The ‘Paradise’-verse is expanding with another Death in Paradise spin-off hitting screens this week.
Return to Paradise takes viewers on a trip down under to Australia, with the land of roos, marsupials and Kylie Minogue crossing over with the beloved crime drama.
Here’s all you need to know about Return to Paradise.
Where was Return to Paradise filmed?
Return to Paradise is set in the fictional coastal town of Dolphin Cove.
While there is actually a beach called Dolphin Cove in Australia’s Cape Arid National Park, filming for the series actually took place across the Illawarra region of New South Wales.
The area is situated to the south of Sydney, with the city’s beaches also being used for filming.
Locations in the Illawarra region included Sea Cliff Bridge Austinmer, Stanwell Park, Coledale Beach, Thirroul Village and Wombarra Bowlo.
Not every key location could be filmed in Illawarra, with the surf club shot in Bilgola on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, and DI MacKenzie’s house located in Avalon.
Director Mat King expects audiences to be ‘excited’ by the locations. ‘It’s Australia, but not in a classic way. We don’t have kangaroos, we don’t have koalas. We’ve got sun and surf and blue skies, the beaches, the forests, the cliffs, but we’re not seeing the red deserts,’ he says.
How to watch Return to Paradise?
All six episodes of Return to Paradise will be available on BBC iPlayer from 6am on Friday, November 22, with the series airing weekly on BBC One from 8pm each Friday.
The final episode of the series is set to air on Friday, December 27.
What is Return to Paradise about?
Return to Paradise follows DI MacKenzie Clarke, an Australian expat who’s made a name for herself in London’s Metropolitan Police for solving the most difficult murder cases.
When her life in London begins to unravel following a workplace blunder, she returns to Australia, after fleeing her hometown of Dolphin Cove six years before when she ditched her fiancé at the altar.
As a murder mystery unfolds, Clarke also finds her personal life spiralling out of control as she battles to find the culprit.
Check out the trailer below to get a glimpse of the drama.
Who is in the cast?
Return to Paradise features a mix of Aussie and British actors.
Anna Samson takes the lead as Clarke. She has previously appeared as Mia Anderson in Home and Away.
Lloyd Griffith plays Colin Cartwright, a British police officer who has lived in Dolphin Cove for five years and struggles to accept DI MacKenzie’s authority. The actor has previously appeared in Ted Lasso and ITV drama Nolly.
Tai Hara (Colin From Accounts) stars as Mackenzie’s ex-fiancé Glenn.
Catherine McClements portrays DI Mackenzie’s boss º– and her ex-fiancée’s mother – Senior Sergeant Philomena Strong.
Father Ted star Ardal O’Hanlon reprises his Death in Paradise role as Detective Inspector Jack Mooney.
When will Death in Paradise return?
Fans of the original show will be thrilled to know that Death in Paradise will soon be back on screens.
A festive special episode will air this Christmas with Don Gilet (EastEnders) making his debut as DI Mervin Wilson, and a brand-new series will follow in 2025.
Spin-off series Beyond Paradise will also return for a Christmas special and a third season, with actor Kris Marshall returning.
Where is Death in Paradise filmed? Locations behind BBC series.