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LONDON – Commercial web ITV’s production banner ITV Studios has been commissioned to make Shetland, a detective drama, based on international best-selling crime writer Ann Cleeves’ quartet of novels for the BBC’s flagship channel BBC One.
The show will star Douglas Henshall (Primeval, The Silence) as detective Jimmy Perez, a native Shetland islander who returns home after a long spell away.
The brace of hour–long episodes will be partnered on by BBC Scotland and set against the backdrop of the Shetland Isles, to the north of the Scottish mainland.
Shetland is penned for the small screen by David Kane (The Field of Blood), produced by Sue de Beauvoir (Merlin, Waterloo Road) and directed by Peter Hoar (Vera).
It is executive produced by Elaine Collins (Vera) and Kate Bartlett (White Heat) for ITV Studios and Christopher Aird for BBC Scotland (Call The Midwife, Prisoners’ Wives).
Ben Stephenson, controller, BBC drama commissioning and BBC One controller Danny Cohen, commissioned it.
It is expected to air later this year.
