Shetland fans have been waiting since 2019 for the sixth instalment of the BBC crime series - and now Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez has returned to our screens once again. Here’s all you need to know about the new series.
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Based on the novels by Vera author Ann Cleeves, the series follows DI Jimmy, played by Douglas Henshall, and his team as they investigate crime on the titular Scottish island.
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The drama’s fifth series ended on a bombshell when Jimmy discovered that Alice, with whom he had fallen in love, was behind the human trafficking ring that he was investigating and that her husband Chris had accrued debts which meant he was blackmailed into people trafficking.
What will happen in Shetland season six?
We return to the new series to see Jimmy investigate the murder of a prominent local figure, "a case which strikes at the heart of the Shetland Isles and its people." Douglas spoke to whattowatch.com about the new series. He said: "A very prominent and well-loved local is murdered outside their front door, and we set out to investigate what's obviously a big deal because they're a very important person.
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"And the personal side of it is that his mum's died, so that kind of hangs over him throughout the whole season, and also his dad's got the beginnings of Alzheimer's or dementia. So there's quite a lot of family stuff going on this year with him."
© Photo: BBCThe series stars Douglas Henshall
There will be six hour-long episodes.
Who will star in Shetland season six?
Douglas Henshall stars as DI Jimmy Perez, alongside Alison O’Donnell as DS Alison ‘Tosh’ Macintosh. Steven Robertson plays DC Sandy Wilson, while Fiona Bell and Neve McIntosh return as Donna Killick and Kate Kilmuir, who were last seen in season four.
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Where was Shetland filmed?
The archipelago Shetland Islands provide the dramatic backdrop for the drama series, with some scenes being filmed in mainland Scotland.
© Photo: BBCThere will be six episodes of the new series
Will there be more series of Shetland after season six?
The BBC has confirmed that there will a further two series of the drama after series six but has said nothing regarding the show’s future thereafter.
The author of the book series, Ann Cleeves, has previously said that the eighth book will be the last.
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