Reprising their roles as DI Ruth Calder and DI Alison ‘Tosh’ MacIntosh, Annan born actress Ashley Jensen and Alison O’Donnell have begun filming the 10th series of acclaimed BBC murder mystery drama Shetland with further casting announced.
Shetland – a Silverprint Pictures (part of ITV Studios) production – will film in locations around Scotland and on the Shetland Isles over the coming months with the series debuting on BBC iPlayer and BBC One later this year.
Joining the cast of Shetland alongside Jensen and O’Donnell for this new six-part series are Clive Russell (The Witcher, Sandman), Ellie Haddington (Motherland, Guilt), Niall MacGregor (The Bombing of Pan AM 103, Line of Duty), Greg McHugh (Guilt, The A Word), Frances Gray (Tom Jones, Vera), Louise Brealey (Such Brave Girls, Clique), Stuart Townsend (Into The Deep, Two Minutes to Midnight), Stephen McMillan (Toxic Town, Boiling Point), Saskia Ashdown (Karen Pirie, The Rig), Lila Rose (Traces), Joanne Thomson (Outlander, The Victim), Gabriel Akuwudike (Screw, The Beautiful Game) and Leigh Biagi (The Prodigal Father, The Lost King).
Samuel Anderson (Amandaland, Back to Black) also joins the cast as the new Procurator Fiscal Matt Blake alongside series regulars Steven Robertson (playing DC Sandy Wilson), Lewis Howden (Sgt Billy McCabe), Anne Kidd (pathologist Cora McLean), Angus Miller (Donnie, Tosh’s partner), Conor McCarry (PC Alex Grant) and Eubha Akilade (PC Lorna Burns).
Originally based on award-winning novels by crime writer Ann Cleeves, the new series sees Calder and Tosh travel to the isolated hamlet of Lunniswick to investigate the sinister killing of an elderly woman.
The team discover that the body of the retired social worker has been out in the elements for a number of days. The case will see Tosh and Calder excavate the victim’s life, past and present, as well as the lives of those who knew her. They soon begin to uncover dark secrets and terrible deeds at the heart of this closeknit community.
Gaynor Holmes, Commissioning Editor for the BBC says: “Now in its tenth series, Shetland continues to go from strength to strength and is loved by audiences across the UK and internationally. We’re very excited to see the fantastic creative team at Silverprint and their superbly talented cast and crew heading back into production with a compellingly new, gnarly and emotional murder-mystery.”
Kate Bartlett, Executive Producer for Silverprint Pictures says: “We’re so excited about this new series of Shetland with Ashley and Alison, alongside our wonderful returning cast and a fantastic guest cast. Paul Logue has created a distinctive and emotionally complex story, set against the stunning and evocative landscape of the Shetland Isles. We’re thrilled to be making this new series with such incredible Scottish talent in all areas of production.”
Shetland is loved by millions of fans on BBC iPlayer and BBC One and, last year, it was in the top ten most watched BBC Drama series. In Scotland, it was the No.1 BBC Drama of 2024.
Paul Logue is the lead writer of the new series of Shetland, alongside Denise Paul and Phil Mulryne. The series is produced by Louise V Say and directed by Ruth Paxton and Ruth Carney. Executive Producers are Gaynor Holmes for the BBC, Kate Bartlett, Paul Logue and Denise Paul for Silverprint Pictures
Shetland is part of a growing list of BBC dramas from Scotland, including The Bombing of Pan Am 103 and returning series Vigil (series 3) and Granite Harbour (series 2), as well as new titles The Ridge, Counsels, Grams and The Young Team. Shetland will be distributed internationally by ITV Studios.
