Written by new-contact on Apr 18, 2014. Posted in On Location

BBC to film new series of crime drama Shetland on location

The BBC has announced that a new series of popular crime drama Shetland will film in 2015. Set and shot on the remote archipelago of Shetland off the north-east coast of the Scottish mainland, the drama series is adapted from crime novels written by Ann Cleeves.

“Shetland is a really distinctive crime series that has proved hugely popular with audiences both here in Scotland and across the rest of the UK,” said Christopher Aird, BBC Head of Drama Production Scotland: “I am thrilled it has been commissioned for a third outing and rest assured we have some really exciting plans for viewers from DI Perez (the protagonist) and his team.”

Added Elaine Collins of ITV Studios: “I’m delighted that Shetland has been re-commissioned and proud to have made a distinctive Scottish show that is enjoyed all over the UK. It's also been a pleasure to work with outstanding actors like Douglas Henshall, Alison O’Donnell and Steven Robertson, who have made Jimmy Perez and his close-knit team a regular fixture in the homes of millions of viewers.”

Filming for the drama’s second series involved shooting in remote parts of Shetland. The production team travelled around by ferry and light aircraft, and on occasion had to move around with a skeleton crew because of limited local accommodation options in the places where they shot.

Shetland is a really distinctive crime series that has proved hugely popular with audiences both here in Scotland and across the rest of the UK.

Christopher Aird, BBC Head of Drama Production Scotland

Authorities on mainland Scotland have been exploring options relating to the development of a purpose-built studio facility. A recent feasibility study identified four separate sites in the Glasgow area suitable for a studio build.

Time-travel miniseries Outlander has been one of the large-scale productions to film in Scotland over the past year. The drama was based in retrofitted facilities in Cumbenauld near Glasgow, which is one of the sites identified in the feasibility study.

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