Shetland enthusiasts are on the edge of their seats as the BBC has announced the premiere date for the new season.
Come November 6, the ninth instalment of the beloved police drama will hit screens, bringing back Ashley Jensen and Alison O’Donnell to their roles as DI Ruth Calder and DS Alison ‘Tosh’ McIntosh.
The upcoming series promises a whirlwind of drama with a double missing person’s case that threatens to entangle the personal with the professional.
Tosh finds herself in a precarious situation when her friend Abbie Bett disappears, prompting her and Ruth to embark on a search for Annie and her son Noah.
Meanwhile, Ruth is grappling with her own demons, having recently survived a harrowing experience, reports Wales Online.
The synopsis reads: “They discover accountant Annie is estranged from her husband, Ian, and has been staying with mussel farmer John Harris and his two sons, Patrick and Fergus. Worryingly, there’s no sign of Annie there either.”
Ruth, following Tosh’s hunch, seeks out Annie at the house she once shared with Ian but they encounter an unexpected figure instead.
Their quest leads them to Professor Euan Rossi who reveals a past connection to Annie, having been her tutor at Oxford many years prior.
However, their suspicions intensify upon learning that the Professor had travelled to Shetland after receiving a distressed voicemail from Annie the night before her disappearance.
The synopsis further revealed: “Calder can’t shake the feeling there’s more to Rossi than meets the eye. Meanwhile, at the station, Calder delves deeper into another case involving a deadly argument between two brothers.
“The missing persons investigation draws Tosh and Calder into a web of lies and when a bloodied person turns up at a remote garage, nothing can prepare the team for what lies ahead.”
The show will also feature Steven Robertson as DC Sandy Wilson, Lewis Howden as Sgt Billy McCabe and Anne Kidd as Cora McLean.
This marks Ashley Jensen’s second series as Ruth Calder, following her replacement of Douglas Henshall’s DI Jimmy Perez in season 8.
When she joined the show, which first aired in 2013, Ashley admitted she had big shoes to fill.
Speaking on This Morning before her debut, she said: “It’s big boots to jump into, it’s such a well-loved show and such a well-loved character that it’s a privilege. It’s a privilege to be there and to be asked to play this part.”
Her addition to the show was well-received by fans, who were thrilled to see her take on the leading role.
Shetland will air on Wednesday 6 November on BBC iPlayer and BBC One.