Episode 2

The wait is almost over. Season 11 of "Shetland" premieres on November 12, 2026, less than two weeks from now, and it is already one of the most important chapters in the life of this British crime drama. The new season brings back DI Ruth Calder (Ashley Jensen) and DI Alison "Tosh" McIntosh (Alison O'Donnell) for another case set among cliffs, ferries and close-knit communities where secrets last for years. It also comes with big news: this will be Alison O'Donnell's final season as Tosh, the detective who has been at the centre of the show from the very beginning.

If you have been away from the Isles for a while, here is the short version. "Shetland" started in 2013 and was loosely based on Ann Cleeves' novels. For seven series it was led by Douglas Henshall as DI Jimmy Perez, a quiet, decent detective raising his stepdaughter Cassie (Erin Armstrong) while working through a run of murders that hit the islanders hard. Henshall, whom many viewers also know from "Outlander" and "Primeval", left after series 7. The show didn't replace him with another Perez. Instead, Tosh moved to the front, and from series 8 she was paired with Ashley Jensen's Ruth Calder, a Met detective with roots in the islands. Jensen came from comedy hits like "Ugly Betty" and "After Life", but in this role she plays it harder, and her scenes with O'Donnell have given the show a sharper edge.

Season 10 aired on BBC One in late 2025 and was one of the darkest runs the show has made. A drugs raid on a fishing boat led nowhere, a young informant disappeared, and in the village of Lunniswick the death of retired social worker Eadie Tulloch, which at first looked like an accident, turned into a murder inquiry tied to the islands' past. DC Sandy Wilson (Steven Robertson, known from "Luther" and "Doctor Who") was also busy chasing the people running drugs on Shetland. The finale tied up the Tulloch case, and the BBC confirmed soon afterwards that the series would return.

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