British Crime Drama · BBC · 2022–present
Sherwood
2 Series
Ensemble Cast
Nottinghamshire
Series 3 Filming
Created by playwright James Graham and loosely inspired by real events in his hometown, Sherwood follows a present-day murder in a former Nottinghamshire mining village that reopens decades-old wounds from the 1984-85 miners' strike. Each series is a single, six-episode ensemble story rather than a case-of-the-week procedural, with a different central mystery per series. Sherwood streams on BritBox in the US — see British TV Hub's guide to where to watch British TV in the US.
Best For
Fans of Slow-Burn Ensemble Crime
Viewers who want a whole community's history and politics woven into a single murder investigation, told through a large, overlapping ensemble cast.
Ensemble DramaSocial Realism
At a Glance
ToneSomber, layered
PaceSlow burn
Similar ToUnforgotten, Broadchurch
Format
One Series, One Complete Story
Unlike most detective dramas on this site, Sherwood isn't case-of-the-week: each six-episode series is a single continuous mystery with its own new cast of suspects, connected by the same Nottinghamshire setting and its aftermath of the miners' strike.
Limited Series Format
At a Glance
Episodes per Series6
Story FormatOne case per series
Content Note & Verdict
Grounded, Politically Charged
Sherwood deals with real historical trauma, undercover policing, and community division alongside its murder plots, with a tone closer to prestige drama than genre mystery. British TV Hub's verdict: one of the most acclaimed British crime dramas of the decade, anchored by a genuinely exceptional cast.
Prestige DramaHighly Recommended
At a Glance
ContentViolence, political themes
VerdictHighly recommended
Where to watch in the US
BritBox
2 series available · Series 3 filming, not yet released · Subscription required
Watch on BritBox →
Free option: Not currently available free in the US
Streaming availability in the US can change. Check the linked service for the current season and episode selection. Checked September 2026.
Series 1 · 2022
Series 1
Two shocking, seemingly unrelated murders shatter an already fractured Nottinghamshire mining village, triggering one of the largest manhunts in British policing history and forcing the community to confront the still-raw divisions left by the 1984-85 miners' strike.
Series Premiere6 Episodes
Series 2 · 2024
Series 2
A new, self-contained mystery returns to the same Nottinghamshire community with a partly new cast, continuing the show's exploration of how the area's past keeps shaping its present.
6 Episodes
Lead
David Morrissey
DCS Ian St Clair — a Nottinghamshire officer who has risen through the ranks locally and is tasked with finding the link between the series' central killings.
Lead Detective
At a Glance
RoleDCS Ian St Clair
Lead
Lesley Manville
Julie Jackson — estranged from her sister Cathy over their divided loyalties during the 1984-85 miners' strike, decades before the series begins.
Ensemble Lead
At a Glance
RoleJulie Jackson
Series 1
Robert Glenister
DI Kevin Salisbury — a Metropolitan Police detective and old rival of St Clair's, whose return to the town raises old tensions.
Detective Inspector
At a Glance
RoleDI Kevin Salisbury
Series 1
Alun Armstrong
Gary Jackson — a committed former union man and one of the few miners from Ashfield who stayed on the picket line throughout the 1984-85 strike.
Ensemble Cast
At a Glance
RoleGary Jackson
Real History
Rooted in Real Events
Creator James Graham loosely based the series on real murders that shook his hometown of Annesley Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire, using the fictional frame to explore the still-unhealed wounds of the 1984-85 miners' strike.
James Graham
At a Glance
CreatorJames Graham
Cast
An Exceptional Ensemble
David Morrissey, Lesley Manville, Robert Glenister, and Alun Armstrong lead a deep supporting cast that has drawn some of the strongest reviews of any British drama in recent years.
Ensemble Cast
At a Glance
LeadsMorrissey, Manville
Setting as Character
A Divided Mining Community
The former mining village setting is as central to Sherwood as any individual character, with the strike's old fractures shaping who trusts whom decades later.
Nottinghamshire
At a Glance
SettingNottinghamshire mining village
Setting & Filming
Nottinghamshire
Sherwood is set in a fictionalized former mining village standing in for the real Nottinghamshire communities affected by the 1984-85 strike, drawing on writer James Graham's own hometown of Annesley Woodhouse for its inspiration.
Nottinghamshire, England
At a Glance
CountyNottinghamshire
InspirationAnnesley Woodhouse
Source Material
Is Sherwood based on a true story?
Loosely. Creator James Graham drew on real murders that took place in his hometown of Annesley Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire, using them as inspiration for an otherwise fictional story.
Quick Answer
Based OnReal events, fictionalized
Status
Is Sherwood coming back for Series 3?
Yes. Series 3 was announced and began filming in early 2026, though no release date has been confirmed yet.
Quick Answer
StatusFilming
Viewing Order
Do I need to watch Series 1 before Series 2?
Not strictly — each series tells its own self-contained mystery with a partly new cast — but Series 1 introduces the town and its history, which deepens Series 2.
Quick Answer
Required?Not strictly
Streaming
Where can I watch Sherwood in the US?
BritBox is Sherwood's home in the US, with both series available to stream.
Quick Answer
PrimaryBritBox
Filming Location
Where is Sherwood filmed?
Sherwood is filmed in and around Nottinghamshire, the same region as the real events that inspired it.
Quick Answer
CountyNottinghamshire
Fact-checked and streaming availability checked September 2026. Spot an error or an outdated streaming link? Let us know via the contact page.