Shetland (TV series)

Production

The first series consists of two episodes, a single two-part story based on the novel Red Bones by Ann Cleeves. This series was broadcast across two nights on 10 and 11 March 2013 and was produced by Sue de Beauvoir. Subsequently, a second series was commissioned by the BBC. Series two was extended to contain six episodes. These were filmed in 2013 and screened in 2014. This series, produced by Peter Gallagher, features three two-part stories based on the novels Raven Black, Dead Water, and Blue Lightning.

Filming began in April 2015 for a third series, which began screening in January 2016. This series saw a change in format; with all six episodes covering a single story, written exclusively for television. This was the first series not to adapt any of Cleeves' novels. A fourth series was announced by the BBC in July 2016. Again, this series is a single story played out across six episodes and written exclusively for television. Stephen Walters and Neve McIntosh were among the new cast members announced for the series. It was broadcast on BBC One beginning on 13 February 2018. Series 5 was broadcast from 12 February 2019.

During filming, the cast and crew are usually based in Glasgow and other areas of mainland Scotland. Filming often takes place in areas with landscape or buildings reminiscent of those in the Shetland Islands, such as Kilbarchan in Renfrewshire, Barrhead, where Henshall was born and grew up, Ayr and Irvine, North Ayrshire. "My character’s house is actually in Kilbarchan, the interior of a couple of crofts are here [in Irvine, Ayrshire] and the police station is in Barrhead," Henshall said in a 2019 interview.

Filming locations on or near Shetland have included Lerwick, the NorthLink ferry and the village of Wester Quarff, south of Lerwick. Some filming was on Fair Isle for series 2 and the Hillswick wildlife sanctuary featured in series 4.

Shortly before series 7 premiered, Henshall announced that the series would be his last. It was then announced that he would be replaced in the leading role by Ashley Jensen from the eighth series. Filming for series 9 started in Shetland in April 2024, and was broadcast from 6 November to 11 December 2024.

Cast

Main cast

• Douglas Henshall as DI Jimmy Perez (series 1–7)
• Alison O'Donnell as DS (later DI) Alison "Tosh" McIntosh (series 1–present)
• Steven Robertson as DC Sandy Wilson (series 1–present)
• Lewis Howden as Billy McCabe, police sergeant (series 1, 3–10)
• Erin Armstrong as Cassie Perez, Jimmy's stepdaughter (series 1–7)
• Mark Bonnar as Duncan Hunter, Cassie's father (series 1–7)
• Anne Kidd as Cora McLean, forensic pathologist (series 5–present; recurring series 2–4)
• Julie Graham as Rhona Kelly, procurator fiscal (series 2–5, 7)
• Ashley Jensen as DI Ruth Calder (series 8–present)
• Angus Miller as Donnie Russell, Tosh's partner (series 9; recurring series 5–8, 10–present)
• Steven Miller as Reverend Alan Calder, Ruth's brother (series 9–present; recurring series 8)

Recurring cast

• Stewart Porter as Billy McBride, police sergeant (series 2)
• Fiona Bell as Donna Killick (series 4, 6)
• Neve McIntosh as Kate Kilmuir (series 4, 6)
• Julia Brown as Molly Kilmuir (series 4, 6)
• Jimmy Chisholm as Alec MacBay (series 4, 6)
• Conor McCarry as PC Alex Grant (series 5– present)
• Anneika Rose as Maggie Kean, procurator fiscal (series 6–7)
• Lucianne McEvoy as Meg Pattison (series 6–7)
• Eubha Akilade as PC Lorna Burns (series 7– present)
• Tibu Fortes as Harry Lamont, procurator fiscal (series 8–9)
• Kevan MacKenzie as James Innes (series 8, 10)
• Samuel Anderson as Matt Blake, procurator fiscal (series 10–present)

