Who is in the cast of Shetland? Full line-up of actors in series 10 and guest stars

Shetland is back and there are plenty of guest stars once again 👀📺

  • Shetland is set to continue this evening (November 12).
  • BBC’s hit crime drama has returned for series 10.
  • But who can you expect to see in the new episodes?

A brand new series of Shetland is set to continue in just a matter of hours. The acclaimed drama has returned for its 10th outing on the BBC.

Arriving just as the nights have started to draw in, the atmospheric and acclaimed thriller series is airing weekly on the Beeb. It boasts plenty of big name actors in guest roles this time around as well.

But who can you expect to see in the latest episodes? Here’s all you need to know:

What time is Shetland on TV today?

Ashley Jensen in Shetland series 10placeholder image
Ashley Jensen in Shetland series 10 | BBC/Silverprint Films/Jamie Simpson

Shetland will be continuing series 10 on the BBC tonight (November 12). The second episode will begin at 9pm on BBC One this evening.

The show is being broadcast weekly on Wednesday nights and will have six episodes in total, once again. Fans can watch it on BBC One, as well as iPlayer with episodes arriving on the platform weekly as well.

In the preview for the second episode, via Radio Times, reads: “In the wake of the fire, Tosh and Calder turn their attentions to a single local suspect. However, their interview at the police station descends into chaos, upsetting the family and leaving the Procurator Fiscal, Matt Blake, frustrated by their efforts.

“Calder offers her support to Ed Tulloch, drawing them closer, while a tragic link emerges between the Tulloch and Mair families, shedding new light on the case.”

Who is in the cast of Shetland?

Ashley Jensen as Calder and Alison O’Donnell as Tosh in Shetland series 10.placeholder image
Ashley Jensen as Calder and Alison O’Donnell as Tosh in Shetland series 10. | CREDIT LINE:BBC/Silverprint Films/Jamie Simpson

Calder and Tosh are back for another set of mysteries as the acclaimed drama continues on the BBC. However, as usual, they are not alone!

The cast for the latest set of episodes includes:

  • Alison O’Donnell - DI Alison ‘Tosh’ Mcintosh
  • Ashley Jensen - DI Ruth Calder
  • Steven Robertson - Sandy
  • Lewis Howden - Sgt Billy Mccabe
  • Steven Miller - Reverend Alan Calder

Speaking about Tosh and the new season, Alison O’Donnell said: “Having reached a maturational threshold during season nine, realising that certain relationships were no longer serving her, she is knuckling down at work and focussing on the things in her life that truly matter. Her relationship with Calder is also really blossoming and their working dynamic is well cemented.”

Ashley Jensen added: “This series we’ve kind of become a little more insular rather than the expansive locations of last year. We’ve really come into the nucleus of the small hamlet of Lunniswick and used a real-life town as our location.

“It’s very much a small community where everybody knows each other’s business. The series opens with the murder of a woman from this community and, of course, the houses back on to each other, everybody’s peeping from their curtains and everyone’s kind of involved in each other’s lives – whether they want to be or not.”

Who are the guest stars in Shetland series 10?

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Shetland guest stars series 10 | BBC

It would not be a season of the Scottish thriller without plenty of guest stars to play the characters involved in the latest mysteries. The BBC has signed up plenty of recognisable faces this time around.

It includes:

  • Clive Russell - Arthur Mair
  • Ellie Haddington - Lana Mair
  • Niall Macgregor - Tom Jameson
  • Louise Brealey - Isobel Jameson
  • Greg Mchugh - Colin Waite
  • Frances Grey - Gina Powell
  • Stuart Townsend - Edward ‘Ed’ Tulloch
  • Arthur Mair played by Clive Russell

Arthur Mair played by Clive Russell

Clive Russell as Arthur Mair in Shetland series 10placeholder image
Clive Russell as Arthur Mair in Shetland series 10 | BBC/Silverprint Films/Jamie Simpson

Born and bred in Shetland, Arthur Mair spent most of his working life on the oil rigs. Kind, caring and uncomplaining, Arthur is very much a ‘doer’ rather than a ‘talker’.

Family is important to Arthur, and he has a particularly close relationship with his granddaughter Jess, as well as being the sole carer of his wife Lana, who has vascular dementia.

Lana Mair played by Ellie Haddington

Originally from Aberdeen, Lana moved to Shetland when she met her husband, Arthur, where she also became close friends with Eadie Tulloch. Before the tragic loss of her son Ally over two decades ago, Lana was a positive and warm person.

