History Series / Shetland

* DestroyTheEvidence: [[spoiler: In season 6, Jimmy tells Duncan to take the mug used to deliver the overdose that (voluntarily) killed Donna Killick to the sink. After protesting, Jimmy explains it's so that there is a reason -- ''other'' than delivering Donna the drugs -- that Duncan's fingerprints are on the mug, as assisted suicide is illegal in the UK. In the end, it doesn't matter as Duncan confesses, and Jimmy is implicated anyway.]]

* DestroyTheEvidence: [[spoiler: In season 6, Jimmy tells Duncan to wash a mug containing some hot chocolate and an overdose of drugs that Donna Killick used to commit suicide, when he realises that Duncan was manipulated into helping her, and he was the one who gave her the drink, in order to wipe his fingerprints off it, as Duncan would have been facing a murder charge, since assisted suicide is illegal in the UK. It doesn't work when Jimmy himself is arrested at the end of the season for the attempted cover up.]]

The CID team includes Detective Constable Sandy Wilson (Steven Robertson), Detective Sergeant Alison 'Tosh' Macintosh ([[TheDanza Alison O'Donnell]]), Sergeant Billy [=McCabe=] (Lewis Howden), Procurator Fiscal Rhona Kelly (Julie Graham), and forensic examiner Cora [=McLean=] (Anne Kidd). While Perez was involved, the show often also featured Perez's daughter Cassie Perez (Erin Armstrong) and her biological father Duncan Hunter (Mark Bonnar).

* MakeItLookLikeAnAccident: In season 6, the value that pumps air into a decompression chamber where deep sea divers go into when they come to the surface to stop them getting the bends, is moved to a setting too high, and kills [[spoiler:Eammon Gauldie, who was a potential witness to the murder of Alex Galbraith. Jimmy is immediately suspicious, despite the fact the marine police are happy to write it off as an accident.]]

* MonochromeCasting: Season 1. Season 2 fixes this with Willow Reeves played by Nina Sosanya. Season 3 has Asha Israni played by Archie Panjabi. Season 6 has Maggie Kean played by Anneika Rose, as well as the Syrian Nassan family.

* ColorWash: Everything on Shetland seems to be permanently drenched in grey. Even on sunny days.

The CID team includes Detective Constable Sandy Wilson (Steven Robertson), Detective Sergeant Alison 'Tosh' Macintosh ([[TheDanza Alison O'Donnell]]), Sergeant Billy [=McCabe=] (Lewis Howden), Procurator Fiscal Rhona Kelly (Julie Graham), and forensic examiner Cora [=McLean=] (Anne Kidd). While Perez was involved, the show often also featured Perez's stepdaughter Cassie Perez (Erin Armstrong) and her biological father Duncan Hunter (Mark Bonnar).

* BritishBrevity: The first two seasons were four episodes each, while seasons 3, 4, 5 and 6 were six.

* CloseKnitCommunity: This being the remote islands of Shetland, it's no wonder. Just in the first episode alone, the murder victim was Sandy's Grandmother. Tosh running into Drew, her ex, basically wherever she goes is kind of a RunningGag for season 1 and 2. It gets darker in Season 4 when [[spoiler:Duncan Hunter]] becomes a murder suspect.
-->'''DI Cole:''' You're too close to this. It's personal.
-->'''Jimmy:''' it's Shetland. ''Everything'' is personal.

''Shetland'' is a BBC British murder mystery set on the Shetland Isles in Scotland. The show follows the cases of the CID team of Lerwick, Shetland. From seasons 1-7 it is led by Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez (portrayed by Creator/DouglasHenshall), and as of season 8, by DI Ruth Calder (Creator/AshleyJensen).

The CID team includes Detective Constable Sandy Wilson (Steven Robertson), Detective Sergeant Alison 'Tosh' Macintosh ([[TheDanza Alison O'Donnell]]), Sergeant Billy McCabe (Lewis Howden), Procurator Fiscal Rhona Kelly (Julie Graham), and forensic examiner Cora McLean (Anne Kidd). While Perez was involved, the show often also featured Perez's stepdaughter Cassie Perez (Erin Armstrong) and her biological father Duncan Hunter (Mark Bonnar).

