By June Ramli
Sydney, June 3: Ashley Jensen brings a fresh face and energy to the latest season of Shetland, now streaming exclusively on BritBox Australia from today.
Taking over as DI Ruth Calder, Jensen steps into a role previously led by Douglas Henshall’s Jimmy Perez, breathing new life into the beloved crime drama.
Known for her roles in Agatha Raisin and Extras, Jensen opens up in this exclusive interview with DailyStraits.com about embracing the rugged beauty of Shetland, the emotional weight of her character, and the camaraderie with her co-stars.
“I didn’t actually watch Shetland before I got it,” she confessed.
“So I think I went in with my own ideas… I mean, it’s got a visual style to it. I mean part of the show is the landscape.”
Rather than mimicking what came before, Jensen said she wanted to bring her own energy to the role, aligning with the fresh vision from a new writer.
When offered the part, Jensen was both surprised and thrilled.
“It came through my agent and they said, ‘You’ve just been offered the role of a new DI in Shetland.’ It felt a little unexpected, especially since I’d been working on Agatha Raisin at the time. But I thought, ‘I’d love to do that’—it was a new challenge and something very different from what I’d been doing.”
Jensen shares the screen with Alison O’Donnell, who reprises her role as Tosh, now a seasoned detective with deep roots in the show.
“She told me to deal with the weather,” Jensen recalled, laughing. “I just got on with her so well… I think we both had a connection. We’re both mums, both detectives – it was such a fun job to do.”
Filming in Shetland was both breathtaking and brutal.
“When you travel there, you get on a small plane… It feels far away from the mainland,” she explained.
“As soon as I touched down, it shut me up… There are no trees. It’s kind of bleak and slightly behind, and the weather is… it doesn’t take any prisoners.”
Jensen described the location as almost otherworldly.
“You feel as if you want to do this polar expedition… It certainly does have its own energy when you’re there.”
One of the biggest challenges?
The extreme cold. “I was having to get out of the car, open the door with my hands, and they just stopped working.”
This season follows a double missing person’s case that hits close to home for Tosh and Calder.
When Tosh’s friend Annie Bett vanishes with her young son Noah, both detectives find themselves personally involved. For Calder, this also stirs up memories of her childhood and roots in Shetland.
“Colder has made a decision to stay… She’s magnetically drawn back to where she grew up,” Jensen said.
“She’s still surrounded by boxes and hasn’t fully unpacked… She’s a little bit remote in her own house because she’s not letting people in.”
Jensen plans to wrap up filming in August and hopes to take some family time after. “Just spend some time with family and take a bit of a break,” she shared.
Shetland Season 9 stars Ashley Jensen, Alison O’Donnell, Steven Robertson, Lewis Howden, Jenny Kidd, and Angus Miller.
The new season headlines BritBox Australia’s blockbuster June content slate, as the platform rolls out a major expansion to celebrate almost five years since its launch. With new titles like Agatha Christie’s Towards Zero, Outrageous, and Death Valley joining fan favourites such as The Bay, Call the Midwife, and Death in Paradise, BritBox is doubling down on its promise to deliver more quality British programming than ever before.
As part of its refresh, BritBox is also introducing three new curated streaming channels — BBC First, BBC Entertain, and BBC Select — alongside an improved user experience and increased download limits.
According to Moira Hogan, Executive Vice President of International Markets and General Manager of BritBox Australia, the upgrade is designed to give fans greater choice and an easier way to discover high-quality British storytelling.
Subscriptions are available for $13.99 per month or $139.99 annually, including access to the new channels. To find out more or sign up for a 7-day free trial, visit www.britbox.com.
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