However, Ally’s death took its toll on Lana as she was overwhelmed with grief. In the past few years, Lana has developed dementia and requires support from her family.

Tom Jameson played by Niall Macgregor

Stoic, tacit and unemotional, Tom believes in actions rather than words. Due to a recent heart condition, he’s been unable to work for 18 months, and has been forced to move in with his in-laws, Arthur and Lana Mair, along with his wife Isobel and pregnant teenage daughter Jess.

He’s a conflicted and complex character who’s struggling to adapt to his new reality. As a person who always prided himself on providing for his family, Tom’s unsure of who he is anymore.

Isobel Jameson played by Louise Brealey

Born and bred in quiet hamlet of Lunniswick, Isobel is cheery and hard-working, always putting others before herself - especially her family. Isobel believes that in spite of all the struggles her family is going through – husband Tom’s illness, her mother’s dementia, daughter Jess’s unplanned pregnancy – it’ll all come good once her first grandchild arrives.

Isobel is hopeful that a new life will bring much-needed joy and focus to the family. However, her optimism will be tested to the limits when tragedy casts a shadow over Lunniswick.

Saskia Ashdown as Hayley Burnett in Shetland series 10placeholder image
Saskia Ashdown as Hayley Burnett in Shetland series 10 | BBC/Silverprint Films/Jamie Simpson

Jess Jameson played by Lila Rose

The only child of Tom and Isobel Jameson, teenager Jess is a perfect mix of both her parents, possessing her father’s temper and her mum’s optimism. Jess is an excellent student and was all set for university until she fell pregnant.

Partly due to pressure from her mother, Jess decided to keep the baby. However, with the birth date looming, Jess feels increasingly exiled and is starting to have second thoughts about motherhood.

Colin Waite played by Greg Mchugh

A well-known local figure, Colin Waite knows everyone in Lunniswick - and their business. That’s why, for some, he’s seen as nosey and a bit judgemental. In recent months, Colin has thrown himself into pulling together the history of the village.

Through his research chats, Colin grew close to murder victim Eadie, looking out for her when others turned a blind eye. So, for all his faults, Colin can be kind and thoughtful. That doesn’t change the fact he’s a little eccentric and peculiar.

Gina Powell played by Frances Grey

Life hasn’t always been easy on Gina Powell, especially not of late. Gina can be guarded and untrusting, but she wasn’t always this way – her life took a turn for the worst after her husband was sent to prison for armed robbery and then abandoned her on his release, leaving Gina to raise their son, David, alone.

Feeling judged by the locals, Gina distanced herself from her neighbours and has a reputation for being prickly and unapproachable. David is the sole focus in Gina’s life and his recent prison stint has stirred up painful memories from the past, making her more anxious and fearful than ever.

David Powell played by Stephen Mcmillan

Painfully shy, lacking in confidence and easily influenced, David spent the last eighteen months in prison serving time for housebreaking. Since his release, David has been living back with his mum, Gina, in Lunniswick and is trying to recover from his ordeal.

Despite David’s criminality, he is not a bad person. He has made poor choices and this, combined with some bad luck, has sent him down the wrong path. Lonely and anxious, David struck up an odd friendship with Eadie but her murder will bring heartbreak and unwanted attention to him. All David wants is to rebuild his life but that’s easier said than done.

Edward ‘Ed’ Tulloch played by Stuart Townsend

Handsome and charming, Ed Tulloch has a certain undeniable allure about him. In his younger years, Ed was a successful poet and his work is well-known across the Shetland Isles. These days, he’s a businessman in the drinks trade but poetry is in his DNA.

Ed’s grief about his mother’s murder is tinged with regret as he had become estranged from Eadie in recent years. For all his charm and easy humour, there’s a sadness to Ed and it’s clear there’s something deeper underneath.

Which actors have left the show over the years?

Having been on the air for more than a decade now, with season one debuting back in 2013, the show has seen plenty of changes. Original star Douglas Henshall (DI Jimmy Perez) departed at the end of series 7 and was replaced by Ashley Jensen.

Other main cast members who have left include Erin Armstrong, who played Cassie Perez, Jimmy's stepdaughter from series one to seven. While Celebrity Traitors star Mark Bonnar was a lead on Shetland during the first seven seasons - he played Duncan Hunter, Cassie's biological father.

Julie Graham played Rhona Kelly, procurator fiscal in series two to five, before returning in season seven.

Another crime drama has returned to BBC this autumn in the form of Return to Paradise. The spin-off is airing new episodes on Friday nights - see the cast.

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