''Shetland'' is a BBC British murder mystery set on the Shetland Isles in Scotland. The show follows Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez (portrayed by Creator/DouglasHenshall) and adapted from the books by Creator/AnnCleeves, who also wrote the novels that the Creator/{{ITV}} series ''Series/{{Vera}}'' is based on. The first series is a two-parter based on her book ''Red Bones''. The second series consists of three two-parter episodes based on the books ''Raven Black'', ''Dead Water'' and ''Blue Lightning''. From Series 3 onwards, the format was changed, so the mystery now unfolds over six episodes instead of two, and are completely original stories.

The series also follows Detective Constable Sandy Wilson (Steven Robertson), Detective Sergeant Alison 'Tosh' Macintosh ([[TheDanza Alison O'Donnell]]), Cassie Perez (Erin Armstrong) and Duncan Hunter (Mark Bonnar).

* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: Jimmy and Duncan. Although sometimes it feels more like {{Amicably Divorced}} as the two have a custody agreement over Duncan's daughter (Cassie) and Jimmy's step-daughter. [[spoiler: In season 3, Duncan gets kicked out of his home and crashes at Jimmy's. This happens again in season 5, and he still seems to be living there in season 6.]]

* MonochromeCasting: Season 1. Season 2 fixes this with Willow Reeves played by Nina Sosanya.

* OddlySmallOrganisation: Apparently Shetland only has three detectives, and a handful of uniformed cops, to investigate every crime on an archipelago who’s murder rate is up there with [[Series/MurderSheWrote Cabot Cove.]]

* PoliceAreUseless: [[AvertedTrope Averted.]] The protagonist is a Detective Inspector and good at his job. Everyone in the police force is shown to be at least competent if not very skilled at their job.

''Shetland'' is a BBC British murder mystery set on the Shetland Isles in Scotland. The show follows Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez (portrayed by Douglas Henshall) and adapted from the books by Ann Cleeves, who also wrote the novels that the Creator/{{ITV}} series Series/{{Vera}} is based on. The first series is a two-parter based on her book ''Red Bones''. The second series consists of three two-parter episodes based on the books ''Raven Black'', ''Dead Water'' and ''Blue Lightning''. From Series 3 onwards, the format was changed, so the mystery now unfolds over six episodes instead of two, and are completely original stories.

''Shetland'' is a BBC British murder mystery set on the Shetland Isles in Scotland. The show follows Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez (portrayed by Douglas Henshall) and adapted from the books by Ann Cleeves, who also wrote the novels that the Creator/{{ITV}} series Series/{{Vera}} is based on. The first series is a two parter based on her book Red Bones. The second series consists of three two-parter episodes based on her books Raven Black, Dead Water and Blue Lightning. From Series 3 onwards, the format was changed, so the mystery now unfolds over six episodes instead of two, and are completely original stories.

* OddCouple: Jimmy and Tosh of the {{They Fight Crime}} variety.

* AdultFear: Someone breaks into Jimmy Perez's house whilst his daughter is home alone.
* BeneathSuspicion: The murderer, frequently.

* TechnoWizard: Donnie, Tosh's boyfriend in Season 6 is, in her own words: "Half man, half laptop." He get's pressed into action as an unofficial police computer expert, as the team can't wait a couple of weeks for someone on the mainland to look into computer's that may have important information on them to the crimes they are currently investigating.

* [[TheFilmOfTheBook The TV Show of the Book]]: Each two parter is based on a different Ann Cleeves book. From Season 3 onwards, stories are completely original.

* [[TheFilmOfTheBook The TV Show of the Book]]: Each two parter is based on a different Ann Cleves book. From Season 3 onwards, stories are completely original.

* FalseConfession: [[spoiler: Fraser Creggan confesses to the murder of Alex Galbraith in Season 6 in an attempt to protect his ShellShockedVeteran father. Jimmy knows what he’s doing, so doesn’t believe him, and let’s him go. However it soon leads to tragedy when some friends of the VictimOfTheWeek’s daughter start to attack the house, believing him guilty, and his father accidentally shoots him dead when it brings on a PTSD flashback to his time in Iraq.]]

* MakeItLookLikeAnAccident: In season 6, the value that pumps air into a decompression chamber where deep sea divers go into when they come to the surface to stop them getting the bends, is moved to a setting too high, and kills [[spoiler:Eammon Gaudie, who was a potential witness to the murder of Alex Galbraith. Jimmy is immediately suspicious, despite the fact the marine police are happy to write it off as an accident.]]

