Under FIRE

DAVID MORRISSEY on a community torn apart by gun crime as his hit drama returns

- SEAN MARLAND

With a star-spangled cast led by David Morrissey and a gripping storyline based on traumatic real-life events, the first series of BBC1's Sherwood was lauded by critics and viewers alike when it aired in 2022.

Set in Ashfield, a Nottinghamshire community still divided by the legacy of the 1984 miners' strike, the drama centred upon two shocking murders before delving into a range of other issues. Now, writer James Graham, who grew up in Ashfield, is back with a hotly anticipated six-part second series, inspired by the rise in gun crime that once earned Nottingham the nickname 'Shottingham'. David Morrissey reprises his role, as do Lesley Manville, Philip Jackson and Lorraine Ashbourne, and they are joined by faces including David Harewood and Monica Dolan (see panel, right).

The new run begins with drug dealer Ryan Bottomley (Oliver Huntingdon) committing a deadly attack on one of his rivals, which plunges the community into turmoil and is deeply worrying for David's character, lan St Clair, who's now the area's 'anti-violence tsar'. Also affected by the event are the local crime family, the Sparrows, headed up by married couple Mickey and Daphne (Philip Jackson and Lorraine Ashbourne).

But it is not the only issue causing a stir, with Julie Jackson (Lesley Manville), the widow of prominent strike leader Gary Jackson, among those surprised to hear about a plan to open a new coal mine.

We caught up with David, 60, to find out more about the show's return...

How exciting was it to come back for a second series?