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Home · Browse Shows · Shetland
A windswept Shetland Isles coastline

British Crime Drama · BBC · 2013–present

Shetland

10 Seasons Scottish Isles Crime Drama Atmospheric Based on Ann Cleeves

On the remote, windswept islands of Shetland, DI Jimmy Pérez — and later DI Ruth Calder — investigate crimes that ripple through tight-knit island communities where everyone knows everyone. Adapted from Ann Cleeves' novels, it's brooding, beautifully shot, and powered by the kind of slow Nordic-noir tension that gets under your skin. The landscape is practically a character in itself. Shetland is available on BritBox; compare BritBox and Acorn TV if you're deciding between the two.

See more in Sunday Night Dramas.


Where to watch in the US

BritBox

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Streaming availability in the US can change. Check the linked service for the current season and episode selection.

Read the books

Raven Black

by Ann Cleeves · Book 1 in the Shetland series

Start Reading →

About the Show

Inspired By, Not Based On

Ann Cleeves' Shetland Novels

Ann Cleeves' novels inspired Shetland, though the show has diverged enough from the books over ten series that the credits now read simply "inspired by" rather than "based on."

Ann Cleeves
At a Glance
NovelistAnn Cleeves
Credit"Inspired by"
Two Leads

Douglas Henshall & Ashley Jensen

Douglas Henshall played DI Jimmy Perez for the first seven series, winning a BAFTA Scotland for Best Actor along the way, before Ashley Jensen took over as DI Ruth Calder — a native Shetlander returning from twenty years with the Met in London — for series eight onward. Cleeves has said she now watches the show as an ordinary viewer rather than a creative collaborator, and enjoys the current pairing of Jensen and Alison O'Donnell.

BAFTA Scotland Winner
At a Glance
Perez EraSeries 1-7
Calder EraSeries 8-present

Watch the Trailer

More Trailers on British TV Hub — Trailers & Previews →


If You Like Shetland, Try These

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Unforgotten

PBS Passport

Blue Lights

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