Huge BBC spin-off show set to return for a second series – and it is just days away
It comes after season one ended on a huge cliffhanger
A HUGE BBC spin-off show is set to return for a second series – and its transmission date has finally been revealed.
The Aussie-based series – which began filming Down Under earlier this year – will hit screens on October 31.
Return to Paradise is the BBC’s spin off to hit drama Death In Paradise – with the second instalment confirmed back in April.
With the first series ending in a cliffhanger, fans will do doubt be on the edge of their seats to see what comes next.
The programme stars the show’s first female lead, Anna Samson, who plays Detective Mackenzie Clarke.
Celia Ireland, best known for her roles in Wentworth and All Saints, plays the role of police volunteer Reggie Rocco, the franchise’s first LGBTQ+ main character.
Joining Anna as her sidekick is British actor Lloyd Griffith, who plays Detective Senior Constable Colin Cartwright.
The series also features Glenn Strong played by Tai Hara (Home and Away, Colin from Accounts), and PC Felix Wilkinson played by Aaron McGrath (Gold Diggers, Preppers).
At the end of season one, socially awkward Mackenzie overheard her ex-fiancé Glenn saying he still loves her.
Now BBC bosses have teased what’s to come and said: “Series two will reunite us with Detective Sergeant Mackenzie ‘Mack’ Clarke, who’s longing to get back to the UK and the life she’s always craved.
“But for now she’s stuck in Dolphin Cove, dodging her ex-fiancée Glenn’s upcoming wedding after overhearing his unexpected declaration of love in the series one finale – a confession that she can’t unhear.”
They added: “Luckily for Mack, her compulsion to solve impossible cases serves as a great distraction, and there’s no shortage of murders to investigate.
“From the literary world to state-of-the-art shark labs, dating apps and rock concerts, Mack and her team face challenging mysteries with their unique blend of humour and tenacity.
“But Mack’s biggest challenge of all?
“Finding a way to exist in Dolphin Cove as the ultimate outsider.”
Guest stars for the new instalment are Danielle Cormack, Meyne Wyatt, Roz Hammond, Justine Clarke, Michelle Lim Davidson, Greg Stone, Zoe Carides, Simon Lyndon, Miah Madden and You Am I singer Tim Rogers.
Tim Key, Executive Producer, Red Planet Pictures said of the show comeback: “We were delighted that the world took Mack and the rest of the Australian team to their hearts and it’s a pleasure to be back on the beat with the wonderful cast and crew Down Under.
“We can promise another series full of ingenious murders, romantic complications and glorious Australian locations, all infused with the unique warmth and humour of the Paradise shows.”
Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisitions added: “More than five million UK viewers took the trip to Dolphin Cove last year, and I’m so pleased that we will soon be heading back Down Under to join Mack and the team for six fiendishly clever and wonderfully entertaining new cases.”
The show launched in Australia during September 2024 and arrived in the UK that November.
FEMALES FIRST
Previously, series star Anna praised the format shake-up compared to other Paradise shows – of Mackenzie being a female lead detective.
She said: “I think the viewers and the fans of the franchise, I think we trust them.
“I think they’re totally ready for a female detective. I really trust that the audience are going to embrace, certainly, a lead female detective.
“I think we have to trust our audiences to move with the times and to come along on the journey with us, because the DNA of the show hasn’t changed, you know.”
Return to Paradise’s second season will air on Friday, October 31 at 8pm on BBC One.
