Shetland star Alison O'Donnell has said that the addition of a new lead detective to the Scotland-set crime drama has helped to keep the experience fresh for her after almost 12 years in the role of DS 'Tosh' McIntosh.
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The latest season of the detective series premieres tomorrow night on BBC One and iPlayer, seeing Tosh deeply disturbed by the sudden disappearance of a close personal friend.
On the encouragement of boss DI Ruth Calder (Ashley Jensen), she decides to open an investigation, but the ensuing revelations will test their professional relationship as secrets come out that Tosh would have preferred not to share.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com, O'Donnell explained that although the show is now in its ninth season, the most recent shoot felt novel thanks to the as-yet-unexplored depths of DI Calder's character and her relationships with the team.
"I think it felt like season 9, and it also felt like season 2, because obviously there was such a big change for season 8, and I think that there was a real mood in the camp that we'd sort of barely scratched the surface of all these new relationships and the new characters," she explained.
Jensen joined the cast of the series last year following Douglas Henshall's departure as DI Jimmy Perez, who was dramatically written out of the show in its seventh season as the Murder Is Easy star sought new challenges.
O'Donnell continued: "We were really, really hoping that we would get to go again, just to sort of develop from here. So everybody was thrilled to get the chance to have another roll of the dice with the sort of new version of the show.
Alison O'Donnell and Ashley Jensen star in Shetland. BBC/Silverprint Films/Jamie Simpson
"And obviously there are elements of it that are very much season 9 – being back on the set of the police station with Billy [McBride] and Sandy [Wilson] – and so it's nice now it has a kind of double identity for me."
She added: "It's got this one timeline where it's been running for sort of 12 years, then it's got the new timeline where it's only been for two years.
"So I feel like there's stuff that I'm really sure-footed about and other stuff where I'm still really learning, which is a lovely combination."
It sounds like there are plenty more stories to be told in the Shetland Isles. Fortunately, the show was handed a double renewal earlier this year, meaning it will be on our screens until at least season 10 in 2025.
Shetland season 9 premieres on BBC One and iPlayer at 9pm on Wednesday 6th November 2024.
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
