Shetland: Filming of Series 4 is under way

Douglas Henshall and Alison O’Donnell will be back to fight crime again in the close knit community of Shetland.

The BBC’s award winning drama, which enjoyed a regular audience of over five million people for Series 3, is currently filming its fourth series on the island, with further filming in Glasgow and Norway.

The original story will unfold across six one hour episodes, dealing with murders from the past and present that share unnerving similarities. When Islander Thomas Malone has his conviction overturned after serving 23 years in jail, Henshall’s DI Jimmy Perez has to review the 1994 death of local teenager, Lizzie Kilmuir, and continue the investigation.

Malone finds himself under suspicion again, when a local journalist is found dead under similar circumstances. Was he guilty of the earlier murder after all, or was he set up and history is repeating itself? Perez and his team will need to set aside prejudice and ignore hearsay to find the truth.

Series regulars returning include Alison O’Donnell as Alison (Tosh) McIntosh, who suffered that horrible life changing event in Series 3 and relocated to the mainland, while Steven Robertson reprises his role as DC Sandy Wilson.

Among others joining the cast for Series 4 are Neve McIntosh, recently seen as the unfortunate Kay in The Replacement (but forever Madame Vastra to Whovians) Sean McGinley (The Fall) and Stephen Walters (The Accused).

Shetland has been adapted from the renowned novels by Ann Cleeves, who also created Vera (currently on ITV, Sunday at 8pm) starring Brenda Blethyn. Cleeves has also been honoured this year with the Crime Writers Association top award, the Diamond Dagger, which she will be presented with in October. The new series is not based directly on any particular book.

Writers on this series include David Kane (Stonemouth), Louise Ironside (Call the Midwife) and Paul Logue (DCI Banks). On direction duties are Lee Haven Jones (Vera) and Rebecca Gatward (Grantchester). Producer is a returning Eric Coulter (Our Girl), while executive producers are Kate Bartlet for ITV Studios and Gaynor Holmes for BBC Scotland.

Images: BBC