Here’s what you need to know about new BBC crime drama, Sherwood.
Fun fact: Covid-19 has done absolutely nothing to quench our seemingly insatiable thirst for dark and gritty crime dramas.
That’s right; we’ve binged our way through the likes of The Serpent, Marcella, A Teacher, Line Of Duty, The Investigation, and The Pembrokeshire Murders – and there are plenty more due to hit our screens later this year, too (think The Chestnut Man and Vigil, to name just two).
Now, we have a new must-watch crime show to add to the list in the form of BBC One’s Sherwood.
Here’s what you need to know about the six-part series.
What’s the plot of Sherwood?
As per the BBC’s press release, Sherwood – which is set in the Nottinghamshire mining village where writer James Graham grew up – sees “two shocking and unexpected murders shatter an already fractured community leading to one of the largest manhunts in British history.”
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“Suspicion is rife and the murders threaten to inflame historic divisions sparked during the Miners’ Strike that tore families apart three decades before,” reads the synopsis for Sherwood.
“To solve the murders, police inspectors Ian St Clair, from the local constabulary, and Kevin Salisbury from the Met, must reunite and bury a rivalry that stretches back to 1984, in an attempt to heal wounds, and catch a killer.
“But can a community repair itself as more is discovered about those who live there, and whether they really are who they say they are?”
Who will star in the cast of Sherwood?
The talented Joanne Froggatt, David Morrissey, Robert Glenister, Philip Jackson, and Lorraine Ashbourne lead the series.
They’re joined by Claire Rushbrook, Kevin Doyle, Adam Hugill, Adeel Akhtar, and Bally Gill.
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Is Sherwood based on a true story?
Sherwood is inspired by the 2004 manhunt for two killers in north Nottinghamshire; Robert Boyer, who escaped into Annesley Forest after killing former miner Keith Frogson, and Terry Rodgers, who killed his daughter Chanel Taylor at around the same time and also fled into the woods.
The former was detained in hospital indefinitely after being apprehended by police. Rodgers, however, died during a hunger strike as he was due to face trial for his daughter’s murder.
However, while Sherwood is very much influenced by these real-life events, writers and producers have stressed that the drama itself will be fictional.
What are people saying about Sherwood?
“It means the world to have this opportunity to bring the voices of a community I grew up in to BBC One,” says Graham.
“So much is spoken about the divisions and difficulties in these ‘Red Wall’ towns, but they’re not always understood. I feel so honoured to be able to tell a fictionalised story about a very real trauma, but with the humour and heart and resilience of the people I know and love there.”
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Piers Wenger, director of BBC Drama, adds: “In blending real and fictional events, James has created a penetrating, heartfelt and purposeful thriller which exposes the tensions and fault lines at the heart of modern Britain.
“Sherwood is set to be an exceptional series by one of our greatest dramatists and we are proud to be bringing it to BBC One.”
When will Sherwood be available to watch on TV?
Sherwood is likely to complete filming towards the end of 2021, and it’s expected that it will be one of the first big BBC dramas of 2022.
We will keep you posted.
This article was originally written in February, but has been updated throughout to include new details.
Images: BBC/Getty
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