Letters / How about some Shetland reality?

I guess it’s just me, or is everyone dazzled by the ‘Emperor’s new clothes’ syndrome just because some of the series Shetland is filmed in a Shetland background?

When the storylines departed from the Ann Cleeves books it just became standard central belt cops-n-robbers storylines dumped in a background of Shetland scenery.

Nothing uniquely Shetland in those storylines. According to the last few series Shetland has all the facilities that a big city has in the way of instantly available forensics and large hospital facilities, instant travel to the Scottish mainland at any time – any day – no hanging around Sumburgh for days waiting for a flight or cancelled NorthLink or inter-island ferry sailings.

I hope the storylines in this new Shetland series have at least a hint of unique Shetland reality instead of Glasgow studio shots interspaced with scenic backgrounds of cars being driven in the wrong direction to the supposed destination.

How about bringing back ex-policeman Jimmy Perez as a smuggler using his intimate knowledge of Fair Isle and Shetland to outwit the sooth-mooth polis?

Allen Fraser
Burra

Note from the editor: The first episode of Shetland 8 is on BBC One tonight (Wednesday) at 9pm, and will be on iPlayer thereafter.