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Return to Paradise star says having a female detective "doesn’t change the DNA of the show"

Anna Samson takes the lead as DI Mackenzie Clarke in Return to Paradise.

Anna Samson as DI Mackenzie Clarke looking into her car with a blank look on her face where a dog sits, with the beach and sea in the background.

BBC

Published: Monday, 18 November 2024 at 9:00 pm

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The 'Paraverse' is expanding, and while we wait patiently for the returns of Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise, Return to Paradise is actually the first spin-off to feature a female lead.

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Speaking to Radio Times magazine about leading the series as DI Mackenzie Clarke, Anna Samson said: "There’s a pressure and a joy.

"I’m taking up the mantle from very beloved male British actors. I’m different to that – I can’t emulate what they did, I can’t copy or mimic them. I bring me to the show.

"Thinking about being the first female detective and the size and success of the franchise between 'action' and 'cut' is not helpful. You have to put it to the side and play the scene."

Return to Paradise cast gathered by the beach

Return to Paradise. BBC

She continued: "I actually think that being a female detective doesn’t change the DNA of the show. Not at all. It’s a significant cultural move; setting it in Australia changes it more than having a female lead.

"I have a great amount of pride – and I’m as pleased as punch to be playing Mackenzie."

The series is set to transport viewers to Australia as we follow the detective as she reluctantly returns to her hometown after spending a number of years living and working in London.

Starring alongside Samson are Tai Hara, Lloyd Griffith, Catherine McClements, Celia Ireland, Andrea Demetriades and Aaron McGrath.

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According to the synopsis: "Return to Paradise follows DI Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson), an Australian expat who’s made a name for herself in London’s Metropolitan Police for cracking uncrackable murder cases.

"When she is accused of tampering with evidence, Mackenzie returns to Australia, back to the last place she ever wanted to be – her hometown of Dolphin Cove.

"Having fled the town six years ago, infamously leaving her ex-fiancé 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."

It continues: "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."

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Return to Paradise will air on BBC One and iPlayer on Friday 22nd November.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Morgan Cormack, smiling against a lime green background

Morgan CormackDrama Writer

Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.

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