Is Shetland returning for season 11? Alison O’Donnell "can't reveal anything"
"We're the wrong people for any of these questions."
When Douglas Henshall announced his depature from Shetland ahead of its seventh season, many might have been wondering how long the show could survive without its beloved leading man.
Season 8 had already been confirmed, with Ashley Jensen later unveiled as his replacement DI Ruth Calder, but would the BBC crime drama have legs without Perez?
"When I heard that they were going to reimagine the show, there was a part of me going, 'Oh no, we've got this legacy, and what if you get it wrong? Like, what if it doesn't work?'" Alison O'Donnell, who plays DI ‘Tosh’ McIntosh alongside Ashley Jensen's DI Ruth Calder, previously told RadioTimes.com.
But her concern quickly evaporated – especially as the show went on to receive a two-season renewal.
"I remember when the first episode [of season 8] was airing, my kids were still up, so I went into the other room, and when I watched it I actually cried," she added. "I sat on my own and I wept because it was partly relief, but also I was so proud of it. It was so much better than any of us really could have imagined.
"And I always knew that there would be the dissenting voices, but I think there was far less of that than there could have been."
But what of its future now?
Alison O'Donnell as DI Alison ''Tosh'' McIntosh and Ashley Jensen as DI Ruth Calder. BBC/Silverprint Films/Jamie Simpson
When asked by RadioTimes.com if an 11th season was on its way, Jensen said she had "no idea".
"We can't reveal anything,"echoed O'Donnell, while Jensen added they are "the wrong people for any of these questions.
Read more:
- Shetland's Ashley Jensen said her arrival as new DI could have "gone one way or another"
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"I have no idea, and I expect nothing," she continued. "And you know what? I think you've got to just live in the moment and be present and not worry about if people like Perez more than Calder, and not worry about if there's going to be season 11.
"You've got to just be be here and know and enjoy what we have."
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Shetland seasons 1-10 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Ann Cleeves's Shetland novels are available to buy.
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Authors
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.
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