!

David Hollingsworth
Editor

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.

Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough. 

David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.

Other than watching and writing about telly, David loves playing cricket, going to the cinema, trying to improve his tennis and chasing about after his kids!