Shetland: Is casting Ashley Jensen in the lead role a good idea?

Should Tosh now be show lead?

Shetland: Ashley Jensen confirmed as Douglas Henshall’s replacement

The BBC has confirmed that actress Ashley Jensen will replace Douglas Henshall in forthcoming series of Shetland.

Henshall starred as Jimmy Perez for seven highly successful series, and fans mourned his final episode earlier this year.

Now we know who’s taking over.

Jensen – whose illustrious and critically-acclaimed career includes cosy crime drama Agatha Raisin – will star as DI Ruth Calder, a native Shetlander who returns to the isles after 20 years working for the Met in London. Ruth takes on the lead detective role left vacant by DI Jimmy Perez (Douglas Henshall) working closely with DS Alison ‘Tosh’ McIntosh (Alison O’Donnell) and will make her debut when the series returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer next year.

Originally based on award-winning novels by crime writer Ann Cleeves, the next series of Shetland will see Ashley join series regulars Steven Robertson (Sandy), Lewis Howden (Billy) and Anne Kidd (Cora). Further casting will be announced in due course.

Jensen says: “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining Shetland as DI Ruth Calder. It’s such a hugely successful show and I am aware I have very big boots to fill since the departure of DI Perez, who was very much loved by fans of the show.

“There will be a different dynamic with Ruth amongst the regular characters and a few more new interesting characters to enjoy. However the integrity of the show and the world that has been created will remain very much in the same tone as the last seven seasons. It’s a real privilege to be asked to lead this show into a new chapter. I can’t wait to be working in Scotland again. I have missed it!”

Series eight will begin production in the spring.

Over to you… what do you think of this news?

READ MORE: ALL OUR NEWS AND REVIEWS OF SHETLAND

Sky One confirms series two Agatha Raisin transmission date

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Now a co-production between Sky and Acorn TV in the US, we’ll be getting three double-length servings of the quintessentially British Cotswold-based detective series based on MC Beaton’s bestselling whodunnit novels.

READ MORE: Agatha Raisin goes back to Sky

Returning to the quaint hamlet after a spell away, Agatha in embroiled in another mystery when her arrogant but brilliant hair stylist, dubbed “The Wizard of Evesham”, becomes the centre of a maelstrom involving blackmail, conspiracy and murder.

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Thursday is turning out to be a busy old day. Not only have I put up three reviews and a news story about a new French crime drama on Channel 4, the wires report that, after its season launch this morning, Sky1 is getting into the crime drama in a big way for autumn and winter 2015/16. The channel has announced three new intriguing crime dramas, each one very different and each one deserving of a closer look.

Review: Agatha Raisin And The Quiche Of Death, Thursday 26th December, Sky1

There has been a distinct lack of crimey wimey stuff on the box this year –plus ça change – but look hard enough and there are a few nuggets embedded in the frozen edifice of festive television that is comprised of Christmas specials and the discarded boxes of a million Yule logs, with the wind of family arguments howling all around it. One of those little nuggets was an adaptation of MC Beaton’s novel, which introduced us to a new, very modern amateur detective, Agatha Raisin.

Ashley Jensen to star in new Sky1 ‘quirky’ crime drama

Since it shamefully ditched the superb Thorne (based on the Mark Billingham’s excellent fictional detective series) Sky1 has been a bit quiet in the crime drama genre. Yes, we’ve had Charlie Brooker’s often laugh-out-loud piss take of procedurals in Touch Of Cloth, but now the channel is giving us something a little more serious and substantial, this time focusing on the amateur sleuth sub-genre with a new one-off to air at Christmas. What’s more, Ashley Jensen has been announced to star.