Fans of Return to Paradise have expressed their delight following the release of a trailer for the forthcoming third season. Starring Home and Away actress Anna Samson as the franchise's first female DI, Return to Paradise launched in 2024, this time set in Australia.
Return to Dolphin Cove
After the success of Death in Paradise, which now stars Don Gilet in the leading role, and spin-off Beyond Paradise, which saw Kris Marshall return as Humphrey Goodman, Return to Paradise launched with DI Mackenzie Clarke solving crimes in her hometown of Dolphin Cove.
The crime comedy, which also features Lloyd Griffith and Tai Hara, is now preparing to launch its third series on ABC, with audiences thrilled by the first-look trailer. In the preview, DI Mackenzie returns to Dolphin Cove, where she's reunited with her mother and meets a new investigator joining her team.
Fans share their excitement
Her situation becomes more complex when her ex-fiancé reappears, hinting at a potential rekindling of their relationship. "She won't stop, until she finds the truth," the trailer concludes. Fans quickly took to social media to express their enthusiasm, with one posting: "So excited for this!!"
"I LOVE this show... I LOVE IT WHY AM I YELLING," another proclaimed, reports the Mirror. "Can't wait, so excited," a third agreed. Another viewer commented: "Omg yesssss! ! ! So excited for the new season Looks so amazing, I just know I'm going to absolutely love it!"
A further fan posted: "Omg yesss we are so bacckkkk." "Omg omg omg! ! ! Woohoo!" another exclaimed. Someone else contributed: "Yay finally I've been hoping for another series."
Anna Samson on making history
Actress Anna previously discussed accepting the role and making history as Death in Paradise's first female lead. Speaking to Metro before the first series aired, she said: "[I feel] different now to when it first started, I can't lie.
"When I first heard about my casting, it was nerve wracking and surreal taking the mantle from these wonderful, characterful detectives, but also these beloved, charismatic, male British actors. That's enough to make you a little crazy if you're not careful."
She continued: "I think back to when I got the phone call from my agent, there's this blissful, wonderful 24 hours where you're walking on sunshine a little bit, and then you go, 'Oh, s**t, I actually have to do it,' but I can't replicate anything to what those previous actors did."
"I bring me to the show, and that's not something I can help. And when you're shooting it, when you're on set, when you're working, you can't think about the franchise, or being the first female detective, or how people might perceive that. You just have to play the scenes and the truth of the scenes and along with the fear and the responsibility, there was, and there is, a huge amount of pride, and I was, and am, pleased as punch."
International adaptation announced
This follows the announcement that Death in Paradise is to receive its first international adaptation, combining crime-solving with a stunning backdrop, as the format is transplanted to the island of Brac, Croatia, set within a fictional island community. The Croatian version, titled Ubojstvo u raju, will be produced by a separate production company from that behind the BBC original.
The series will centre on an 'out of place' detective named Petar and a local policing team that includes Marina, whose intimate knowledge of the island will put his established methods to the test, according to Variety. Producers Bruno Mustic and Ivan Lovrecek told Variety that they were "very excited" to bring the show to Croatia.
In a joint statement, they said: "The series is one of the BBC's most successful programs, and with Ubojstvo u raju we will bring that same blend of murder mystery, humor, warmth and strong sense of place to Croatia. We want to adapt the series to Croatian culture, creating an authentically Croatian world with characters and cases rooted in Adriatic Island life."
Return to Paradise is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
