While that series centered around an established and beloved Death in Paradise character, Kris Marshall’s Humphrey Goodman, Return was to feature an entirely new cast and characters, and feature no major returns – at least that’s what it was. that we thought.

In tonight’s first episode, fans were delighted to see an appearance from Ardal O’Hanlon, reprising his role as DI Jack Mooney from the original series.

Talk with RadioTimes.com and other media outlets before the episode aired, Mackenzie Clarke star Anna Samson and Colin Cartwright star Lloyd Griffith spoke about the cameo, how O’Hanlon’s role is taken into account in the series and why it was so important to include it.

Samson said: “Ardal O’Hanlon plays my boss at the Metropolitan Police in London, and because Mackenzie has gotten away with some potential wrongdoing there or something, she’s constantly trying to get in touch with her character, with Mooney, to figure out what’s going on So when can she come back to London?

“So he’s playing her boss, and also a character that she loves. She doesn’t have a lot of people that she really cares about, or a lot of friends, but he’s one of them. And it just shows.” to the few scenes we have, which are on the phone.

“I never met Ardal. He shot all the scenes here (in England), and I shot them all there (in Australia), and we were on the phone.”

Samson continued: “But I think it’s a wonderful treat for fans of the show, because to see him appear on screen and see the London City skyline… I think it’s a real and charming treat.”

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Griffith then added: “And also, the juxtaposition of the fact that it’s dull. My British friends who are in Australia and watching this in front of us here, I was getting a streaming comment around 10:30 on a Sunday morning as they I looked at him, and then, about 20 minutes later, they were like, “Ardal is here!”

“People who have watched previous episodes of Death in Paradise and are fans of the franchise, when they see that Jack is there, they lose their minds.

“So it’s great. And again, it’s a different show, but it’s the same show, and I think having elements like that really anchors it and makes people love it. like more.”

“Yes, I think it’s important that it’s not a carbon copy, but that we recognize where we came from,” Samson said, “and all the joy and fan base that is in the original .I think both are equally important, and he’s a big part of that.”

O’Hanlon starred on Death in Paradise between season 6 in 2017 and season 9 in 2020, and his character Jack has not been seen on the show or Beyond Paradise since. Fans will no doubt be delighted to finally have him back.

Return to Paradise is broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer.

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