Sherwood is a British television crime drama series created and written by James Graham. It stars David Morrissey and Lesley Manville and is inspired by real life murders in Nottinghamshire, England in 2004. 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. In September 2024, a third series was announced.
Set in a Nottinghamshire mining village, two shocking killings shatter an already fractured community with a dark past arising from divisions created by the 1984âÂÂ85 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. 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.
The series received critical acclaim. 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."
The Telegraph gave it five stars and declared it "the best BBC drama of the year so far". Lucy Mangan of The Guardian also gave the finale five out of five stars, remarking that the series "didnâÂÂt falter in its intricate plotting, attention to detail or its perfect evocation of place". Nick Hilton of The Independent gave it four stars, calling Graham's writing "sympathetic, vibrant storytelling".
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.