BBC has confirmed that Douglas Henshall will be leaving BBC’s hit show Shetland after seven series - but we don’t want to see him go! Season seven is set to air from August, with season eight returning in 2023 with a new lead - who is yet to be announced.
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Speaking about his decision to leave Shetland, Douglas said: "After series five of Shetland David Kane and I decided we wanted to do two more series to complete the story of Jimmy Perez. So series six and seven were commissioned together to give us time to wrap up Perez story to a satisfactory end.
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"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."
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Douglas will conclude the beloved role in the upcoming six-part series, which will see the team investigate the mysterious disappearance of a vulnerable young man. The investigation draws Perez into the secret past of a family new to Shetland, revealing an unimaginable threat to the community.
We don't want him to go!
Speaking about Douglas’ department, Executive Producer for BBC Drama Gaynor Holmes said: "It has been an absolute privilege to work on Shetland over the past few years and watch the show go from strength to strength – in no small part thanks to Douglas’s sensitive, intelligent and memorable portrayal of DI Jimmy Perez.
"We will miss him enormously but he leaves the show in rude health and we’re extremely excited about the plans we have for bringing more of this much-loved drama to audiences far and wide."
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