Death In Paradise will include a female main investigator, marking an exciting first for the popular show.
Anna Samson will play DI Mackenzie Clarke in Australia’s spin-off of the criminal comedy drama Return to Paradise, which will air in the UK on BBC and iPlayer later this year.
The original programme, which takes place on the Caribbean island of Saint Marie, has been a fan favourite since its debut in 2011. The show’s thirteen seasons included four male leads: Ben Miller, Kris Marshall, Ardal O’Hanlon, and Ralph Little, who left the series lately.
Speaking about the decision on BBC Breakfast he said: ‘If it was just a heart decision I would have wanted to do it for 20 more years.
‘But just for the show and for my character Neville it just sort of felt like his story was finished and his journey deserved to be completed.
‘He deserved a happy ending and it just felt right.’
Anna, a talented actress, will now take the proceedings down under and into a new age.
While we wait for fresh episodes, let’s take a look at the game-changing Anna, including her time on Home and Away her upbringing.
Who is Anna Samson?
Anna was born in the United Kingdom, then moved to Nigeria before settling in Australia as a teenager to pursue a career in acting. Her desire had been with her since she was very little.
‘I was about four years old when I confronted my parents with my plans to be on the stage,’ she told Toasting Aussie Theatre.
She attended a performing arts high school in Sydney and quickly found a love for theatre. ‘The stage has always been where I feel my best, and it gets the best of me,’ Anna, who has took on roles in theatre shows The Master and Margarita and Consent in the last year, shared.
What TV shows has Anna Samson been in?
Although theatre was her initial love, she quickly became interested in other aspects of the performing business.
‘I had always dreamt of becoming a stage actor and that whole world intoxicated me and it still does. More recently, screen has become another great love because I’ve started to do more and I’ve started to understand what it takes to do a screen performance,’ she told Cinema Australia in 2017.
‘My whole world is opening up in terms of the film and TV industry for me, so that’s really exciting.’
Her debut television appearance was in the Australian adventure series Conspiracy 365 in 2012, and she has since been in Winners and Losers, The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Jack Irish, and Dead Lucky. She has also appeared in American programmes such as Hunters and The Leftovers on HBO.
Who did Anna Samson play in Home and Away?
Her most prominent part until now was in the soap opera Home and Away. From February 2021 until April 2022, she played Mia Anderson, Chloe’s single mother.
During her brief stay in Summer Bay, she assists Chloe (Sam Barrett) in concealing her father’s death and marries Ari (Rob Kipa-Williams), a willing accomplice.
Mia flees after his death since everything in town reminds her of him.
Who is Anna Samson’s character in Return to Paradise?
Anna will portray DI Mackenzie Clarke in the six-part series, which will film in Sydney and the picturesque Illawarra coastline region.
Her character is an Australian ex-pat who rose through the ranks of London’s Metropolitan Police by solving seemingly impossible murders. When she is suspected of tampering with evidence, Mackenzie packs her bags and goes to ‘the last place she ever wanted to be’: her hometown of Dolphin Cove.
When she arrives, it is evident that she is not welcome, since she abruptly abandoned her ex-fiancée Glenn (Tai Hara) at the altar six years ago.
With no other alternatives and expenses to pay, she must put her unusual skill for solving mysteries to use at the Dolphin Cove Police Station.
When a case comes across her desk, she won’t stop until the murderer is handcuffed. Her evident expertise and work ethic will help Mackenzie win over the residents of Dolphin Cove.
Following the casting announcement, she posted on Instagram stories, ‘Been absolutely wanting to tell everyone where I’ve gone and why my hair is this colour. Thank you for all the love. ‘We are on our way to paradise. Anna formerly had blonde hair, which she dyed red for the role.
The franchise’s second spin-off, following Kris Marshall’s DI Humphrey’s new life in Devon in Beyond Paradise, would have a ‘distinctive Australian flavour’.
Co-creator and Executive Producer Peter Mattessi adds, “I’m beyond excited to welcome Producer Di Haddon and our two fabulous directors Mat King and Tenika Smith, who will collaborate with our incredible cast to bring the world of Return to Paradise to life.”
‘We are having so much fun creating this brand-new mystery series that brings an Australian twist to one of the globe’s most successful television franchises. We think audiences in Australia, UK and around the world are going to fall in love with our wonderful characters, our delicious whodunits, and our gorgeous coastal Australian locations.’
The remaining cast members include Lloyd Griffith (Ted Lasso, Nolly), Tai Hara (Home and Away, Colin From Accounts, Austin), Catherine McClements (Total Control, Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries), Celia Ireland (Wentworth, Total Control), Andrea Demetriades (Mother and Son, The Artful Dodger), and Aaron McGrath (Gold Diggers, Preppers).
Return to Paradise will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year