Shetland's exit "leaves an enormous hole": Why the loss of show's "good cop, bad cop" will be so big

BBC crime drama Shetland is preparing to say goodbye to its longest-serving character.

The programme has been on UK screens since 2013, and Alison O'Donnell has played DI Alison 'Tosh' McIntosh since its inception.

She is set to leave the show after the upcoming 11th series, and her co-star Ashley Jensen shared with BBC what she thinks about her exit.

Related: Shetland star reveals her final season includes the "most challenging scenes I've ever shot"

“It’s huge, and not just for Calder,” said Jensen, who plays DI Ruth Calder on the show. “Tosh is such a stalwart of that incident room, and she leaves an enormous hole.”

Jensen, who joined the Shetland cast in 2023, also commented on the "good cop, bad cop" dynamic between Calder and McIntosh, something she thinks her charter greatly benefitted from.

"At work, she’s comfortable. She knows what she’s doing and has a good relationship with Tosh,” she added. “They work differently, but there's mutual respect and they complement each other. They’ve got a good cop, bad cop approach that works really well."

In series 8, DI Calder arrives from London to work in Shetland and initially finds the quieter and more rural nature of the Scottish island hard to adjust to.

She is messy, impulsive, has a tough exterior and at times acts as a lone wolf, hence why she enjoyed having the calmer and more put together McIntosh alongside her. But with the much-loved character set to leave, Jensen further explains how this impacts DI Calder.

“For Calder, it almost confirms her belief that she’s better off not getting too close to people, because ultimately they leave,” she explained. “She and Tosh have reached a lovely place in their relationship.

“They’re comfortable with each other, they have a laugh, they wind each other up, but they really get each other. They complement each other at work, so Tosh leaving changes everything.

“How will Ruth react? Well, she can be quite emotionally dismissive, which sometimes comes across as brutal. Only time will tell.”

Related: BBC's beloved Scotland-set detective drama finally confirms return date before major character exit

DI McIntosh actress O'Donnell opened up on her exit, saying it will take some time to sink in that she will no longer be on a show she called home for over a decade.

"When something is as seismic as this was, you just can't really take it in as you're doing it,” the actress said. "Our producer Angus [Sharpe] made a speech after we wrapped my final scene.

“Sadly I can't really remember what he said because I was crying; it just came over me. It just felt so overwhelming. I think it's going to take me years to fully process it."

Shetland season 11 begins on Thursday 12 November at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer. Seasons 1-10 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.

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