Show Guide: 'Return To Paradise'

Synopsis: Set in the idyllic, beachside hamlet of Dolphin Cove, Return to Paradise is six gripping, twisting and fiendishly clever murder mysteries – all set against the spectacular backdrop of the Australian coastal landscape. Australian ex-pat Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson, Home and Away, Dead Lucky) is the seemingly golden girl of the London Metropolitan police force – with an intuitive approach to detective work, she has built a reputation for being able to crack the most impossible of cases. However, she has found herself being forced to up-sticks and move back to her childhood home of Dolphin Cove, a beautiful, surfers paradise and Mackenzie’s worst nightmare. Having escaped her home town at the earliest opportunity six years ago, Mackenzie vowed she'd never return, leaving a lot of unfinished business and unanswered questions. On her return, she’s still no fan of the town, and the people of Dolphin Cove are certainly no fans of hers; everyone would prefer her not to be there, including Mackenzie herself. But when a murder takes place in Dolphin Cove, Mack can’t help but put her inspired detective brilliance to good use and determines, despite her reservations, that she needs to make the best of it, including tying up the loose ends with the ex-fiancé she left behind. (Courtesy BritBox, 2025)

The Cast:
Anna Samson as Detective Inspector Mackenzie Clarke
Lloyd Griffith as Detective Senior Constable Colin Cartwright
Tai Hara as Forensic Pathologist Glenn Strong
Catherine McClements as Senior Sergeant Philomena Strong
Celia Ireland as Reggie Rocco
Aaron McGrath as Constable Felix Wilkinson
Andrea Demetriades as Daisy Dixon

Production Credits:

The Episodes:
Season One Episode Guide (BritBox)
1-01 R.I.P. Tide--09/02/2025
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.
Written by: Peter Mattessi
Directed by: Mat King

1-02 Dead Last--09/02/2025
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.
Written by: Peter Mattessi
Directed by: Mat King

1-03 Curl Up And Dye--09/02/2025
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.
Written by: Elizabeth Coleman
Directed by: Mat King

1-04 Killer Climate--09/02/2025
When a radical eco-activist is murdered, Mackenzie and her team must figure out how the victim was killed when the suspects were chained together, unable to reach the victim.
Written by: Alexandra Collier
Directed by: Tenika Smith

1-05 Dead Bowl--09/02/2025
A tense game of lawn bowls turns to chaos when a player is killed on the green in broad daylight by an antique ornamental bushranger's gun. Is the ghost of Bushranger Bill haunting Dolphin Cove?
Written by: Kodie Bedford
Directed by: Tenika Smith

1-06 Oh Mine Papa--09/02/2025
When crabby Vince Ogden is found dead in his locked bedsit, it's up to Mackenzie to shine a light on the truth of his murder.
Written by: Peter Mattessi
Directed by: Tenika Smith