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Sherwood (2022 TV series)

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Sherwood
Genre
Created byJames Graham
Written byJames Graham
Directed byLewis Arnold
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes12 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • James Graham
  • Lewis Arnold
  • Juliette Howell
  • Ben Irving
  • Tessa Ross
  • Harriet Spencer
ProducerRebecca Hodgson
Running time57 minutes
Production companyHouse Productions
Original release
NetworkBBC One
Release13 June 2022 (2022-06-13)[1] –
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]

Plot

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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]

Cast

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Episodes

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SeriesEpisodesOriginally airedAvg. UK viewers
(millions)[8]
First airedLast aired
1613 June 2022 (2022-06-13)28 June 2022 (2022-06-28)5.62
2625 August 2024 (2024-08-25)9 September 2024 (2024-09-09)3.81

Series 1 (2022)

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1"Lewis ArnoldJames Graham13 June 2022 (2022-06-13)6.19

A village in Nottinghamshire is preparing for the wedding of Neel Fisher and Sarah Vincent, with his father, Andy, delivering a speech, covering his son's upbringing and his enthusiasm for the railway in the region. Local DCI Ian St Clair is among the wedding guests, and later finds himself investigating the death of former trade unionist Gary Jackson who was killed by an arrow. According to witness accounts Gary had provoked Dean Simmons into throwing an object at him while they were both at a bar the night Gary was killed. St Clair and his team believe that the killer was skilled in archery. Looking into Jackson's past, St Clair discovers that he was arrested and then quickly released on bail during the 1984 miners strike, but some parts of the documents are redacted. He contacts the Metropolitan Police officer who assisted him at the time, Kevin Salisbury, who claims to not remember much of the arrest. Despite this his boss, Commander Dawes, asks him to assist St Clair with the investigation.

Arriving in Nottinghamshire Salisbury is advised to be careful, since locals remain resentful of the London police. Salisbury decides to withdraw and instead follow as an observer. The investigation turns to the Sparrow family, who run an archery range and are known to own bows and arrows. They become prime suspects. St Clair’s and his team's suspicions are heightened when they discover a used bow and arrow of the same type that was used to kill Jackson. Initially it seems the case is open and shut, but St Clair still believes the possibility of a connection to Jackson's arrest during the miners' strike. Salisbury dismisses this but gives a vague account of what happened with Jackson's arrest. In an undisclosed location in Sherwood Forest Scott Rowley, the stepson of Julie Jackson's sister Cathy, is seen practising with a bow and arrows.
2"Episode 2"Lewis ArnoldJames Graham14 June 2022 (2022-06-14)5.52

While driving the local train service Andy Fisher is forced to stop when an arrow hits his side window. St Clair and his team are baffled since there seems to be no connection between Fisher and the possible motive of the killer. At the same time the Sparrow family are ruled out as suspects since they were in custody at the time of the train attack. Salisbury returns to London but before leaving meets an old flame, Jenny Harris, whom he met during the strike. St Clair and his team learn of Scott Rowley, who has missed a court hearing about his prison sentence, and storm his house, but he isn't present, only his father and stepmother. His father, Fred, tells them about a garage he let Scott use, where they discover old newspapers and papers on Gary Jackson and computers. As St Clair faces pressure from the local council about the investigation, another arrow attack, on Jackson's solicitor, Vinay Chakarabarti, occurs. Salisbury learns of the escalation of the attacks and decides to return to Nottinghamshire on his own accord, and rejoins the investigation. He explains that St. Clair might be right about a possible connection to Jackson's arrest. They meet Chakarabarti, who explains how Jackson believed that the SDS had placed undercover officers among the miners during the miners' strike, and that he believed that not all of them had left, and that one of them still lived in their community. Cindy Jackson, Julie Jackson's granddaughter, decides to distance herself from Ronan Sparrow, with whom she was in a relationship.