Guest cast

Series 1

Red Bones

• Sandra Voe as Mima Wilson
• Claire Rafferty as Anna Haldane
• Jim Sturgeon as Ronald Haldane
• Gemma Chan as Hattie James
• Lindy Whiteford as Jackie Haldane
• James Greene as Andrew Haldane
• Alexander Morton as Joseph Wilson

Series 2

Raven Black

• Rebecca Benson as Sally Henry
• Brian Cox as Magnus Bain Dead Water
• Nina Sosanya as Willow Reeves
• Alex Norton as Cameron Watt
• David Hayman as Joe Dalhousie Blue Lightning
• John Lynch as Frank Blake
• Bill Paterson as James Perez

Series 3

• Ciarán Hinds as Michael Maguire
• Saskia Reeves as Freya Galdie
• Archie Panjabi as DS Asha Israni
• Anna Chancellor as Phyllis Brenan
• James Cosmo as Arthur MacCall

Series 4

• Stephen Walters as Thomas Malone
• Sean McGinley as Drew McColl
• Eleanor Matsuura as DI Jessie Cole

Series 5

• Rakie Ayola as Olivia Lennox
• Derek Riddell as Chris Brooks
• Catherine Walker as Alice Brooks
• Titana Muthui as Zezi Ugara
• Kate Dickie as Sam Boyd

Series 6

• Cora Bissett as Eve Galbraith
• Stephen McCole as Logan Creggan

Series 7

• Shauna Macdonald as Rachel Cairns
• Andrew Whipp as Danny Cairns
• Patrick Robinson as Lloyd Anderson
• Laurie Brett as Alison Woods
• Stuart McQuarrie as Murry Rankin

Series 8

• Phyllis Logan as Grace Bain
• Dawn Steele as Stella Quinn
• Barry O'Connor as Kieran Quinn
• Don Gilét as John Howell
• Jamie Sives as Cal Innes
• Ann Louise Ross as Agnes Moffat
• Russ Bain as Bobby Bain
• Manjinder Virk as Farida Sadat
• Nina Toussaint-White as Amma Calder

Series 9

• Stuart Campbell as Malcolm Kidd
• Sarah MacGillivray as Annie Bett
• Jacob Ferguson as Noah Bett
• Robert Jack as Ian Bett
• Lesley Hart as Noreen Stack
• Andrew John Tait as Michael Stack
• Vincent Regan as John Harris
• Ross Anderson as Patrick Harris
• Macleod Stephen as Fergus Harris
• Ian Hart as Euan Rossi
• Tara Lee as Lisa Friel
• Johannes Lassen as Stefan Jakobson
• Nathalie Merchant as Karin Jakobson
• Ines Asserson as Astrid Jakobson
• Jimmy Yuill as Angus Wallace

Series 10

• Greg McHugh as Colin Waite
• Stuart Townsend as Ed Tulloch
• Clive Russell as Arthur Mair
• Ellie Haddington as Lana Mair
• Louise Brealey as Isobel Jameson
• Niall MacGregor as Tom Jameson
• Chloe-Ann Tylor as Stevie Shannon

Episodes

Overview

(millions)

Series 1 (2013)

The series introduces Douglas Henshall as DI Jimmy Perez and Alison O'Donnell as DS Alison 'Tosh' McIntosh. It is based on the third novel Red Bones by Ann Cleeves.

Series 2 (2014)

The series is based on Raven Black, Dead Water and Blue Lightning, the first, fourth and fifth novel by Ann Cleeves.

Series 3 (2016)

This series is the first written as a six-part story and not based on an Ann Cleeves novel.

This episode was delayed due to a FA Cup match replay.

Series 4 (2018)

This episode was delayed by 24 hours due to a FA Cup match replay.

