'Shetland' Reveals Season 11 Cast as Filming Begins
'Shetland' gears up for a second decade as filming on Season 11 commences.
When Brenda Blethyn retired from Vera in early 2025 after the show's 14th and final season, the question that repeatedly cropped up in the multiple tributes to the show's success was what might step up to take its place. Based on the novels by best-selling author Ann Cleeves, several suggested Karen Pirie as a natural successor due to the similarities in format and star Lauren Lyle's central titular detective. However, this ignored the fact that Cleeves already had a perfectly legitimate successor already on the air with Shetland.
At first glance, one might think Shetland and Vera aren't much alike, other than being originally based on Cleeves-created detectives. Vera's seasons rarely ran more than four episodes, all of which were feature-length, each a case of the week. Shetland is more like "Scottish Unforgotten" with season-long cases that run six hour-long episodes. Moreover, though both series had long outstripped the source material and had become "inspired by" rather than "adapted from," Shetland's novels were centered around a male detective, DI Jimmy Pérez, played by Douglas Henshall. Or, it was, until Henshall retired after Season 7, and the show was given a soft reboot that put Ashley Jensen (Agatha Raisin) at the center.
Shetland fans may have sworn off the show after Henshall's departure, but they either went back on that promise, or Jensen brought in more than enough to replace them. As the series enters its second decade with Season 11, the show has become more popular than ever. Perhaps the only series that can properly replace a show based on an Ann Cleeves best-seller is another show based on an Ann Cleeves best-seller.
Here's the plot for Season 11's main arc:
Originally based on award-winning novels by crime writer Ann Cleeves, the forthcoming new series centres around an historic murder which will forever change the lives of all those connected in the present day.
When a car is pulled from the water, a grim discovery is made - crammed in the boot are the decomposed, skeletal remains of an unknown male. The team’s search to uncover the victim’s identity, begins with a hunt for the vehicle’s owner– a respected, local GP who left the Isles under a cloud of troubled rumours nine years ago.
As Calder and Tosh dig deeper into the enigmatic GP's state-of-mind and the lives of the loved ones he left behind, the investigation takes them to dark and dangerous places in their quest for the truth.
Alison O'Donnell and Ashley Jensen once again lead the cast as DI Alison ''Tosh'' McIntosh and DI Ruth Calder, respectively. Season 1 also sees the return of series stalwarts Steven Robertson (The Bay) as DC Sandy Wilson and Lewis Howden (Annika) as former Sgt. Billy McCabe, plus Eubha Akilade (The Diplomat) as PC Lorna Burns, Conor McCarry (Time) as PC Alex Grant, and Anne Kidd (Victoria) as Dr. Cora McLean.
The supporting cast includes Samuel Anderson (Doctor Who) as Procurator Fiscal Matt Blake, Steven Miller (Dept. Q) as Rev Alan Calder, and Angus Miller (The Gold) as Tosh's partner, Donnie Russell.
Every season brings in a new crop of actors for the season-long arc. For Season 11, the roster includes Christine Bottomley (Sherwood), Kevin Harvey (This City Is Ours), Stella Gonet (The Crown), Gregor Fisher (The ABC Murders), and Gavin Mitchell (Crime).
Other guest cast will include John Wark (Lockerbie: A Search for Truth), Robin Weaver (Rivals), John McLarnon (Outlander: Blood of my Blood), Beth Marshall (The Bombing of Pan Am 103), Daniel Boyd (House of the Dragon), Charlene Boyd (Mayflies), Helen Mackay (DCI Banks), and Jude Bain (Let It Come Down).
Paul Logue returns as lead writer for Season 11, penning episodes along with Anita Vettesse and Ross Dunsmore. Directors Ruth Carney and Jonny Blair split helming duties with Angus Sharpe producing. Logue is an executive producer, along with Denise Paul, Gaynor Holmes, and Kate Bartlett.
Shetland Season 11 is currently filming in Scotland and is expected to premiere at the end of 2026 on the BBC and sometime around the start of 2027 on BritBox.
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