Shetland author Ann Cleeves has revealed whether she thinks Douglas Henshall will reprise his role as talented detective Jimmy Perez on the small screen. Ann, whose novels inspired the long-running BBC crime drama, said she thinks Shetland will continue to focus on DI Ruth Calder, played by Ashley Jensen, and her partner DS Alison 'Tosh' McIntosh (Alison O'Donnell).
In an interview with The Scotsman, Ann gave her verdict on whether Douglas would return to the show, on which he starred from the show's inception in 2013 until its seventh season in 2022.
© ITV/Shutterstock"That would be down to Dougie Henshall," she said. "But I don't think so. He has moved on and I like the two women together, they have a bit of a Cagney and Lacey feel about them. I really enjoy that. I think the TV show is absolutely brilliant."
While fans undoubtedly miss Jimmy Perez, Ashley Jensen's DI Ruth Calder has added a fresh dynamic to the show, breathing new life into the long-running series while still honouring the drama's authenticity, tone and established style.
© BBC/Silverprint Films/Jamie SimpsonAnn Cleeves' latest book and the return of Jimmy Perez
Ann's latest book, The Killing Stones, picks up after a seven-year gap and sees Perez move to Orkney, having moved away from his hometown of Shetland with his partner and fellow police officer, Willow Reeves, at the end of 2018's Wild Fire.
© Roberto Ricciuti/Getty ImagesThe author also revealed that there are likely to be more novels about Perez's adventures in Orkney. "People seem to enjoy rediscovering Jimmy Perez," she said. "I just wanted to go north again and I think certainly I will [write about Orkney] again."
While Douglas might be done with Shetland, could he reprise his role in a spin-off set in Orkney? We'd love to see it!
There are currently no plans for a TV adaptation of Ann's latest novels, but we're keeping our fingers crossed.
Will Douglas Henshall return to Shetland?
Douglas himself ruled out reprising his role on the show during an appearance on ITV's This Morning in 2022. When quizzed by host Alison Hammond about a possible comeback, the actor said: "No, I'm done."
Since his departure from the drama, Douglas has appeared in a string of TV shows, including the Netflix thriller, Who Is Erin Carter?, the BBC's Agatha Christie drama, Murder is Easy, and the upcoming Paramount+ thriller, The Revenge Club, which arrives on Friday 12 December and follows a group of lonely strangers who take revenge on their exes after meeting at a divorce support group.
Why did Douglas Henshall leave Shetland?
Ahead of his final season in 2022, Douglas revealed that he felt Perez's story was coming to an end and wanted to "go out on a high".
© ITV/Shutterstock"I decided to leave a few years ago because I felt that Perez's story was coming to a natural end - it was time to find a resolution to Perez's private life," he told the BBC. "I never wanted to ruin the things that were unique to him and our series, so it felt like the right time to wrap up his story in a way that would be satisfactory to everybody."
The actor continued: "I am aware we're not changing the world in any way, shape or form but as far as crime shows go, Shetland does really well in that genre. We tell stories that are very good, the characters are great and I wanted to go out on a high."
