Shetland 10 starts on 5 November 2025

[IwantToRetire]

Forget about the fireworks, stay in as new series of Shetland starts next week!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002lt9z

I think those of us who have stuck with Shetland through thick and thin, just about filled up the last thread which is here https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/4931718-shetland-season-8?page=40

Given how bad many 9pm slots have been recently this series may even be a pleasant surprise.

Have to say, across all the seasons of Shetland I think Ellie Haddington as Lana Mair is probably my favourite casting decision and character ever (setting aside Cassie Perez’s two dads). Really didn’t think anyone would ever overtake the wild, shy artist who provided succour to Tosh after her trauma years ago.

Do we have to prepare for Billy to be a widower by the end of the story? That would seem to be a good reason for letting him out into the wild, in mufti.

Great minds, @Lunde!

This is fun:

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/a69406465/ranked-every-shetland-season-10-suspect/

I am just not enjoying it at all anymore. I watch it for the scenery and clothes. The plots are boring and unengaging and I don’t think the two women work.

I've not seen this week's yet but I think it's missing the bits that surrounded Jimmy. He had his family and Duncan so it wasn't just about the case it was intertwined with stories about Cassie and Duncan. His character had proper development because Anne Cleeves gave him a proper backstory that the writers of the show could develop and build episodes round.

They've created this new character in Ruth to keep the show going but other than her brother they haven't really fleshed her out. She's there to solve cases.

Sandy is a born and bred Shetlander, they could use him more, he has a proper backstory and character development thanks to Anne Cleeves's writing. He has family on Shetland, he could have been the new Jimmy Perez if they wanted and I think it's a shame they haven't used it to their advantage.

I just don’t think a huge proportion of viewers would fantasise about Sandy, @xSideshowAuntSallyXx. It would be a no for me.

But it’s a good point - there was always genuine tension around Perez household interactions, baked into the fabric of their particular relationships. We get a tiny amount of that with Donny constantly feeling a bit secondary in Tosh’s life, and consequently always open to innocent entertainment elsewhere - but again, he doesn’t set the pulse racing as Duncan used to.

Perez had entire seasons of backstory develop over time, though. We’ve only had Calder for what — two and this one? And she’s also a Shetlander with nice knitwear, a disastrous romantic life and problematic local connections (Cal, her philandering father, her brother and his flock). I think they’ll just take some time to bed in.

And I quite liked that least season (was it last season? Annie Bett?) we saw Tosh’s job clashing with her local friendships.

ETA Agree about Sandy not being obvious fantasy material. What he is, though, is remarkably unchanged since the first season. He clearly drinks the blood of virgin PCs or something to keep so youthful…

I still miss Jimmy and Duncan, it just isn't the same.

I confess I only discovered the series last week! Once I'd watched the first episode I went on I player and there were 50 more to watch. So my evenings have been spent binge watching. Currently got to series 5.

But I too am missing Jimmy Perez and Duncan.

I have also enjoyed the Agatha Christie style plot twists - suddenly you think someone who was a good person comes under suspicion.

Wasn't Sandy studying for his sergeant's exams in the early series, but he's still a DC? Will this become clear? I don't need a spoiler though - just tell me to keep watching.

I thought this also.

How did you miss the 2 packages of drugs @IwantToRetire!!!!😂

I'm impressed you remembered Donny's name. And that Tosh does, come to that!

There's no way Sandy could be a lead. It would be one hell of a character development. Last night he was telling Tosh about some evidence he'd found, and she paused and said something "did you ask them about X?" which was the most obvious thing glaring you in the face and he was totally blank faced. Hadn't occurred to him. He's not the brightest of folk.

I should add - I've seen the actor in something else and he was a very convincing English evil murderer, so the guy can act - but they've deliberately made Sandy dopey.

Maybe now that they've let Billy (a) out of the station and (b) out of uniform, and are possibly about to reveal that his wife is a corrupt/incompetent social worker at risk of being murdered by a vengeful former client, Sandy will get another storyline. I know he had one or two in earlier series, though I only remember them vaguely -- wasn't Mima Wilson his grandmother? And there was some storyline where he was romantically involved with someone with a connection to a crime they were investigating.

I'd like to see a storyline involving the two regular uniformed cops -- Lorna and what's the guy's name? Though Lorna managed to not notice someone approaching a murdered woman's house and setting it on fire when she was parked outside, so maybe not...

