Written by new-contact on Apr 15, 2015. Posted in On Location

BBC to film third series of drama Shetland

The BBC will film a third series of its crime drama Shetland on location on the archipelago north of the Scottish mainland. Douglas Henshall will once again star as DI Jimmy Perez, whose new investigation involves a young man's disappearance during a ferry crossing.

“Shetland has a magnificent core cast led by Douglas Henshall,” said Elaine Collins, executive producer for ITV Studios.

“In our third series, this time telling one story over six hours, our regulars will be joined by a wonderful group of prominent and talented actors who we feel sure have been attracted by some really exciting scripts.”

“I'm looking forward to locking swords with Douglas Henshall and working against the stunning backdrop of Shetland,” added new cast member Ciaran Hinds: “I came to Scotland a lot in the 70s and 80s in various theatre productions and of course to film Hallam Foe but this is the furthest I've ever been.”

Scotland’s international production appeal is growing, especially with the launch of the romantic drama Outlander, which filmed its first series in Cumbernauld near Glasgow.

Later this month, Scotland will promote its filming locations with a familiarisation scouting trip as part of the VisitScotland expo 2015, and a separate trip will focus on the filming locations used for Outlander.

“From connections with big-budget Hollywood movies like Harry Potter and James Bond, to classic works of fiction like Peter Pan and Sherlock Holmes, some of the world’s most recognised films and books have direct ties to Scotland, and we’re using this to our advantage,” said Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland.

(Shetland photo: BBC/ITV Studios; Main page image: Shetland Islands Council)