Return to Paradise stars Anna Samson, who plays DI Mackenzie Clarke and Lloyd Griffith, who plays Detective Colin Cartwright, have paid a tribute to Death in Paradise detective Ardal O’Hanlon.
Ardal returns to the spin-off as Detective Jack Mooney and will serve as Mackenzie’s boss.
Other cast members include Tai Hara as Glenn Strong, Celia Ireland, and Aaron McGrath as Police volunteer Reggie Rocco and PC Felix Wilkinson, respectively. Catherine McClements and Andrea Demetriades also star in the series.
Despite not meeting Ardal during filming, Anna expressed her delight at his involvement in the spin-off. The actress shared: “We can expect Ardal to make more than one appearance than just in the first episode because he plays my boss back at the Metropolitan Police.
“I am in constant contact with him, trying to figure out when I can get out of Dolphin Cove and come back to London. So he’s quite an important character to Mackenzie, he is her boss and someone she is friends with and respects.”
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Colin and Mackenzie in Return to Paradise (Image: BBC)
She continued: “So the show, without being a carbon copy of the original, has lots of tips of the hat to the original, not just with the characters but even certain shots are paying homage to the original, like on the beach with the suitcase and not [wearing] an appropriate outfit for the . That is certainly a wink and a nod to the original.
“I didn’t get to meet Ardal because he shot his stuff in London and my stuff in Australia. I want to meet all of [the Death in Paradise cast]. I think it is something about playing the lead detective in a Paradise show, so I want to talk to them; I would love to meet them all.”
Sharing his thoughts on Ardal featuring in the spin-off, Lloyd said he had worked with the actor before.
“I have gigged with Ardal separately as a comedian, and that was mind-blowing,” he said fondly about his co-star. “I still get giddy when I watch the first episode, this is Ardal O’Hanlon.”
When referring to Ardal’s return, he added: “I think fans will be excited.”
Ardal O’Hanlon features in Return to Paradise (Image: BBC)
The synopsis for the first episode reads: “Return to Paradise follows DI Mackenzie Clarke, an Australian ex-pat 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-fiancee Glenn 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.
“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.”
Return to Paradise airs on Friday at 8pm on One.