If Ruth & Tosh are Cagney and Lacey, then Donny is very much the Harvey of the series.

I think of Donny as more like Sally Webster's children in Coronation Street aeons back -- she was always calling 'Time for bed, girls!' up the stairs at them, but they seldom actually appeared on screen for years at a time, and then turned out to be suddenly different actors.

But I suppose at least having an unfailingly devoted, smiley, understanding spouse at home, who is happy to pick up all childcare slack and provide Tosh with a nourishing dinner on the rare occasions she gets home is a change from that vogue for dysfunctional female detectives with no life whatsoever outside of work.

I watched first two episodes last night and nodded off during episode 2. I think that tells me that I really wasn't enjoying it that much.

It's never been my favourite crime drama even when Douglas Henshall was in it so I think it's back to finding something else to watch as I can't be bothered to run episode 2 again to see what happened.

I think I said a while back, it's a shadow of the show it once was IMO.

The ones with Perez in are good so I'd keep watching them.

The books are better and give so much more background to the characters.

The first few series's were based on the actual books.

When I saw Billy’s wife I thought he was punching well above 😀

No one’s answered my musing on Morag’s likely longevity - but I’m not hopeful. Even more so if she’s obviously out of poor Billy’s league.

Morag has got to go so that Billy can return to his usual attire, abode and disposition.

Totally! And her knitwear in the scene where they're sitting out in the garden with Tosh is way above his grade! And yes, @NorWouldTilly, I wouldn't put money on Morag making it to the end of the season, so Billy gets to sombrely move back into the station in uniform, and probably live in one of the cells when not actually at work.

(Nice house, too, Billy and Morag!)

Something the actress who plays Tosh said in an interview about this season struck me as funny. She said that it had been nice to have Lewis Howden on location with them for this season, and of course -- it's probably true it's never happened before! I know that the vast majority of the series is not shot on Shetland at all, that the interiors are shot in Glasgow and lots of outdoor shooting is in mainland Scotland, so it's probably that Lewis Howden was only there in previous seasons wherever they shoot the station interiors.

For me it was Perez’s grapples with his conscience and ethics that gave the show depth and nuance. A rugged resolute man in great knitwear and coat with a sensitive but strong core. And how his conscience and ethics put him so often at risk. Emotionally, professionally etc.

I am still enjoying it though. The theme tune signals ‘settle down, immerse myself and enjoy’

How did you miss the 2 packages of drugs !!!!😂

Well I went back to the recording I had watched and far from nodding of for a couple of minutes, it turns out it was closer to 20!

So not surprisingly I missed that, and other plot developments so feel well up to speed for next week.

Perez was such a waste of space and moronically "sad".

But would like Duncan to pop back for a few episodes and no doubt mess everything up again.

As to Sandy, as I found when I re-watched the whole series, it was clear he must have been in charge when Perez had thankfully sailed off into the sunset and Tosh was on maternity leave!

He was obviously so stunningly good that they thought they wouldn't broadcast it as otherwise we would be clamouring for his promotion to be permenant.

Unless of course Billy had not only kept the front desk open, and done endless runs for fish and chips, but also been acting chief detective.

I dont have a problem with Ruth and Tosh, but obviously in the early pairing there was more tension and misunderstanding, but now they are friends they just have a quiet supportive relationship.

What's wrong with that?

Well, if at least three of us nodded off during the second épisode, it can't have been that good really.

I like the idea that Sandy is secretly brilliant, and just very good at hiding his light under a bushel. Or Tosh and Ruth have been keeping him down in case he's promoted far above them. Maybe he and Harry will get together and rebel. (Rhona is the one I miss, actually. I loved her.)

I like Ruth and Tosh together, but 'a quiet supportive relationship' doesn't necessarily translate well into interesting TV. But it's pretty early in this season to think there won't necessarily be cracks. Maybe Donny will have an affair with Evil Stevie and her demonic grin. Maybe Ed Tulloch will emerge again as a strong suspect in his mother's murder and Ruth will unwisely shag him anyway, and Tosh will be horrified. Maybe Tosh will cover up evidence that Morag murdered Eadie Tulloch, out of loyalty to Billy, and Ruth will find out. Maybe Ruth will start writing bad poetry and pressuring the rest of the team to go to the Watergaw to hear it.

Either way, compared to the utter tosh of The Ridge, Shetland has still got it.