Production is now underway on the second season of Return to Paradise, the BBC drama set on the Australian coast and spun off from its long-running crime series Death in Paradise. The new season will feature six episodes and bring back several core cast members, along with a slate of guest appearances, including a return from Death in Paradise actor Ardal O’Hanlon.
Filming is taking place around Sydney, with Anna Samson returning as Detective Sergeant Mackenzie Clarke. The series follows Clarke’s return to her hometown, Dolphin Cove, where she balances personal tensions with professional investigations. Season one ended with unresolved feelings between Clarke and her former fiancé, Glenn, who confessed he still had feelings for her just as he was preparing to marry someone else. That storyline will continue in the upcoming season.
The BBC has confirmed that the second series will air on BBC One and be available on iPlayer. Returning cast members include Lloyd Griffith, Tai Hara, Catherine McClements, Celia Ireland, Andrea Demetriades, and Aaron McGrath. The BBC also revealed that Ardal O’Hanlon will reprise his role as DI Jack Mooney, last seen in Death in Paradise, marking his first appearance in the spin-off.
Season two will introduce a series of new murder cases across contrasting environments, including the literary world, shark research facilities, online dating circles, and music events. According to the official synopsis, Clarke and her team will face these cases while she continues to adjust to her role in a town where she remains a social outsider.
Guest appearances across the season include Danielle Cormack, Meyne Wyatt, Roz Hammond, Justine Clarke, Michelle Lim Davidson, Greg Stone, Zoe Carides, Simon Lyndon, Miah Madden, and musician Tim Rogers, known as the lead singer of You Am I.
Return to Paradise premiered in November 2024 and was created by James Hall, Peter Mattessi, and Robert Thorogood. Thorogood is also the creator of Death in Paradise, the Caribbean-set detective series that has been on air for 14 series and featured five lead actors. The original show became known for its rotating leads and its consistent structure of weekly investigations set against a tropical backdrop.
The new series is part of a larger BBC initiative that has expanded the fictional universe known informally within the broadcaster as the “Paraverse.” Other entries include Beyond Paradise, which stars Kris Marshall and is set in the UK. That series shifts the tone toward character-driven stories while continuing to center on crime-solving plots.
By placing Clarke in Australia, Return to Paradise adds a new geographic setting while keeping familiar structural elements. The storylines emphasize her displacement—returning to a town she once left behind, navigating former relationships, and finding her footing in a police department where local dynamics influence investigations.
BBC programming executives have positioned Return to Paradise as a continuation of the network’s investment in light crime drama with ongoing character arcs. The combination of returning favorites and new characters is expected to extend its appeal across viewers already familiar with the parent series and those drawn to a fresh setting.