What a Death in Paradise/Return to Paradise crossover would look like, according to its lead star

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The stars of Return to Paradise are hoping to appear in a Christmas special crossover with Death in Paradise, and they’ve already started brainstorming ideas. Anna Samson, the show’s lead, told Digital Spy that she and co-star Tai Hara have been discussing potential storylines.

She described a story idea she and a colleague have: a trip to Guadalupe meant to be relaxing that turns into a murder investigation. She said they often discuss this plot while waiting for makeup during filming.

Samson suggested a Christmas episode, explaining that experiencing Christmas in the summer feels odd for British viewers. He related to this, recalling his own surprise when he moved to Australia, and believes his character, Mackenzie, would strongly dislike it – which he thinks would make for a great storyline.

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In an interview with Digital Spy, actor Hara, who played Mackenzie’s former fiancé Glenn, expressed his hope for a Christmas special that would bring the shows together. He and Anna often joke about making an appearance in Guadalupe during the special.

We keep repeating our idea, hoping people will eventually think it’s a good one.

The creators are hoping to increase how the shows Return to Paradise and Beyond Paradise connect with each other, featuring more crossover episodes and storylines.

Hara believes there’s a great possibility for something exciting. They mentioned that Kris Marshall was in town promoting his show, Beyond, while they were filming.

His availability and our filming schedule didn’t quite match up, but I really think there’s a great chance to connect the detectives across these different universes. They’re all connected to the Paraverse for a reason, after all.

Samson expressed similar feelings, telling Digital Spy that bringing the detectives back together would only really work for the cast and viewers. He believes the comedy comes from seeing them interact, particularly imagining Mackenzie alongside those characters – their quirks clashing in a funny way.

Though Jack Mooney, the former lead detective from Death in Paradise, now appears as a mentor to Mackenzie in Return to Paradise, the two characters haven’t actually met. Mooney guides Mackenzie remotely from London, creating a connection between the shows without a direct on-screen interaction.

In every interview, I mention how much I’d like to meet John O’Hanlon,” Samson explained to Digital Spy. “I’m really hoping to connect with the other detectives, but it doesn’t seem to be working – no one has suggested getting together yet.

Samson has expressed a strong desire to meet Ardal, as their characters have scenes together on the show, but she’s equally eager to meet the entire cast.

She described feeling a special connection with them, saying they seemed really fun and she’d love to get to know them better.

Season 2 of Return to Paradise premieres on BBC One at 8pm on Friday, October 31st. You can also watch it on BBC iPlayer immediately after it airs. If you missed it, season one is currently available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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2025-11-01 15:22