Detective Sergeant Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson, Wake in Fright) will be back to solve crimes with her considerable wits and slightly less considerable social skills. Thankfully, Detective SC Colin Cartwright (Lloyd Griffith, Ted Lasso) will be by her side.
It sounds like a dream TV job, filming on an idyllic Caribbean island known for its golden beaches, waterfalls and rum distilleries. As Death in Paradise executive producer Tim Key says: “It’s the job for which people have the least sympathy in the world, quite rightly. It’s a lovely place to work, but it is hard work. It’s not all cocktails and sunsets.”
In Saint Marie, there’s a new sheriff in town, or rather, Detective Inspector. Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet, 55 Degrees North) made his first appearance in the 2024 Death in Paradise Christmas special, and his time on the island didn’t get off to the best start. Still reeling from the death of his estranged mum, Mervin is about ready to pack up his bags. That is, until a case lands on his desk that hits close to home for everyone in the station.
The show follows Anna Samson (Wake in Fright) as DI Mackenzie Clarke, an Australian ex-pat working for the London Metropolitan Police. When she gets accused of evidence tampering, the detective makes a return down under to her hometown, Dolphin Cove.
“My dad always told me you can change the world with drama, particularly new writing, and I would reply: ‘You can’t.’”
Polly Hill speaks fondly of her father, the veteran actor Dave Hill, whose long list of stage, film and TV credits testifies to his half-century in the business, and who used to take his teenage daughter weekly to the theatre for inspiration. “Then Mr Bates came along. My dad’s nearly 80 now, and he took delight in saying: ‘See, I told you.’”
The show follows three new recruits to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). For Grace, Annie and Tommy, every day is different, and none are easy. The first series followed them on their probation period as they got to grips with the job, including dealing with the criminal McIntyre gang.
The first series of the hit Death in Paradise spin-off followed Detective Inspector Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) as he left the Caribbean for the Devonshire Coast, swapping 'Saint Marie' for 'Shipton Abbott'.
The fictional hometown of his wife-to-be, Martha Lloyd (Sally Bretton), is set in and around the picturesque Devonshire Coast, and Marshall is happy to return: "'Shipton Abbott' is such a wonderful location to call home for a while.
The BBC has announced a release date for new detective comedy drama Beyond Paradise, reviving Death in Paradise character and fan favourite DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall).
The new series explores DI Humphrey's life back in the UK with another familiar face from the original show, Martha Lloyd (Sally Bretton). Martha and Humphrey are now engaged to be married following the emotional climax between the two in Death in Paradise series six.
