As the autumn rolls in, we start to see the return of some of our favourite gritty dramas, including the BBC's hit detective show, Shetland. It's been almost a year since we last paid DI Ruth Calder a visit on the titular Scottish Islands, which means it won't be long before the next series arrives on our screens.
Here's all we know about the upcoming ninth season, from the impressive guest cast to the intriguing plot.
© Jamie SimpsonShetland's main cast for series 9
Leading lady Ashley Jensen reprises her role as DI Ruth Calder. The Scottish actress took over from Douglas Henshall, who stepped down from his role as DI Jimmy Perez after season seven.
Ahead of joining the drama, which is based on the critically acclaimed crime novels by Ann Cleeves, Ashley said that while fans could expect a "different dynamic" between Ruth and the characters, the "integrity of the show" would remain in the "same tone".
Also returning for the new series is Alison O'Donnell as DI 'Tosh' Mcintosh, who will be joined by Steven Robertson as DC Sandy Wilson, Lewis Howden as Sgt Billy McCabe, Anne Kidd as Cora McLean, and Angus Miller as Donnie.
Rounding out the main cast are Steven Miller as Rev Alan Calder, Tibu Fortes as PF Harry Lamont, Conor McCarry as PC Alex Grant and Eubha Akilade as PC Lorna Burns.
© BBC/Silverprint Pictures/Jamie SimpsonSheltand's star-studded guest cast
The popular BBC drama has welcomed an impressive list of guest stars for the new series, including The Responder star Ian Hart and House of the Dragon's Vincent Regan.
Other familiar faces appearing in the upcoming episodes include Stuart Campbell (SAS Rogue Heroes, Baptiste), Nalini Chetty (Crime, Karen Pirie), Robert Jack (Annika, Damaged), Jimmy Yuill (Guilt, The Kindred) and Lesley Hart (Granite Harbour, River City).
© BBCShetland series 9 plot
In the upcoming six-part series, DI Calder, now settled on the Isles, is thrown in at the deep end after Tosh's friend goes missing.
The synopsis teases: "The chilling tale of disappearances and death sparks a labyrinthine investigation for Tosh and Calder that challenges the line between the personal and professional."
© BBCShetland series 9 release date speculation
Filming for the upcoming episodes kicked off in March earlier this year. While we don't know when filming wrapped, the cast were still shooting scenes in June. This means a late 2024 release date is likely and if previous seasons are anything to go by, we'd expect the new season to arrive on BBC One around October/November.
The ninth season was part of a double commission announced by the BBC earlier this year, with series ten due to be filmed in 2025.
Seasons one to eight of Shetland are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
