Return to Paradise series 2: Everything we know including plot, cast, start date and location
By Helen Fear | Wed Apr 23 2025Return to Paradise will be returning to BBC One with a series 2, we can finally reveal.
After months of waiting, the Beeb has confirmed that the Death in Paradise spin-off is happening, and is currently in production.
The first series ended in November 2024, after six episodes. And fans have had to hang on a whole six months for an update on the Australian-set detective series. That's like the equivalent of forever in TV years!
Here's everything we know so far about Return to Paradise series 2, including plot, start date, cast, and location.
Is there a series 2 of Return to Paradise coming to BBC One?
Yes, the BBC has announced that series 2 of Return to Paradise IS happening and will be coming to BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Filming is now underway in Australia.
The spin-off to the global smash-hit Death in Paradise, will pick up where we left off with Detective Sergeant Mackenzie 'Mack' Clarke, and her team.
Tim Key, Executive Producer of Red Planet Pictures, said: "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."
What's the plot?
Series 2 of Return to Paradise will reunite us with Detective Sergeant Mackenzie 'Mack' Clarke (Anna Samson), who's still longing to get back to the UK and the life she's always craved. Sound familiar, DI Mervin Wilson?
Fans of the first series will know that Mack - the former golden girl of the London Metropolitan police force - is suddenly forced to up sticks and move back to her childhood home of Dolphin Cove after being suspended.
Seres 2 finds her still stuck in Dolphin Cove, where she 's dodging her ex-fiancée Glenn (Tai Hara). Or more specifically, his upcoming wedding. In the series 1 finale, Mack overheard Glenn's unexpected declaration of love - a confession that she can't unhear.
A synopsis tells us: "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."
Where is the detective drama filmed?
Produced by BBC Studios Productions Australia and Red Planet Pictures for the ABC in Australia, the whodunit drama is filming once again in the idyllic Illawarra coastal region, Sydney's northern beaches, and across the city.
Although Return to Paradise is set in the beachside hamlet of Dolphin Cove, it's not a real place in Australia (although there IS a Dolphin Cove in Jamaica).
Kylie Washington, EVP and General Manager of Global Entertainment, BBC Studios Australia and New Zealand, said: "We're delighted that audiences have taken Mack and the rest of the Return to Paradise team to their hearts. Our beautiful beach and bush have provided the perfect backdrop for intriguing, entertaining mysteries with a distinctly Australian twist that have been enjoyed by audiences in 99 countries around the world."
How many episodes is it?
Return to Paradise series 2 will be an "intriguing and entertaining six-part series", says the BBC.
Like the first series, each episode will be one hour long with no ads. Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisitions, said: "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."
What's the start date of Return to Paradise series 2? How can I watch it?
The Beeb has not yet confirmed the start date for Return to Paradise series 2, but we're confident it will land sometime in 2025.
If series 1 is anything to go by, the second run could land in November 2025.
Who's back in the cast?
Anna Samson is back leading the cast as Detective Sergeant Mackenzie 'Mack' Clarke, described as "super smart, hyper-vigilant and socially awkward". She was previously best known for playing Mia Anderson in Home and Away, a role she played from 2021 to 2022.
Lloyd Griffith will also return in Return to Paradise series 2 as DSC Colin Cartwright. He's one of very few Brits who appear in the cast, and is probably best known for playing Lloyd in Ted Lasso.
Australian actor Tai Hara returns as Glenn Strong. Like Anna, he's a former Home and Away star. He played Andy Barrett for three years, from 2013. More recently, he's starred as James in Colin from Accounts, and Barman Luke in Austin.
Catherine McClements, Celia Ireland, Andrea Demetriades, and Aaron McGrath will also return.
Who guest stars in Return to Paradise series 2?
Like series 1, each episode of Return to Paradise series 2 will feature a host of guest stars.
These will including popular Australian screen stars Danielle Cormack, Meyne Wyatt, Roz Hammond, Justine Clarke, Michelle Lim Davidson, Greg Stone, Zoe Carides, Simon Lyndon, and Miah Madden.
Tim Rogers, the lead singer of rock band You Am I, will also guest star in an upcoming episode.
Ardal O’Hanlon will return as Mack's London colleague DI Jack Mooney, a role he reprised in two episodes of Return to Paradise series 1. Of course, fans of the Paraverse will know that DI Jack Mooney was the detective on Saint Marie between 2017 and 2020.
Read more: Who was Denis Guyenon? BBC One honours him in end-of-credits tribute of Death in Paradise series 14
