Is BBC One's Sherwood series two based on a true story?

Sherwood series two is back tonight (Sunday) on BBC One, and fans of the first series will be ready to get obsessed with all over again. The six-part series introduces two new families, following the first series, a critical and ratings hit when it aired in June of 2022.

The new series' plot unravels a complex web of local gangs, old rivalries, revenge, and betrayal. It features a stellar cast, including David Morrissey, Lesley Manville, Monica Dolan, David Harewood, Lorraine Ashbourne, Robert Lindsay and many more.

Sherwood series two will air at 9pm on Sunday, August 25, on BBC iPlayer and BBC One, with new episodes premiering on Sunday and Monday nights across three weeks. But after the explosive first series was based on a real story, is this one?

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The short answer is no, it's not. The first series took in a very grisly set of killings in Nottinghamshire which writer James Graham became interested in as a student.

Sherwood's first series started during a time of celebration, as local councillor Sarah Vincent (Joanne Froggatt) and Neel Fisher (Bally Gill) were due to wed, with many of the village in attendance. But the shocking and unexpected murder of local resident Gary Jackson (Alun Armstrong), a vocal former striking miner, threatened to divide the already fractured community.

DCS Ian St Clair (David Morrissey) was called to investigate the crime leading him to discover several possible suspects and motives. And further questions were raised when Gary’s arrest file points to secrets buried within the heart of the community, prompting a figure from Ian’s past, DI Salisbury (Robert Glenister), to aid the investigation.