Anna Samson has made history as the first female lead in the Death in Paradise franchise. Making her big debut as DI Mackenzie Clarke, the Australian actress is at the helm of Return to Paradise, which debuts on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Friday 22 November.
In just a matter of weeks, UK viewers will deliver their verdict on the spin-off, which has already won rave reviews across the pond. After premiering on Australia's ABC channel in September, several fans have hailed Anna's performance as "perfect" – and you can get a glimpse of it in the trailer below…
Joining Anna in the fictional town of Dolphin Cove; Lloyd Griffith (Ted Lasso), Tai Hara (Colin From Accounts), Celia Ireland (Wentworth Prison), Catherine McClements (Total Control), Andrea Demetriades (The Artful Dodger) and Aaron McGrath (Preppers) round out the cast.
In typical Death in Paradise fashion, Return to Paradise viewers can expect to see some familiar faces – including a certain detective – as well as some famous guest stars.
According to the synopsis: "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-fiancée 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."
It's safe to say that Anna and her co-stars had a blast shooting the series, and in October she penned a sweet post about her time on set. Sharing a behind-the-scenes snap, the 34-year-old wrote: "Our last day on set. The ever-extraordinary makeup team made sure we had an apt send-off. I did a fair amount of crying that day, so they had even more work than usual.
"The last episode of Return to Paradise lands on ABC TV tonight…and though it would be mortifying to Mackenzie Clarke to get emotional about such things, I'll just say that this was the most brilliant shoot, with fun and kindness found at every turn. The extraordinary effort that goes into crafting a show that makes an audience feel warm, blows me away.
"Thank you for making it happen, gang, thank you for watching Auz. UK…we are coming for you soon."