| Creator: | James Graham |
| Director: | Lewis Arnold |
| Language: | English |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Num Series: | 2 |
| Num Episodes: | 12 |
| List Episodes: |
|
| Producer: | Rebecca Hodgson |
| Runtime: | 57 minutes |
| Company: | House Productions |
| Network: | BBC One |
| First Aired: | [1] |
| Last Aired: | present |
Sherwood is a British television crime drama series created and written by James Graham. It stars David Morrissey and is inspired by real life murders in Nottinghamshire, England in 2004.[2] [3] The first episode of the six-episode series aired on BBC One on 13 June 2022. It was renewed for a second series, which premiered on 25 August 2024.[4] [5]
Set in a Nottinghamshire mining village, two shocking killings shatter an already fractured community with a dark past arising from divisions created by the 1984–85 miners' strike which have persisted. The story is loosely based on the actual murders of trade unionist Keith Frogson and hairdresser Chanel Taylor in July 2004. The fictional story begins with the murder of a former union activist, Gary Jackson (Alun Armstrong). Jackson's interest in former police covert activities within the community leads the police to suspect a connection with the miners' strike.
The series has attracted broadly positive reaction for its recognition and portrayal of the tensions in the community rooted in the period of the miners' strike.[6]
The series received critical acclaim.[8] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 100% based on 16 reviews, with an average score of 8.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads "A gripping mystery that draws immense power from its sterling cast and the specificity of its location, Sherwood is such a rich series that it makes the competition look all the poorer."[9]
The Telegraph gave it five stars and declared it "the best BBC drama of the year so far".[10] Lucy Mangan of The Guardian also gave the finale five out of five stars, remarking that the series "didn’t falter in its intricate plotting, attention to detail or its perfect evocation of place".[11] Nick Hilton of The Independent gave it four stars, calling Graham's writing "sympathetic, vibrant storytelling".[12]
The first episode was watched 4,855,000 times on iPlayer alone during 2022, making it the 9th most viewed individual programme on the platform that year.[13]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards | Costume Design – Drama | Orla Smyth-Mill | [14] | ||
| Make Up Design – Drama | Nadia El-Saffar | ||||
| Royal Television Society Programme Awards | Drama Series | Sherwood | [15] | ||
| Supporting Actor – Male | Adeel Akhtar | ||||
| British Academy Television Awards | Best Drama Series | James Graham, Lewis Arnold, Rebecca Hodgson, Juliette Howell, Tessa Ross, Harriet Spencer | [16] | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Adeel Akhtar | ||||
| Best Supporting Actress | Lesley Manville | ||||