Did you see that coming? The romantic tension between Death In Paradise’s Detective Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson) and her ex-fiancé Glenn (Tai Hara) had been bubbling away throughout the first series – but with Glenn about to marry Daisy (Andrea Demetriades), we thought it would stay on the down-low. But the finale brought a huge twist when Glenn confessed to Mackenzie that he still had feelings for her. Where do they go from here?

We’re about to find out, because the new series of Return To Paradise arrives on Friday 31 October at 8pm on BBC One HD (CH 101). And as well as dealing with the fallout from Glenn’s declaration, Mackenzie will have more murders to solve in the small coastal community of Dolphin Cove. When a body turns up, no matter how she’s feeling, she’s got to put her game face on.

Mackenzie’s emotional turmoil was among the most appealing aspects of the first series of this Death In Paradise spin-off. “Love and friendship aren’t equations she fully understands, so she often struggles with matters of the human heart,” says Samson. “Confronting matters of the heart is Mackenzie’s blind spot – anything intellectually difficult, she storms toward; emotionally, she runs.”

Within just six episodes, the tumultuous Mackenzie was established as a character we love to watch solving crimes. And there are plenty more of those in series 2, including the chemical poisoning of a man alone at sea, as well as a murdered rock musician whose larger-than-life bandmates aren’t inclined to cooperate with the authorities.

But while murders are the show’s bread and butter, the emotional trimmings are what keep us glued. Mackenzie;’s relationship with senior detective Colin Cartwright (Lloyd Griffith) was one of the first series’ highlights, and we’re going to see it develop further in series 2. Samson describes it as “ridiculously joyful… They act like best friends while having no idea that they feel that way”, while Griffith says: “She’s come to realise that he’s not a bad cop, and she’s learned there are ways she can help him improve and become a better officer, just as Colin is helping her become a better person.”

But it’s not just quirky detectives and peculiar murder cases. Like the other hit shows in the “Paraverse”, including the Devon-set Beyond Paradise starring Kris Marshall as Humphrey Goodman, the small-town setting of Return To Paradise helps demonstrate how we all help each other get along. “It’s not just a ‘whodunit, howdunit and whydunit’, it’s also about community, and the amazing people and characters that make one,” says Griffith. “Sadly, some of those people do die every single week… but we’re on it, and we try to solve it!”

The second series of Return To Paradise starts on Friday 31 October at 8pm on BBC One HD (CH 101), when all episodes will be available to watch in Apps > BBC iPlayer.

If you’re charmed by the Australian location, actors and accents in Return To Paradise, we’ve got more good news for you – there are lots of ace Aussie shows available for you to watch right now. We think these will be right up any Return To Paradise fan’s street.

Stream series 1-3 in Apps > Netflix and Apps > ITVX

Return To Paradise fans will love it because… it’s about a competent professional woman who finds herself in an unfortunate work situation, surrounded by people who annoy her.

A series of unfortunate events leads lawyer Helen Tudor-Fisk (co-creator and writer Kitty Flanagan) to take a job at a small Melbourne firm run by a pair of oddball siblings. Capable and clever but easily frustrated, Helen is constantly undermined and doubted by those around her in this award-winning comedy.

Stream it in Apps > Netflix

Return To Paradise fans will love it because… it shows how death in a small coastal town affects everyone in the community – and there’s a murder to be solved.

Kieran (Charlie Vickers) is the only survivor of an accident in the sea caves of Evelyn Bay, Tasmania, which killed three of his friends. When he returns to his home town 15 years later, it’s clear the residents aren’t over the incident, and tensions mount when the body of a young woman is found. Robyn Malcolm (After The Party), Yerin Ha (Halo) and Jessica De Gouw (Arrow) co-star.

Stream series 1-3 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Return To Paradise fans will love it because… it’s about an ambitious woman whose disregard for social niceties doesn’t stop her succeeding, although it does make her personal life troublesome.

Anna Torv (Mindhunter, Territory) leads an excellent cast including Interview With The Vampire’s Sam Reid in this propulsive drama set in a TV newsroom in 1980s Melbourne. The personal struggles of the presenters and producers play out against the real events of the day, including Australia’s bicentenary in 1988.

Stream it on Paramount+

Return To Paradise fans will love it because… it’s an atmospheric mystery centred on a woman with a turbulent past.

This six-part thriller comes with a supernatural frisson: Gracie Darling went missing as a teenager following a séance, an event that still haunts her friend Joni (Morgana O’Reilly) decades later. When Joni hears about a similar occurrence in the present day, all her guilt returns. Can the police figure out the link – and what happened to Gracie?

Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Return To Paradise fans will love it because… it shares a similar ocean-side location and is centred on complex, fascinating women.

Based on a novel by Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty, The Last Anniversary is a knotty and satisfying drama that begins when Sophie (Teresa Palmer, A Discovery Of Witches) inherits a house from a woman she barely knew. Why? What does the generous woman’s letter mean? And who is her mysterious foundling child? Intrigue upon intrigue in this classy series co-starring Miranda Richardson.

Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Return To Paradise fans will love it because… it’s Australian, and… um… Well, there aren’t really any other parallels, but it’s a terrific show.

Rising star Jacob Elordi (Priscilla, Saltburn) leads the cast of this epic wartime series. It covers three periods in the life of Dorrigo Evans (Elordi): before being deployed, as a prisoner of war, and later in life as he reflects on his experiences and his unorthodox relationship with Amy (Odessa Young, Black Rabbit). Passionate and moving.

Stream series 1 in On Demand > U&Alibi

Return To Paradise fans will love it because… it’s a light-hearted crime drama about a female investigator, set in Australia.

Actual Xena herself, Lucy Lawless, plays Alexa Crowe, a detective turned private eye who works as a consultant to the Victoria police service and gets tangled up in all sorts of surprising cases. Not quirky enough for you? Alexa has a side hustle as a baker. 

Stream series 1-2 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Return To Paradise fans will love it because… it’s about a mismatched Australian couple whose relationship gets into difficulty at every turn.

Mackenzie and Glenn spar with each other throughout Return To Paradise, as do Gordon (Patrick Brammell) and Ashley (Harriet Dyer) in this delightful modern romcom that starts with a dispute over a vet’s bill. And that’s not the only link: Ash’s slimy ex James is played by Tai Hara – the same actor who portrays Glenn. A third series is coming.

Stream series 1-2 in Apps > ITVX

Return To Paradise fans will love it because… it’s about the people who bring Australian criminals to justice, while their private lives get mixed up with the legal proceedings.

This drama moves the mystery-solving into the courtroom, with legendary Jurassic Park star Sam Neill as the leading barrister teasing out the facts of a murder case. Sound a bit heavy? Don’t worry – there are some reliably amusing and irreverent supporting characters.

Stream series 1 in Apps > Prime Video

Return To Paradise fans will love it because… it’s about female Aussie detectives investigating odd murders in a small coastal town.

The premise may sound identical to Return To Paradise’s but Deadloch leans much more towards the darker side of murder-based comedy drama, with plenty of salacious small-town scandal and a lot of swearing. Its detectives – uptight Dulcie (Kate Box), loudmouthed Eddie (Madeleine Sami) and timid but smart Abby (Nina Oyama) – clash over their methods but ultimately find a successful way to work together. Another series is on the way.