Filming finishes on Death in Paradise spin-off

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

Return to Paradise, the upcoming Death in Paradise spin-off set in Australia, has finished filming.

Former Home and Away actress Anna Samson, who plays the show's lead character DI Mackenzie Clarke, revealed the news on Instagram. Other key cast in the show include Lloyd Griffith (Ted Lasso), Tai Hara (Colin From Accounts), Catherine McClements (Total Control), Celia Ireland (Wentworth), Andrea Demetriades (The Artful Dodger) and Aaron McGrath (Gold Diggers). And Anna posted a picture with some of the cast, saying: "I got to spend the last three months with these three lads. I love them more than I can say. We wrapped our show this week and my heart is broken that they will no longer be contractually obliged to spend time with me."

Return to Paradise, which has been shot around Sydney and the Illawarra coastal region, follows Mackenzie Clarke, a high-ranking officer in the London Metropolitan Police, who's forced to return Down Under after being accused of tampering with evidence.

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." 

Beyond Paradise stars Kris Marshall as DI Humphrey Goodman and Sally Bretton as Martha

Beyond Paradise was the first Death in Paradise spin-off (Image credit: BBC)

Return to Paradise is the latest extension to the Death in Paradise universe. Beyond Paradise, which stars Kris Marshall as DI Humphrey Goodman, was the first spin-off and has proved a huge hit. Return to Paradise will be shown on BBC One in late 2024, while it's likely to head to BritBox in the US. It will be screened on ABC in Australia. Meanwhile, Death in Paradise season 14 will air next year.

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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!