'Return to Paradise' Books Passage for Season 3
The "Paradiseverse" is here to stay. Pity they didn't come up with a better name for it.
It is a rare feat for a series to have multiple hit spinoffs, let alone three airing in the same calendar year. Most of the famous ones are American: Star Trek, All in the Family, Happy Days, Law & Order, CSI, NCIS, One Chicago, etc. In the U.K., spinoffs tend to follow each other, rather than air simultaneously, like mushrooms after rain. Morse begat Lewis, which begat Endeavour; Life on Mars begat Ashes to Ashes; and so on. Hilariously, the British non-reality show that most recently managed to air three hits simultaneously would be Doctor Who. Both Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures posted decent viewership numbers while the parent show was also running.
That brings us to Death in Paradise, which is gearing up to cross the pond to America this spring after a successful launch of Season 15 in the U.K. Both current spinoffs, Beyond Paradise and Return to Paradise, have done better than anyone expected. Despite being set back home in the U.K., Beyond Paradise is as popular as its St. Marie set inspiration; meanwhile, Return to Paradise is a hit despite being set down under in Australia, almost as far as one can get from the U.K. without leaving the planet.
The latter’s success in launching a Dolphin’s Cove-set series down under has proved that its first season was no fluke. Season 2 was such a success on the BBC that Return to Paradise has been renewed for Season 3, officially cementing it as a hit, and production has officially started. With Death in Paradise confirmed for Season 16, and Beyond Paradise almost certainly getting a Season 5 renewal before the end of 2026, it seems the Paradiseverse (which I will never ever love as a name) is here to stay.
Here’s the Season 3 synopsis, which unfortunately contains a not-that-surprising spoiler (though no details of how it comes about) for Season 2:
DS Mackenzie Clarke is back, fresh from having wrecked another of Glenn’s weddings and determined never to follow her heart again. But ignoring her heart won’t be easy. The arrival of her force-of-nature mother Jillian puts Mack's mettle to the ultimate test and there's something undeniable about the raffish charm of the new pathologist Leo. As for Glenn, who has gone away to ‘find himself’, well that's a whole other puzzle for Mack to try and solve ...
And, while Dolphin Cove may still look like paradise, it continues to serve up a steady stream of baffling murder mysteries – from the artist stabbed in full view of the public, to the wildlife worker dead in a locked cassowary cage. Mack will solve it all with her usual brilliance, and the off-beat help of her loyal team.
Anna Samson (Home & Away) leads the cast as DS Mackenzie Clarke, with Tai Hara (Colin From Accounts) as Glenn Strong, Mackenzie’s former fiancé. The rest of the main ensemble includes Catherine McClements (Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries) as Sr Sgt. Philomena Strong, Mackenzie’s boss and Glenn’s mother; Lloyd Griffith (Nolly) as DSC Colin Cartwright; Aaron McGrath (Gold Diggers) as Constable Felix Wilkinson; Celia Ireland (Wentworth) as Reggie Rocco, as Andrea Demetriades (The Artful Dodger) as Glenn’s (also maybe former?) fiancée, Daisy Dixon.
Season 3 adds Kerry Armstrong (Darby & Joan) to the cast as Mack’s mother, Jillian Clarke, and Jacob Collins-Levy (The White Princess) as the new pathologist (and new Mack love interest), Leo. It will also once again feature Ardal O’Hanlon as DI Jack Mooney, the series’ vague excuse for tying it to St. Marie. Guest cast will include Zöe Ventura (Time Bandits), Mark Lee (A Place to Call Home), Tina Bursill (Strife), Ngali Shaw (The Twelve), Anthony Hayes (The Slap), Zindzi Okenyo (Critical Incident), and Matt Day (Rake).
Return to Paradise
The series is co-created and executive-produced by Thorogood, Peter Mattessi, and James Hall, with Di Haddon producing. Kylie Washington & Sophia Zachariou executive produce for BBC Studios Productions Australia alongside Belinda Campbell, Tim Key & Alexandra Carruthers for Red Planet Pictures and Rachel Okine & Brett Sleigh for ABC.
Return to Paradise Season 2 is expected to debut on Ovation in the first half of 2026, streaming on BritBox to follow. In the meantime, Death in Paradise Season 15 debuts on BritBox on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, and follows a weekly release schedule through mid-June. Beyond Paradise Season 4 debuted on the BBC on Friday, March 27, 2026, and is airing weekly in the U.K. through mid-May. It is not expected to arrive on BritBox until the latter half of 2026.
Death in Paradise
Sign up for full access to Telly Visions' recaps and reviews!
