Douglas Henshall is set to make his final appearance as DI Jimmy Perez in Shetland's seventh season, it has been announced.
Jimmy Perez has been the heart and soul of the acclaimed murder mystery show, but we now know that Shetland season 7 will be his final case as he will be leaving when the seventh series comes to an end later this year.
It's not all bad news, though, as it has also been confirmed that Shetland will return for an eighth series in 2023 with a new person at the helm.
Douglass Henshall said: "After series 5 of Shetland, David Kane and I decided we wanted to do 2 more series to complete the story of Jimmy Perez. So series 6 and 7 were commissioned together to give us time to wrap up Perez story to a satisfactory end.
"It’s been one of the privileges of my career to play Jimmy Perez for almost ten years and to work with so many wonderful people both in front of and behind the camera, and also to spend so much time in Shetland. The Isles were so much a part of our show and of Perez himself. I’ll miss him and the place. I wish everyone involved much luck with whatever happens next”, he added.
The statement also gave us a little bit more detail about what we can expect to see when the show returns in August. DI Perez and his colleagues will be looking into the mysterious disappearance of a vulnerable young man. In his final investigation, Perez will be drawn into the secretive past of a family new to Shetland, revealing a new threat to the community.
Season 7 will feature a range of exciting guest stars, including the likes of Shauna Macdonald (The Cry), Laurie Brett (Waterloo Road), Patrick Robinson (Casualty, Death in Paradise), Nick Nunn (The Victim) and many more.
Shetland's eighth season will start filming in locations across Scotland and the Shetland Isles in Spring 2023. Casting for the new series is due to be announced in the coming months.
Shetland season 7 is due to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this August.
