It's almost time for Shetland season 10. While it has a new lead cast, it's still one of the best British crime dramas around, and we can't wait for a new season.
There is some mixed news right now about the season. While the UK premiere date has been set, we're still waiting for a U.S. release date. However, we have a prediction, and we have details about the upcoming season.
When will Shetland season 10 premiere in the UK?
Shetland season 10 is set to premiere in the UK on Wednesday, Nov. 5. The new six-part season will bring some cast changes, but will continue to star DI Ruth Calder (Ashley Jensen) and DI Alison “Tosh” MacIntosh (Alison O’Donnell), who are investigating a shocking new crime, and, according to the trailer, it is “about as bad as it gets”. DC Sandy Wilson (Steven Robertson), Sergeant Billy McCabe (Lewise Howden), Dr. Cora McLean (Anne Kidd), Donnie, Tosh’s Partner (Angus Miller), all are set to return.
According to Radio Times, "The team discover that the body of the retired social worker has been out in the elements for a number of days. The case will see Tosh and Calder excavate the victim’s life, past and present, as well as the lives of those who knew her. They soon begin to uncover dark secrets and terrible deeds at the heart of this close-knit community."
When could Shetland season 10 premiere in the U.S.?
While there isn't a premiere date for the U.S., we can use Shetland season 9 as a way to predict a release date. The season was released in early November 2024 in the UK and was then released in the middle of December of the same year in the U.S.
We're looking at something similar in the U.S. With this in mind, we're looking at a mid-December premiere date for Shetland season 10.
Shetland season 9 was in the top 10 most-watched BBC dramas in 2024. However, according to Collider, “The response to the ninth season has been mixed, with some declaring it the worst of the bunch. This can be seen via the season's audience score of 53%, which pales in comparison to the overall series score of 79%. In fact, when compared to the perfect critical rating of 100% handed to Season 4, it's clear that the series might have lost some of its spark.”
I understand the ambivalence about season 9. First, there was the loss of Jimmy Perez after season 7. The swoon-worthy Jimmy, a long-suffering widower, was raising a teenage daughter with her biological dad, Duncan, a lovable but challenging philanderer. The pair played off each other so well, with Jimmy cleaning up after Duncan’s most recent hijinx, creating a dynamic bromance that was irresistible to watch.
Also, Tosh has been a great character from the beginning, but at this point, Tosh’s character needs to evolve. In the beginning, she was getting drunk on chocolate vodka with braces on her teeth, and is now a more mature and experienced DI. Since this time, she has been kidnapped, raped, involved with Donnie, and had a baby. She still seems to be the same character, though. There is no sense that these experiences have altered a young woman into a more developed character.
I would love to see more spark or tension between Tosh and Calder (or anyone, for that matter). She needs to move beyond the doe-eyed newbie image and have a bit more edge. I want to see that after everything she has gone through (including the loss of her beloved mentor, Jimmy), there is a more pronounced character arc. Show what she has endured and what she has learned from it. How has she changed, because right now, I don't see it.
I don’t dislike Calder, but I don’t love her, either. If the show continues after this season (I’m predicting it won’t), I hope Calder goes back to London, Tosh rises in the ranks, and the quality relationships from earlier in the series develop, making the show more than just another UK crime drama.
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