Paradise heads Down Under
SMASH hit mystery series Death in Paradise is spawning a spin-off show set in Australia – featuring the franchise’s first female lead detective.
Return to Paradise will star Anna Samson as DI Mackenzie Clarke, who investigates a series of killings Down Under.
According to the broadcaster, the six-part series will have a “distinct Australian flair” while still paying homage to the original show.
It will debut on BBC One and iPlayer later this year.
BBC head of programme acquisition Sue Deeks has hinted that longtime fans of Death in Paradise will be delighted by the new series.
She said: “Everything we all love about Death in Paradise – the humour, the beautiful scenery, the likeable characters, the ingenious plots – now in a fabulous Australian setting. I cannot wait for BBC viewers to be introduced to Detective Mack and the good [and not so good] folk of Dolphin Cove. What a treat we have in store!”
Death in Paradise has run for 13 seasons since starting in 2011, and has become one of the BBC’s biggest ratings hits. Set on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie, it has featured male lead detectives played by stars Ben Miller, Kris Marshall, Ardal O’Hanlon and the recently departed Ralf Little.
In the new spin-off, DI Clarke will be forced to return to her homeland of Australia after being accused of tampering with evidence when working for the Metropolitan Police in London.
It will be the franchise’s second spin-off, after Kris’s DI Humphrey Goodman left sun-soaked Saint Marie for a new life in Devon in the series Beyond Paradise.
Australian actress Anna previously appeared in supernatural drama The Leftovers, and Australian soap Home and Away.
The news comes after star Ralf decided to leave Death in Paradise, with his character DI Neville Parker saying farewell to Saint Marie at the end of last month.
His departure shocked fans, with the BBC only confirming Ralf had left after the series finale aired on March 25.
The star told fans it was an “absolute privilege” to play Neville.
The BBC have yet to reveal who will replace his character in the Caribbean series.