** Series six managed to give us three Alexander’s, two of which worked in the police station. Thankfully, two of them went by variations of the name, so it wasn’t to confusing. One was Sandy, with the other’s being VictimOfTheWeek Alex Galbraith and one of the uniformed copper’s who went by the full version of the name.

* DestroyTheEvidence: [[spoiler: Jimmy tells Duncan to wash a mug containing some hot chocolate and an overdose of drugs that Donna Killick used to commit suicide, when he realises that Duncan was manipulated into helping her, and he was the one who gave her the drink, in order to wipe his fingerprints off it, as Duncan would have been facing a murder charge, since assisted suicide is illegal in the UK. It doesn't work when Jimmy himself is arrested at the end of the season for the attempted cover up.]]

* FalseConfession: [[spoiler: Fraser Creggan confesses to the murder of Alex Galbraith in Season 6 in an attempt to protect his ShellShockedVeteran father. Jimmy knows what he’s doing, so doesn’t believe him, and let’s him go, however it soon leads to tragedy when some friends of the VictimOfTheWeek’s daughter start to attack the house, believing him guilty, and his father accidentally shoots him dead when it brings on a PTSD flashback to his time in Iraq.]]

* HardHead: In season 6 [[spoiler: Sandy gets knocked out by a drug dealer driving a 4x4 at him. Although he regains consciousness, and ends up in hospital, but he’s back at work a few hours later, seemingly completely fine, with not even a headache.]]

* MysteryOfTheWeek: Technically, it's a mystery of the fortnight as each mystery lasts two episodes. From Season 6, it became the mystery over six episodes instead.
* NeverOneMurder: Averted in the first couple of seasons, however the bodies really started to pile up from Season 3 onwards, to the point where Shetland could rival [[Series/MidsomerMurders Midsomer]] as the most deadly place to live in Britain.

* OddlySmallOrganisation: Apparently Shetland only has three detectives, and a handful of uniformed cops to investigate every crime on an archipelago who’s murder rate is up there with [[Series/MurderSheWrote Cabot Cove.]]

* SequelHook: At the end of season 6, we get two "hooks" for Season 7: Tosh discovers she's pregnant, and Perez is arrested for attempting to cover up Duncan's crime. Three if you include the fact that the subplot about Sandy leaking of police photos to the press remains unresolved.

* {{Jerkass}}: [[spoiler:Donna Killick. In Season 4 it was her who killed Lizzie Kilmuir, and let Thomas Malone not only take the blame, but also [[MiscarriageOfJustice serve 23 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit.]] She is finally caught and jailed. However in Season 6 she is released from prison on compassionate grounds as she is dying from cancer. She then decides to return to Shetland to die, knowing all well that this will cause the family and friends of Lizzie who still live there to be upset, and reopen old wounds. She then spends the whole time refusing [[NeverMyFault to take any responsibility for her actions,]] accuses Jimmy of lying during her trial, and tells Duncan it was his fault that Lizzie died. They call her out on her on this, telling her that she didn't have to murder Lizzie, but she remains [[TheUnapologetic unrepentant]] about it all. She ends up manipulating Duncan into helping her commit suicide, which is illegal in the UK, and counts as murder.]]

* OddlySmallOrganisation: Apparently Shetland only has three detectives, and a handful of uniformed cops to investigate every crime on the archipelago.

** Series six managed to give us three Alexander’s, two of which worked in the police station. Thankfully, two of them went by variations of the name, so it wasn’t to confusing. One was Sandy, with the other’s being VictimOfTheWeek of the week Alex, and one of the uniformed copper’s who went by the full version of the name.

* FalseConfession: [[spoiler: Fraser Creggan confesses to the murder of Alex Galbraith in Season 6 in an attempt to protect is ShellShockedVeteran father. Jimmy knows what he’s doing, so doesn’t believe him, and let’s him go, however it soon leads to tragedy when some friends of the VictimOfTheWeek’s daughter start to attack the house, believing him guilty, and his father accidentally shoots him dead when it brings on a PTSD flashback to his time in Iraq.]]

* PrefersProperNames: Crossing over into AffectionateNickname, Billy the Desk Sergeant will insist on calling Sandy by his full name of Alexander. He had to stop this in season 6 when another cop called Alexander joined the team.