BBC crime drama Shetland is set to return for a 10th series in November
Shetland is returning for a new series(Image: BBC)
Shetland’s Alison O’Donnell has said it was “a pleasure” to see co-star Lewis Howden take a more central role in the new series as he had been an “untapped resource”.
Lewis made his debut appearance as sergeant Billy McCabe in the first series of the hit BBC crime drama, which follows police working in Shetland and is set to return for its 10th season.
He takes a bigger role in the upcoming episodes, in which a woman who used to work with his wife Morag is murdered.
Alison – who stars as Detective Inspector Alison “Tosh” McIntosh in the series – said “it was time” and that everyone was “excited” about it.
Lewis Howden is getting a more central role(Image: BBC)
“Having Lewis come to the fore was nothing but a pleasure,” said the actress. “He has won over the hearts of our audience with his nuanced performance, his steady hand and stylish beard.
“It was time! He has been an untapped resource for so long and he is such an exceptional actor so we were all really excited, me especially as we had so many great scenes together.”
Alison stars as Tosh in Shetland(Image: BBC)
Lewis usually films his scenes in a studio in Glasgow, but this season he got to join the rest of the cast on the Shetland Islands to shoot. It was his first time doing so other than for one scene in the show’s fourth series.
“He loved coming up to Shetland with all of us and having some new costumes to wear!” Alison shared.
The new series of Shetland will see Tosh and Detective Inspector Ruth Calder (Ashley Jensen) drawn to the remote village of Lunniswick following the murder of a retired social worker named Eadie Tulloch. The pair suspect that residents are holding back about their relationships with the elderly victim, and a web of lies starts to emerge.
Calder and Tosh have a new murder to investigate(Image: BBC/Silverprint Films/Jamie Simpson)
According to a synopsis, as the officers begin to explore in the close-knit community “shocking, long-buried secrets rise to the surface with unexpected consequences for all – including the team”.
Shetland started in 2013 and so far nine series of the gripping murder mystery drama have aired.
Shetland returns on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 9pm on Wednesday November 5.
