BBC One real-life drama Sherwood tells the true story of two manhunts that take place in 2004 Nottingham, with old hurts and secrets rising to the surface when police officers descend on the community.
The series features a stellar cast line-up, with the likes of David Morrissey, Robert Glenister, Lesley Manville and Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt.
Episode 1 begins with a wedding, but the celebrations are short-lived following the shocking murder of local resident Gary Jackson, a noted former striking miner, which “threatens to divide the already fractured community”, according to the official synopsis.
Read on for everything you need to know about the cast and characters in Sherwood.
David Morrissey plays Detective Chief Superintendent Ian St Clair
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Who is DCS Ian St Clair? A high-ranking police officer in Nottingham.
“His path is in the right place. I guess you could describe him as a pillar of the community,” David Morrissey says of his on-screen character. “He then very quickly has to investigate a brutal killing. Someone who he knows from his past, who is killed on the streets he grew up in.
“He has to go back to his childhood area to investigate this terrible death of a man he knows and that puts him back into a community and a place in time and history that was very complicated for the community, and very complicated for him personally.”
Where have I seen David Morrissey before? The actor is known for roles in The Walking Dead, The Other Boleyn Girl, Blitz, Welcome to the Punch, Britannia, and in recent years The Singapore Grip, Good Omens, The Missing, The League of Gentlemen and more.
Robert Glenister plays Detective Inspector Kevin Salisbury
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Who is DI Kevin Salisbury? A metropolitan police officer nearing the end of his career.
“Probably the last thing he wants is to be is to be sent to Nottingham, which has memories and echoes of things past. But this huge investigation comes up and he has no choice – either he goes or he’s going to be forced to retire,” Robert Glenister says of his on-screen character.
Where have I seen Robert Glenister before? He’s perhaps best known for starring in the likes of Hustle and Spooks (as the Home Secretary), and in recent years has appeared in Strike, Suspicion, Isolation Stories, Curfew, Cold Feet, and The Aeronauts.
Lesley Manville plays Julie Jackson
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Who is Julie Jackson? The wife of a former miner, Gary Jackson, who was on the side of the strikes in the 1980s.
Where have I seen Lesley Manville before? The Oscar-nominated actress is known for the likes of Phantom Thread (as Cyril), Another Year, Maleficent, Life After Life, and more recently was cast as Princess Margaret in The Crown.
Adeel Akhtar plays Andy Fisher
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Who is Andy Fisher? A train driver born and bred in Nottingham, and the father of the groom, Neel, in episode 1.
Where have I seen Adeel Akhtar before? You might recognise the actor from Sweet Tooth on Netflix, or as Lestrade in Enola Holmes. He’s also known for Four Lions, Utopia, The Big Sick, Killing Eve, Back to Life, and Les Misérables (the BBC One version).
Joanne Froggatt plays Sarah Vincent
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Who is Sarah Vincent? She’s campaigning to be a local councillor, and is engaged to Neel Fisher.
“Sarah is campaigning to be the local councillor so she’s very politically aware,” Joanne Froggatt explains. “Her political views differ from the bulk of her community because she is campaigning as a Conservative in a predominantly working-class area, a hard Labour constituency. Ashfield has a history with mining and was hugely impacted in the ’80s by Thatcher and the miners’ strikes.”
Where have I seen Joanne Froggatt before? Downton Abbey fans will instantly recognise Froggatt as the ladies maid Anna Smith, later Anna Bates, in the ITV series Downton Abbey and its subsequent spin-off films. She’s also appeared in Angela Black (in the title role), Liar, The Harrowing, and The Commons.
Bally Gill plays Neel Fisher
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Who is Neel Fisher? Sarah Vincent’s fiancé, and the son of local train driver Andy Fisher.
Where have I seen Bally Gill before? The stage and screen actor is probably best known for Wanderlust, Slow Horses, Manhunt, and This Is Going to Hurt.
Alun Armstrong plays Gary Jackson
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Who is Gary Jackson? A former striking miner who is unexpectedly murdered in episode 1.
Where have I seen Alun Armstrong before? He played Mr Hafez in The Mummy Returns, and is also known for playing Cardinal Jinette in the Van Helsing franchise, Uncle Garrow from Eragon, and the High Constable from Sleepy Hollow. More recently he has starred in the likes of Breeders and Year of the Rabbit, while is he also well known for his long-running role in New Tricks
Sherwood will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer tonight (Monday 13th June) at 9pm. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Drama hub for the latest news.
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