The BBC has released a brand-new trailer for ‘Shetland‘ Series 11, teasing another dark and dangerous mystery as the acclaimed crime drama returns to BBC One and iPlayer this November. There’s a body in the boot of a submerged car, a doctor who vanished nine years ago, and, as if that wasn’t enough to deal with, the knowledge that this will be Tosh’s final series. Not exactly a quiet week on the islands!
The six-part series sees Ashley Jensen return as DI Ruth Calder alongside Alison O’Donnell as DI Alison ‘Tosh’ McIntosh, with the detectives drawn into a historic murder investigation that threatens to expose long-buried secrets and change the lives of those connected to the case.
The mystery begins when a car is dredged from the water, revealing the skeletal remains of an unidentified man hidden in the boot. The vehicle belongs to Dr Raymond Linden, a respected local GP who mysteriously fled Shetland nine years earlier.
Naturally, Calder and Tosh have a few questions. Who is the dead man? Where did Linden go? And what exactly happened all those years ago that someone was so desperate to keep hidden?
As the detectives begin digging into Linden’s past, they discover that his family have rather different recollections of the missing doctor.
His formidable mother Martha, played by Stella Gonet (The Crown), is convinced something terrible happened to her son that forced him to leave the islands. However, his brother Eric, played by John Wark (Lockerbie: A Search for Truth), isn’t quite so convinced.
Meanwhile, Linden’s ex-wife Emily, played by Christine Bottomley (Sherwood), paints a much darker picture of the man she knew, revealing that her troubled former husband made life miserable for both her and their son Jonah, played by Jude Bain.
Elsewhere, Sandy finds himself dealing with Donald Pierce, a lonely and rather overzealous local man played by Gregor Fisher (Rab C. Nesbitt), who becomes unexpectedly caught up in the investigation.
As Calder and Tosh attempt to identify the victim and uncover what really happened to Linden, the investigation leads them into increasingly dark and dangerous territory, with the consequences of the past threatening to catch up with the present.
One last mystery for Tosh
Of course, this series carries some additional emotional weight for longtime fans, as Alison O’Donnell is preparing to say goodbye to the character she has played since the drama began in 2013.
As we reported earlier this week, O’Donnell has teased that Tosh’s departure will be a particularly memorable one, involving some of the most challenging scenes she has ever filmed for the series, including elaborate sets, stunt work and some serious emotional moments.
Exactly how Tosh will leave remains a closely guarded secret, but with the detective having been such an integral part of the series for more than a decade, it’s difficult to imagine the Shetland police team without her.
The new trailer offers fans another taste of the mystery awaiting Calder and Tosh, although whether the investigation itself has anything to do with Tosh’s eventual departure remains to be seen.
Produced by Silverprint Pictures, part of ITV Studios, the new series is directed by Ruth Carney and Jonny Blair, with Angus Sharpe producing. Executive producers are Kate Bartlett, Paul Logue, Denise Paul and the BBC’s Gaynor Holmes.
With a cold case that looks increasingly sinister, plenty of suspicious characters, and an emotional farewell on the horizon, Series 11 looks set to deliver another gripping trip to Britain’s most murder-prone collection of picturesque islands!
If you need to catch up before the new episodes arrive, all ten previous series of ‘Shetland’ are currently available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
‘Shetland‘ Series 11 premieres Thursday, 12th November 2026 at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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