‘Shetland’ season 8 release window, cast, plot, and more

Scottish crime drama Shetland is a long-running BBC fan favorite. Originally airing on BBC Scotland, the show — made by ITV Studios — debuted on BBC One on March 10, 2013, and has won two Scottish BAFTA awards for Best Television Drama. Seven seasons have aired since then, all based on various popular novels and stories of British mystery crime writer Ann Cleeves. Writer David Kane, known for This Year’s Love (1999), adapted the novels for television and has been the lead writer on the series since its airing. The show centers around Detective Inspector Jimmy Pérez, who solves various crimes in the Shetland Islands, along with his team of co-detectives.

Who is in the cast of Shetland season 8?

The show stars actor Douglas Henshall as Detective Inspector Jimmy Pérez, a role that even won the star the 2016 Scottish BAFTA for best actor. However, just before the premiere of the seventh season, Henshall announced that he would be leaving the show after nine years in his role.

Addressing his departure, Henshall shared with BBC, “It’s been one of the privileges of my career to play Jimmy Perez for almost ten years and to work with so many wonderful people both in front of and behind the camera, and also to spend so much time in Shetland. The Isles were so much a part of our show and of Perez himself. I’ll miss him and the place. I wish everyone involved much luck with whatever happens next.” Henshall said he’s leaving the show to explore other acting opportunities.

Taking the helm in Henshall’s stead will be actress Ashley Jensen, who is set to star as Detective Inspector Ruth Calder. Calder is a native Shetlander, but moved to London, living there for most of her life. Now, she’s returning to her hometown after two decades away. Calder will be teaming up with Detective Sergeant Alison “Tosh” McIntosh, played by actress Alison O’Donnell. Discussing her upcoming role in a chat with BBC, she called the opportunity “a real privilege” as she gets to lead the show “into a new chapter.”

While the full cast hasn’t been announced yet, it is likely that other series regulars will remain on the show, like Steven Robertson as Sandy Wilson, Conor McCarry as Alex Grant, Lewis Howden as Billy McCabe, Angus Miller as Donnie, and Anne Kidd as Cora McLean.

What’s happening on the show?

In season 7, which aired in six parts, Detective Inspector Pérez and the team investigated the mysterious disappearance of a vulnerable young man named Connor Cairns. Cairns was a graphic novelist who had attempted suicide. Shortly after his sister Abbie is forced off the road by a camper van, Cairns goes missing. As the investigation unfolds, Pérez and the team discover unsettling things about the history of this family. All is not as it appears with these newcomers to Shetland, and Pérez must uncover who they really are before they become more of a threat.

In season 8, Calder — who has been working for two decades with the London Met Police — comes home to Shetland. But this homecoming isn’t so sweet. Calder is on a mission to find a witness for a brutal gang murder. She must work with Tosh, but the two detectives aren’t exactly a match made in heaven. Calder, who is resentful of her hometown, makes Tosh question her place in Shetland, sending both detectives to a dark place as they try to find their witness.

When is season 8 airing?

Filming took place in the spring of 2023 across the Scottish Isles. While an exact release date has not yet been set, the BBC has officially confirmed that the show will return. It is likely to premiere in late fall or early winter of this year, or in the beginning of 2024.