Death in Paradise fans think they’ve spotted crucial crossover clue in new show
Ben Miller has teamed up with Sally Phillips for a brand new BBC series called Austin but the programme has certainly got fans of much-loved series Death in Paradise talking
Fans have been quick to make a link between the programmes (Image: BBC / Red Planet / Denis Guyenon)
Eagle-eyed Death in Paradise fans think they have stumbled upon a crossover between Ben Miller’s latest BBC show Austin and a spin off of the beloved series.
As Austin hit screens fans have seen Ben Miller embodies Julian Hartwood, a celebrated British children’s author whose empire crumbles when he retweets a message from a white supremacist. Complicating matters further, Julian encounters Austin – played by Michael Theo – at a Canberra book signing, a neurodivergent young man who insists he’s Julian’s son.
This claim is confirmed after some digging and turns out to be the result of a past relationship with Ingrid, Julian’s current wife and professional partner of 28 years. Julian dismisses Austin at first, wishing he would disappear . Yet later, swayed by his scheming agent, he contemplates exploiting his newfound relationship with his autistic son to rescue his faltering career, reports Wales Online.
But watchers who are fans of Death in Paradise were quick to notice a connection between Austin and Return to Paradise, the show’s Australian spin-off. The link comes via Tai Hara, who acts as bartender Luke in Austin, while also portraying Glenn Strong, an ex-fiancé of Detective Sergeant Mackenzie Clarke, played by Anna Samson in Return to Paradise.
Ben Miller’s new comedy series left some convinced there is a major crossover(Image: BBC/Red Planet Pictures/Denis Guyenon)
A fan took to a Facebook group dedicated to the shows, and put across their point: “I’m watching the new Ben Miller show Austin. There is a character called Barman Luke. The character is played by Tai Hara, who also plays Glenn Strong in Paradise. Glenn is Mac’s ex-fiance.”
Ben Miller, who famously portrayed the original detective Richard Poole in Death in Paradise, was killed by an ice pick. His latest project has fans buzzing about a potential crossover with the beloved series. Death in Paradise enthusiasts quickly drew parallels between Ben’s new series and the show when Return to Paradise premiered last year, particularly noting resemblances to the show’s first female detective and Richard Poole.
Social media was abuzz with reactions, as one viewer remarked: “I liked it! The lead character seems to be like a female Richard Poole or Neville Parker.” Another fan posted: “Yes, you’re right, very Richard Poole-ish.” Meanwhile, someone else chimed in: “Just when I thought DI Richard Poole was not a people-friendly person, up pops DI Mackenzie Clarke.”
Discussing his involvement with the new series, Ben revealed: “Darren Ashton, the director, is an old friend of mine. We worked on a film in Australia called Razzle Dazzle in 2007, and we’d been looking for something to do ever since.”
He continued, sharing his inspiration: “A few years ago, he was staying with me in the UK, and he showed me Love on the Spectrum, which I absolutely loved, and I was completely blown away by Michael Theo in it.
“I thought he was extraordinary and such a fascinating person in the show and on screen. After bingeing the entire series, I asked Darren, ‘Do you think Michael could act? I get the feeling he could,’ and Darren agreed. We said, ‘Do you think we could try and come up with some kind of show where Michael was the central character?’ and that was the beginning of it.”