Andy Fisher takes a parcel, that he has accepted for Neel and Sarah, who live next door, while they were out. As she opens the parcel to find it is a spade Sarah berates Andy for entering her house without knocking and ridicules him about his wife's death. In a fit of rage, Andy knocks her out with the spade.
3"Episode 3"Lewis ArnoldJames Graham20 June 2022 (2022-06-20)5.18
Neel returns to Nottinghamshire and discovers Sarah's body shortly after meeting his father. St. Clair makes Scott's identity public and his mother makes a plea for him to turn himself in. An investigation into Sarah's death is soon launched, and both St. Clair and Salisbury find the death unusual and it breaking Scott's killing pattern. The spade used in her murder is soon discovered, but no fingerprints pointing to the killer are found. At the same time, a peacock is killed with an arrow at Newstead Abbey. Jackson's union friends arrive in the village to attend a memorial and cause a stir at the bar when one of them makes Jackson's SDS suspicions public knowledge. Scott returns to the village and sneaks into the Jackson residence, not flushing the toilet and changes Noah's PlayStation username to Robbie Platt. Julie later discovers the name in Gary's box, learning that it was a fake identity. Salisbury investigates the spade delivery to the Fisher residence and informs St. Clair that Andy had received it. As Neel is out driving with his father, he is called by St. Clair and shortly afterwards, Andy stops the car and runs frantically into a field.
4"Episode 4"Ben A. WilliamsJames Graham21 June 2022 (2022-06-21)5.55
As Andy Fisher flees into the woods, Scott claims another victim at a local golf course, injuring another participant in the process, who is later revealed to be Jacob Harris, Jenny Harris' husband and friend of St. Clair. As a manhunt is launched for Fisher and Scott, St. Clair is forced to accept assistance from the London police and has Salisbury address the community in a town meeting. While questioning Jacob, he indirectly reveals an affair between Jacob and the victim, Amy Whitstable. Julie presents the Robbie Platt clues to St. Clair and Daphne Sparrow visits her and informs her about her son and her granddaughter's relationship. St. Clair and Salisbury meet former NUM member and solicitor Jennifer Hale, who informs them of the government's scheme and plans with SDS agents and how the strikes were provoked in the first place. Salisbury decides to ask his force himself about the Platt identity, and his boss, commissioner Dawes, points him to now retired agent Bill Raggett. He tells Salisbury that there were five agents stationed in the community and that all returned home except one codenamed Keats. Having brought up St. Clair's wife earlier, Salisbury is contacted by her, who confirms that her name is not her real one. Just then, Raggett commits suicide and St. Clair returns home, also realising that Salisbury might have been right about his wife.
5"Episode 5"Ben A. WilliamsJames Graham27 June 2022 (2022-06-27)[a]5.42
Andy Fisher wakes up after getting knocked out by Scott Rowley. The two form an unlikely bond as they continue to escape together. Back in the village, Neel discovers his father's voicemail and informs the police. Scott returns Fisher's phone and has him run away with his bow to distract the police from himself. The police find Fisher and has him surrounded, but are forced to shoot him when he lifts the bow. Salisbury presents his suspicions to his boss, and is also granted access to Helen's file. He later clears her name for St. Clair. Flashbacks to 1984 follow Keats as she is recruited to the SDS and integrates herself into the community. She befriends Jenny Ryan, who confides in her about her romance with Salisbury, but spreads the word that he will be leaving his post at the garage to see her. Gary Jackson discovers the two in an allotment (community garden), while St. Clair's father joins Jonathan Ryan (Jenny's father) and other friends in stealing tools from the garage, but accidentally start a fire in the process. St. Clair and his brother Martin arrive on scene. The latter fears that their father is inside the burning building and storms inside, and is later hospitalised with severe burns. Jonathan Ryan dies of his injuries, and St. Clair is asked to question Salisbury. His boss later asks him to confirm the names given by Keats, which includes his own father, leading to his eventual arrest. Keats, doubting her actions, meets with Platt (codenamed Wordsworth) and reveals her real name to be Daphne. In the present, a shocked Daphne discovers an arrow in the family's front door.
6"Episode 6"Ben A. WilliamsJames Graham28 June 2022 (2022-06-28)5.91
St. Clair gets into an argument with his wife about the confidentiality of her records, which she explains was due to past trauma and St. Clair explains how he had to rule out suspicions. The Sparrows grow increasingly worried that they are the next target, with Rory claiming that Scott might be targeting him for something in the past. Salisbury meets Jenny Harris again at a hotel, and they both are uncertain of whether or not they should get back together. Harris later expresses that they've grown apart, which Salisbury accepts. Mickey discovers Scott in a container at the Sparrow allotment, but Scott knocks him down before fleeing on a motorcycle. Mickey gives chase in his car and notifies the police. Both the police and the locals later have Scott cornered on the same street where Gary Jackson was killed and after Scott drops his bow and arrow, two locals tackle him before the police arrest him. During questioning, he claims that he was wrongfully sent to jail because he didn't know the rules of work payments. In conclusion, it seems he committed the murders and scare spree to get attention, and reveals that he really didn't know the identify of the SDS agent still living in the village. At a community meeting, Scott's father attempts to make a ceasefire between the two sides of the former mining strikes, which partially succeeds and is supported by Julie Jackson. She and St. Clair later discuss who the SDS agent could be, with Julie noting that there were no records of Daphne Dunn at the village from which she claims to have been. Salisbury later receives her number from an old friend and St. Clair tries to call her, but she doesn't respond when she finally picks up. Later, at a school parents meeting, her phone autocorrects 'TICKETS' to her code name 'KEATS' that shows on the big screen for everyone to see. She rushes out of the meeting and returns home, contemplating suicide with a similar revolver that Bill Raggett had. St. Clair arrives and manages to talk her down, promising that she can still live life as she always had wanted.

