“Revenge runs in the family”: What’s next for Sherwood series 2?

If, like us, you're a huge fan of the Nottinghamshire-based Sherwood TV series, you're in for a treat as the final two episodes are on the way, and they're expected to be packed full of drama as the rivalry between the Sparrows, Bransons and Bottomleys continue.

The first series of the TV drama aired in 2022 and focused on the impact of two murders that happened in a former mining village, which led to lingering divisions within the community, stemming from the historical conflicts of the 1984 miners' strike. As the investigation unfolded, old wounds and rivalries resurfaced, highlighting deep-seated tensions and unresolved issues within the village.

*The following CONTAINS SPOILERS from BBC's Sherwood, episodes 1-4*

The second series of Sherwood - which includes some new cast members from shows such as Game of Thrones and Mr Bates VS the Post Office - was back with a bang as a gang member was shot, causing three families to be embedded in a dangerous rivalry.

Spy cop-turned-crime family matriarch Daphne Sparrow (played by Lorraine Ashbourne) has been unwillingly roped into helping drug cartel bosses Ann (Monica Dolan) and Roy Branson (Stephen Dillane) to get revenge on the Bottomleys, after her son and long-lost daughter witnessed the fatal shooting of the couple's son Nicky Branson (Sam Buchanan).

However, Daphne ends up in even deeper water with the Bransons after her plan to warn the Bottomleys of their imminent attack fails.

The intensity dialled up a gear in episode four, when Daphne, working undercover with local police Ian St Clair (David Morrissey) and DCS Harry Summers (Michael Balogun), met Ann in a local pub and tried to get a confession out of her, only to be rumbled by Ann, when her dodgy cop called her to tell her that Daphne had brought her there under false pretences and was actually wearing a wire to record their conversation.

Viewers have compared the scene to fellow BBC drama Happy Valley, where sisters Catherine Cawood and Clare Cartwright had an intense conversation across a table in series 3.

"Monica Dolan and Lorraine Ashbourne. Biggest compliment I can pay them is that they are up there with Siobhan Finneran and Sarah Lancashire. All of them truly brilliant." says an account on X.

What is the second series of Sherwood about?

The second series will continue to focus on the powerful themes from the initial episodes.

Here's the official synopsis from the BBC: 'Set in the present day it introduces two new families that find themselves entangled with the Sparrows, entering a complex web of local gangs, old rivalries, revenge, and betrayal. Meanwhile, a newly appointed Sheriff of Nottingham is passionately fighting against a proposed new mine for the area, which brings the promise of much needed jobs and prosperity but also unwelcome reminders of the legacy that has mired the community for so long.'

Is Sherwood based on a true story?

Gripping and intense, the series is inspired by real-life events, where in 2004, two murderers (who were former miners) committed unrelated crimes and both hid in Sherwood Forest at the same time, leading to the biggest manhunts in UK history.

However, not all of the events in the programme actually took place. At the beginning of the show, it states: “This story was initially inspired by two killings which took place in the Nottinghamshire mining community where the author grew up. For the purposes of dramatisation, the characters and the events have been fictionalised.”

In a BBC Writers interview, the show creator James Graham said: "It’s hugely personal to me and inspired in part by real events in my hometown in Nottinghamshire. It is a contemporary drama and at its heart are two devastating killings which spark a massive manhunt and shatter a community that is already fractured after the divisive effect of the miners' strike 40 years before.

“As we explore that we also examine the impact of so-called spy cops, as there have been reports and speculation - and there is currently an investigation into the practices of undercover policing surrounding this - that they had been deployed undercover into mining communities like Nottingham.”

Sherwood cast

Like the first instalment, the new series of Sherwood features a stellar cast, with several actors reprising their roles. David Morrissey is returning as DCS Ian St Clair, along with Lesley Manville (who recently played Princess Margaret in The Crown), Lorraine Ashbourne (from Bridgerton and Alma's Not Normal), Perry Fitzpatrick (This Is England and Line of Duty star), Philip Jackson (Raised by Wolves, Peterloo) and Bill Jones (The Village).

Joining the Sherwood drama for season 2 is: Monica Dolan (Mr Bates VS the Post Office and The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe), David Harewood (The Night Manager, Homeland), Robert Lindsay (My Family), Christine Bottomley (Back To Life, In the Club), Stephen Dillane (Game of Thrones, Vigil) and Sharlene Whyte (Stephen, Small Axe).

Oliver Huntingdon (Happy Valley), Aisling Loftus (The Midwich Cuckoos, War and Peace), Adam Hugill (1917, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), Michael Balogun (Top Boy, The Lehman Trilogy), Ria Zmitrowicz (Three Girls), Robert Emms (Andor, Chernobyl), Jorden Myrie (Mood, The Strays), Conor Deane (All Creatures Great & Small, Newark) and Bethany Asher (Wild Bill, Mobility) also star.

When is the release date for Sherwood season 2?

Sherwood series 2 begins on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday 25th August, with episodes every Sunday and Monday until the finale on the 9th September.

Sherwood Series 2 trailer

The trailer for season 2 of Sherwood has finally been released and it looks intense. The BBC captioned it with: "Revenge runs in the family...

Two families find themselves entangled with the Bransons, entering a complex web of local gangs, old rivalries and betrayal."

Is Sherwood on BBC iPlayer?

Yes! Whether you want to catch up with the drama before the next instalment or re-watch it because it was that good, all six episodes from the first series of Sherwood are available on BBC iPlayer.

The cast includes Adeel Akhtar (from River, Ali & Ava and most recently, Harlan Coben's Fool Me Once), Claire Rushbrook (also from Ali & Ava), Angela Black, Downton Abbey and Liar star Joanne Froggatt, Robert Glenister (Paranoid, Strike), fellow Paranoid, Downton Abbey and Happy Valley actor Kevin Doyle, Lindsay Duncan (Truelove), Alun Armstrong (Breeders, New Tricks) and Mark Addy (The Full Monty, Game of Thrones).

If you'd prefer, you can purchase the DVD for series one or pre-order the Sherwood series 2 DVD now.

Arabella Horspool is a Commercial Content Writer for Yours at Bauer Media. She's a bookworm who is passionate about TV and film. She enjoys cooking, scrapbooking and spending time with her many pets.