Shows as good as Shetland

[SistemaAddict]

I've just finished series 5 and feel bereft. I have a crush on Jimmy Perez and will miss the scenery and characters. Tosh was great I thought. I've watched all of Vera, The Loch, Broadchurch, Endeavour, Morse, Lewis.

Bletchley Circle is on my list but what else?

@IntermittentParps I see what you mean. I always thought Shetland was quite bleak, but there is a gentleness to the regulars.

stormsurfer, yes, there's a lot of humour and warmth in it. I know some of the crimes and the circumstances around them are rather more hard-hitting than something like Murder She Wrote , but the overall feel for me is just a bit more 'cosy' than some of the really grim Scandi things.

I certainly don't think of Shetland as cozy; it's more in the "tartan noir" genre.

It might be the direction as a whole, but I feel Henshall sets that warmer tone in Shetland.

You feel like his character really cares about the people around him – and therefore so does everyone else.

Inspector George Gently is good, similar feel to Endeavour.

Spiral in French with subtitles

I just found The Cuckoo's Calling on iplayer.

Detectorists Ss 1, 2, 3, and Christmas special.) Outstanding in every possible way - and yet gentle.

This Country. Sly humour, zero bodies.

(Assuming you've watched all of Happy Valley?)

Loved the detectorists. Completely different but also liked Dark (german time travel but much much more ! ) Just finished 2nd series of top of the lake with elizabeth moss sent in new zealand/australia , 2 series, first was good second barking !

Have recently watched State of Happiness on BBC iPlayer.Norwegian subtitled but lots of English dialogue.Excellent and different from the usual crime series as about discovering the oil fields in the 60s so if you're looking for similar scenery to Shetland plus a good story can highly recommend.
Likewise Twin - another set in Norway.

Have just binged all of Unforgotten (S1) and really, if you transplanted Shetland from its paradisal landscape to normal-world, and swapped Douglas Henshall for Nicola Walker ...

Very similar pace and gentle, caring detective, surrounded by supportive and trustworthy subordinates. Etc. (However, I've never seen more than about ten minutes of Silent Witness - it may be more like that, I don't know.)

It might be the direction as a whole, but I feel Henshall sets that warmer tone in Shetland.
Yes, that's a good point. Despite having some complicated life issues like his daughter's other dad, having lost his wife etc, he's absolutely not the slightly antisocial, terse, 'troubled' detective figure we've otherwise come to expect.