Series 2 (2024)

[edit]
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1"Clio BarnardJames Graham25 August 2024 (2024-08-25)4.74
2"Episode 2"Clio BarnardJames Graham26 August 2024 (2024-08-26)3.65
3"Episode 3"Clio BarnardJames Graham1 September 2024 (2024-09-01)3.76
4"Episode 4"Tom GeorgeJames Graham2 September 2024 (2024-09-02)3.35
5"Episode 5"Tom GeorgeJames Graham8 September 2024 (2024-09-08)3.78
6"Episode 6"Tom GeorgeJames Graham9 September 2024 (2024-09-09)3.58
  1. ^ Due to overrunning Wimbledon coverage on BBC One, this episode was broadcast on BBC Two.

Reception

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Series 1

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The series received critical acclaim.[9] 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."[10]

The Telegraph gave it five stars and declared it "the best BBC drama of the year so far".[11] 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".[12] Nick Hilton of The Independent gave it four stars, calling Graham's writing "sympathetic, vibrant storytelling".[13]

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.[14]

Accolades

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Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2022
 Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards Costume Design – Drama Orla Smyth-Mill Nominated [15]
Make Up Design – Drama Nadia El-Saffar Nominated
2023
 Royal Television Society Programme Awards Drama Series Sherwood Won [16]
Supporting Actor – Male Adeel Akhtar Won
British Academy Television Awards Best Drama Series James Graham, Lewis Arnold, Rebecca Hodgson, Juliette Howell, Tessa Ross, Harriet Spencer Nominated [17]
Best Supporting Actor Adeel Akhtar Won
Best Supporting Actress Lesley Manville Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "When is Sherwood airing on BBC One? Cast and news for detective drama". radiotimes.com. 2022.
  2. ^ Martin, Laura (28 June 2022). "The Tragic True Story That Inspired 'Sherwood', BBC One's New Prestige Drama". Esquire. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  3. ^ Whitfield, David (24 August 2019). "Terry Rodgers and Chanel Taylor: How a father's fatal shooting of his daughter led to Notts' biggest ever manhunt". Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  4. ^ Goldbart, Max (28 June 2022). "'Sherwood' Renewed for Season 2 by BBC". Deadline. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  5. ^ Harp, Justin (28 June 2022). "Sherwood future is confirmed for season 2". Digital Spy. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  6. ^ Tim Adams (3 July 2022). "'It was refreshing to see what Sherwood did': how the BBC's acclaimed miners' strike drama went down in the real pit villages". The Observer. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d Lobb, Adrian (9 June 2022). "Sherwood: 'You have to shine a light on why this happened and how ugly it is'". The Big Issue. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  8. ^ "Weekly top 50 shows". www.barb.co.uk. Barb Audiences. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Sherwood: TV drama hailed by critics after final episode". BBC News. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Reviews for Sherwood: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  11. ^ Diggins, Alex (28 June 2022). "Authentic, devastating and perfectly cast: Sherwood is the best BBC drama of the year so far". The Telegraph. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  12. ^ Mangan, Lucy (28 June 2022). "Sherwood finale review – every arrow hit its mark". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  13. ^ Hilton, Nick (13 June 2022). "BBC true-crime series Sherwood is bolstered by an extraordinary cast – review". Independent.co.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  14. ^ "World Cup wins 2022 in record breaking year for BBC iPlayer". BBC Media Centre. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  15. ^ Yossman, K. J. (14 November 2022). "Mick Jagger, P.J. Harvey, 'Heartstopper' Nominated for Royal Television Society's Craft and Design Awards 2022". Variety. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  16. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (28 March 2023). "Kate Winslet, Kit Connor, 'The Traitors' Among Winners at U.K.'s Royal Television Society Awards". Variety. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  17. ^ Yossman, K.J. (14 May 2023). "Kate Winslet, Netflix's 'Dahmer' Among the Winners at BAFTA TV Awards 2023". Variety. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
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