Shetland

Shetland is back - bleak, brutal and beautiful as ever.

Remember how we all wept and wailed at Douglas Henshall’s departure from Shetland at the end of series seven? Well, the Scottish crime drama is back on BritBox with a brand new series and a brand new sleuth shipped over to the islands: DI Ruth Calder, played by Ashley Jensen. Yes, Agatha Raisin is still solving murders, but minus the funny bits and definitely minus the glamorous outfits and stiletto shoes. With all the other familiar faces still at Lerwick police HQ and the same stunning scenery, you’d be forgiven for forgetting all about Jimmy Perez in less than a highland heartbeat. 


Series 8’s storyline revolves around stolen drugs money and a local girl on the run from London hitmen. Downton Abbey’s Phyllis Logan pops up in a very different role as a crime family matriarch (certainly no trace of Mrs Hughes here). In Perez’s absence, it’s great to see DS Tosh (Alison O'Donnell ) promoted and blossoming as temporary boss while still maintaining her lovely, lilting voice, gentle ways and puffy anoraks. If I ever get arrested for murder, please let it be by someone as nice as Tosh.  


And of course there’s the mysterious newbie DI Calder; a former islander herself, arriving with a ferry-load of emotional baggage and unfinished business on Shetland. As Tosh explains how the isles are famously treeless (the harsh climate, soil conditions and salt spray make it difficult for shrubs to take root and thrive) viewers are left wondering will Ruth be strong enough to reestablish herself on Shetland, or be blown away like a wee sapling in the wind. 


As always, the photography and scenery are spectacular, and of course, the real secret of Shetland’s success is its setting; the remote bleakness of the islands as a backdrop to the gentle pace and rural idiosyncrasies of characters and plot. A landscape of such brutal beauty, it never ceases to take your breath away. 
Detective inspectors may come and go, but much more rugged and enduring than mere actors, the true stars of Shetland are the stunning Shetland Islands themselves. No change there.


All episodes of Shetland series 8 - streaming on BritBox now.