Series 5 (2019)

Series 6 (2021)

Logan Creggan is being transferred to a mental health facility. Fiona Bedford tells Pérez that her husband Darren was tracking her phone and probably knew about her affair with Galbraith. Tosh learns that Niven paid off the debts of dive boat chef Carrie McAndrew just before Eamon's accident. Niven's brother Struan was not aware that he'd done so with their family company's funds. He tells Tosh that Galbraith suspected Niven of risking their employee's safety to cut costs and had argued with him about it. Sandy tells Tosh he'd leaked the photos in an effort to prevent Donna's return to Shetland. Pérez and Tosh look into the disappearance of MarieAnne Ross and learn she was best friends with Lynn Richardson, now known as Sister Carolyn. On the phone with Pérez, Lynn admits she helped Galbraith, Niven, and Darren cover up MarieAnne's death, but she is attacked before being found by Pérez and Tosh. Donna gets Duncan to help her commit suicide by putting all of her pain medication in her hot chocolate. Pérez realises what happened but covers it up.

Series 7 (2022)

This is the seventh and final series to star Douglas Henshall as DI Jimmy Perez.

Series 8 (2023)

This series introduces Ashley Jensen as DI Ruth Calder.

Series 9 (2024)

Series 10 (2025)

Home media

Released on DVD in Australia, Shetland, Series 1 consists of the pilot "Red Bones" and the Series 2 episodes "Raven Black", "Dead Water" and "Blue Lightning". Series 2 contains the Series 3 episodes, Series 3 contains the Series 4 episodes, and Series 4 contains the Season 5 episodes.

On Australian Region 4 DVD, The Pilot episode is stated as being Pilot and not Series 1, with the Series 2 episodes being stated as Series 1. Quote from the DVD "This DVD set includes the Pilot Red Bones and all episodes from series one Raven Black, Dead Water and Blue Lightning". However, the UK releases are Series 1 through 7 rather than Series 1 through 6 in Australia.

International broadcasts

• Australia: The programme airs on BBC First and ABC in Australia. Series 1-4 is also available on Netflix (Series 1 and 2 are combined and listed as Series 1, then Series 3 and 4 are listed as Series 2 and 3 respectively).
• Belgium: The programme began airing on Flemish public broadcaster VRT's main channel, één, in October 2015.
• Canada: The series is broadcast on British Columbia's Knowledge Network and by Toronto's VisionTV.
• Denmark: Danish network DR 1 began showing Shetland in October 2015.
• Germany: The series began airing on Das Erste at the end of March 2016.
• Estonia: The series began airing on ETV in September 2020.
• Finland: Viewers in Finland were able to start watching the show from August 2015 on public broadcaster YLE's main TV1 channel, where the show was titled "Shetlandsaarten murhat."
• France: The series began airing on Polar + in February 2018
• Ireland: The series began airing on Virgin Media in February 2019.
• Italy: The series began airing on Giallo in March 2018.
• Japan: The series began airing on AXN Mystery in May 2015.
• Netherlands: Shetland is aired as part of the Detectives series from KRO-NCRV on NPO 1.
• New Zealand: The programme began airing in New Zealand on Vibe in January 2016.
• Norway: Shetland is aired on public broadcaster NRK.
• Portugal: The programme began airing in Portugal on Fox Crime in August 2016.
• Slovenia: The programme began airing in Slovenia on public broadcaster RTVSLO in July 2015.
• Spain: The programme began airing in Galicia on Televisión de Galicia in October 2015.
• Sweden: Swedish public broadcaster SVT started airing the 3rd series in January 2016 on their primary network SVT1.
• United States: The series is broadcast on many stations of the Public Broadcasting System.
• The series became available on Netflix in 2016. In 2018, the Britbox streaming service acquired the exclusive rights to Shetland's Series 4, releasing new episodes weekly. Similarly, Series 5 has been released one episode per week beginning 30 April 2019. In April 2019, Netflix dropped the series from its streaming service in the US. Amazon has Series 1-3 available for fee purchase by episode or by season but is not included in its Prime streaming subscription. (Note that Series 1 [2 episodes] and Series 2 [6 episodes] are bundled into one season for purchase.)

Accolades

References

References

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