Series synopsis
Return to Paradise is an Australian crime mystery drama television series that premiered on ABC TV on September 8, 2024. It was created by Peter Mattessi, Robert Thorogood, James Hall, Fredsters. It stars Anna Samson, Lloyd Griffith, Tai Hara and Catherine McClements.
DI Mackenzie Clarke is forced to leave London under a cloud of suspicion and return to the last place she ever wanted to be, her hometown of Dolphin Cove, Australia where her tenacity and work ethic helps her solve murder mysteries.
Premise
DI Mackenzie Clarke is forced to leave London under a cloud of suspicion and return to the last place she ever wanted to be, her hometown of Dolphin Cove, Australia where her tenacity and work ethic helps her solve murder mysteries.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Anna Samson as DI Mackenzie Clarke
- Lloyd Griffith as DSC Colin Cartwright
- Tai Hara as Glenn Strong
- Catherine McClements as Senior Sergeant Philomena Strong
- Celia Ireland as Reggie Rocco
- Aaron L. McGrath as Constable Felix Wilkinson
- Andrea Demetriades as Daisy Dixon
Guest cast
- Vivienne Awosoga as Becky Hayden
- Ardal O'Hanlon as DI Jack Mooney
- Stephen Hunter as Grant Edgar
- Barry Conrad as Jared
- Geneviève Lemon as Madge Woodburne
- Jeremy Lindsay Taylor as Stuart Granger
- Jenni Baird as Susan Stirling
- Ron Smyck as Trevor Bongiovanni
- Dylan Hare as Zayne Wyatt
- Naomi Sequeira as Jade McCready
- Callan Colley as Curtis Faleafa
- Roy Joseph as Nick Dosanjh
Episodes
This series spans 2 seasons with 12 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 6 | September 8, 2024 | October 13, 2024 |
| Season 2 | 6 | October 31, 2025 | December 12, 2025 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
R.I.P. Tide When Dolphin Cove local royalty, Stuart Granger, washes ashore with a knife in his back in the middle of a surf carnival, recently returned ex-pat DI Mackenzie Clarke is thrust onto the case. |
September 8, 2024 |
| 2 |
Dead Last A famous wellness influencer drops dead in the middle of a packed fun run, so DI Mackenzie Clarke finds herself delving into the world of wellness to solve the murder. |
September 15, 2024 |
| 3 |
Curl Up and Dye Three hairdressers return from lunch to find their boss, Bianca Bailey, has been killed. The method is strangulation, but the murder weapon remains a mystery that Mackenzie is determined to untangle. |
September 22, 2024 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Apex Predator A scientist working at a shark research lab is found dead on a runaway boat. Mack suspects the death is a meticulously planned murder. |
October 31, 2025 |
| 2 |
Killer Set A rock star is murdered in a locked theatre, forcing Mack to uncover the truth hidden in the band’s decades-old history. |
November 7, 2025 |
| 3 |
Death Trip A CEO is poisoned during a spiritual ceremony at a corporate retreat, but the killer’s method defies explanation. |
November 21, 2025 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | ABC TV |
|---|---|
| First aired | September 8, 2024 |
| Last aired | December 12, 2025 |
| Runtime | 57 minutes |
| Status | continue |