Shetland - BBC1

[Richard Tarleton]

It's just an absolute disgrace that we're having to wait 2 weeks for the final episode, all because of a rugby match. This is a serial for goodness sakes - show the rugby somewhere else, replacing something that isn't a serial! We had to wait a couple of weeks between episodes 2 and 3, if I remember rightly. And it being BBC, you can't even just save it all, as IPlayer would probably delete it before you could watch the whole thing - that happened to us with Happy Valley 1, we had to get the DVD in the end.

[alycidon]

I thought that the serious issue concerning Tosh was handled extremely sensitively and well in episode 5. It added much to this really enjoyable series. James Cosmo scary...I look forward to the final episode next week...in the meantime I see they are showing season 1 on the Drama channel starting this Wednesday. Haven't seen either of the previous series.

Yes, I agree with all your comments, John, and any drama with Douglas Henshall, Julie Graham, and Saskia Reeves, has got to be a winner. I missed the first series, but can't find it on the Drama Channel, which on my PVR is Freesat channel 162. I didn't know this channel was available, so thank you for pointing it out.

Could anyone suggest why I can't find Shetland, Series One?

[johncorrigan]

Yes, I agree with all your comments, John, and any drama with Douglas Henshall, Julie Graham, and Saskia Reeves, has got to be a winner. I missed the first series, but can't find it on the Drama Channel, which on my PVR is Freesat channel 162. I didn't know this channel was available, so thank you for pointing it out.

Could anyone suggest why I can't find Shetland, Series One?

I can't find it either alycidon. I must have misheard or maybe they were advertising it on Drama but it's on another channel. Will keep a look out.

[Anna]

I only discovered the Drama channel at the weekend (they were showing the complete BBC 2011 Great Expectations), I think it said the original Shetlands would start on Wednesday 9th March

[Richard Tarleton]

Perhaps they'll repeat series 2 (set on Fair Isle) as well. Look out for the Icterine warblers

[johncorrigan]

For those who haven't seen it - Ann Cleeve wrote an article in the Guardian at the weekend about the rape, well worth reading (although she didn't script it, this series is based on her novels) http://www.theguardian.com/commentis...-horror-enough

I only discovered the Drama channel at the weekend (they were showing the complete BBC 2011 Great Expectations), I think it said the original Shetlands would start on Wednesday 9th March? I recall we had a thread about them, a lot of talk about Brian Cox and wavering accents!

Thanks for the link to the Guardian piece, Anna. I think this summed up much of what I thought. One of the best bits in the programme was the big desk sergeant stepping right out of normal behaviour to offer a nervous hug...great ending to the episode. And thanks for the update re series 1.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

One of the best bits in the programme was the big desk sergeant stepping right out of normal behaviour to offer a nervous hug...

- and the look of helplessness/uselessness/compassion on his face: marvellous. AND the bewildered gormlessness of the artist who fancies Tosh as she railed at him - did the best he could: offered her the chair, made tea for her, covered her in a blanket. Touching without sentimentalising the point.

(And Sandy's bewilderment before he knew why she had suddenly become hostile to the sound of the children's voices on his 'phone.)

[alycidon]

To all who may be interested - I have just seen a trailer advertising the first series of 'Shetland' as being shown on Wednesday, 9th March on the Drama Channel. I didn't get the time. Sorry folks.

Ian J

[eighthobstruction]

Spoiler Alert....How did Lena know the telephone/email of the Asian lawyer....??

[DublinJimbo]

One of the best bits in the programme was the big desk sergeant stepping right out of normal behaviour to offer a nervous hug...great ending to the episode.

Absolutely. The overall treatment of Tosh's situation was handled with great sensitivity, but it was this quiet moment which lifted things onto a really wonderful plane. Kudos to everyone concerned.

(Mind you, the final episode really didn't maintain the excellent standard of what had gone before. The who-dun-it aspect was too much in the Agatha Christie mould for me, and there was a general atmosphere of a rush to tie loose ends.)

[Guest]

Yes, good point: lead-up noir-ish, but the final epi was soft-centred in a rather unexpected way, sort of 'Lewis' way.
Maybe they were told pretty late that another series had been commissioned so perhaps not too many radical thing could happen to the resident team?

[johncorrigan]

Absolutely. The overall treatment of Tosh's situation was handled with great sensitivity, but it was this quiet moment which lifted things onto a really wonderful plane. Kudos to everyone concerned.

(Mind you, the final episode really didn't maintain the excellent standard of what had gone before. The who-dun-it aspect was too much in the Agatha Christie mould for me, and there was a general atmosphere of a rush to tie loose ends.)

I thought that Tosh's decision at the end was unexpected...not to pursue was in many ways understandable, though not what society would want to encourage women to do, and I liked Tosh's reasoning. She needed to move her life forward and I felt her conversation with Perez explaining that followed on well from what happened in the previous episode; and also from her drinking session with the crazy artist guy. I wasn't convinced about the death of the lawyer bit - tie up a loose end with a frayed knot was a cut too short for me. But overall I enjoyed the series for all the red herrings because I liked a lot of the characters in it and am going to look out the previous two series which I didn't see at the time.

[johncorrigan]

Delighted to hear the announcement of the arrival of series 4 of Shetland this coming Tuesday on BBC1.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09s3x8g

[LMcD]

Having only now read this thread, I'm looking forward to watching the series from the outset when - as it surely will be - it is rerun yet again on the Drama Channel. (It's always worthwhile keeping an eye on this channel - I recently caught up with Andrew Davies's excellent 'War and Piece' and Jimmy McGovern's 'The Street').

[Richard Tarleton]

Delighted to hear the announcement of the arrival of series 4 of Shetland this coming Tuesday on BBC1.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09s3x8g

Indeed - and by the looks of the pre-publicity, Tosh hasn't left.....

SPOILER ALERT if you're thinking of reading the books

The TV series only very loosely based on the books. Broad similarities, but different characters (no Tosh, Perez's colleague/love interest after the death of his fiancée Fran from whom he inherits young daughter a hippy-ish DI from the Hebrides called Willow Reeves....titles of books/episodes the same but in one case a different culprit....the Fair Isle episode in the book the one in which Fran meets her end.....The books ideal for bedtime reading. The author clearly not too bothered (she's also the author of the "Vera" series televised with Brenda Blethyn, which I have neither watched not read, so clearly doing nicely out of TV rights )