The BBC can do a six-part crime drama in it's sleep, but "Sherwood" was, both in terms of storytelling and cast, a cut above the standard. I don't agree with the decision to make a second season though.
In a Nottinghamshire town, where the pain and division of the Miners strike 40 years earlier is still having an effect, the murder of Gary Jackson (Alun Armstrong) reopens old wounds and strikes fear into the heart the community. Ian St Clair (David Morrissey) a local police detective, who was a uniformed officer in the town during a particular incident of the strike, returns to investigate but the arrival of a Met Officer, Kevin Salisbury (Robert Glenister) inflames the situation further.
Writer James Graham, from Mansfield, manages to expertly tie together two real life murders, as well as various aspects of the miner's strike conflicts into this narrative - which also explores ideas of deep undercover police work as well as the divide and conquer tactic that is still employed by ruling classes to keep the focus working class ire focused on anyone else, except themselves.
Performances are great, and the cast really is a who's who of talent. One or two accents are more generally "northern" but generally the adherence to the East Midlands accent is pretty well done. Lesley Manville probably deserves special praise though - always brilliant, she's one who goes on an emotional journey across the series and the understatement of it is a real credit to her.
I would say, I felt like this season wrung everything out it's premise that there was to have. It didn't try to reconcile the striking and none-striking miners or drag out any of the B-Stories beyond their interest level. I understand that it's been successful, and if anything is successful then the urge (and the pressure) to continue is there. I'll watch the second season, but it'll be a much harder nut to crack.
In a Nottinghamshire town, where the pain and division of the Miners strike 40 years earlier is still having an effect, the murder of Gary Jackson (Alun Armstrong) reopens old wounds and strikes fear into the heart the community. Ian St Clair (David Morrissey) a local police detective, who was a uniformed officer in the town during a particular incident of the strike, returns to investigate but the arrival of a Met Officer, Kevin Salisbury (Robert Glenister) inflames the situation further.
Writer James Graham, from Mansfield, manages to expertly tie together two real life murders, as well as various aspects of the miner's strike conflicts into this narrative - which also explores ideas of deep undercover police work as well as the divide and conquer tactic that is still employed by ruling classes to keep the focus working class ire focused on anyone else, except themselves.
Performances are great, and the cast really is a who's who of talent. One or two accents are more generally "northern" but generally the adherence to the East Midlands accent is pretty well done. Lesley Manville probably deserves special praise though - always brilliant, she's one who goes on an emotional journey across the series and the understatement of it is a real credit to her.
I would say, I felt like this season wrung everything out it's premise that there was to have. It didn't try to reconcile the striking and none-striking miners or drag out any of the B-Stories beyond their interest level. I understand that it's been successful, and if anything is successful then the urge (and the pressure) to continue is there. I'll watch the second season, but it'll be a much harder nut to crack.