Several Sherwood fans who enjoyed the adventures of Ian St Clair (played by David Morrissey) from series one were left “switching off” the drama after it returned for a second season on Sunday night.
The BBC’s Nottingham-based drama received plaudit after plaudit for its debut run but writer James Graham has come under fire from some for the new direction the show has taken.
The show had hit headlines before the series two premiere due to the abundance of new and diverse cast members coming on board, including a “young, queer and female” Sheriff of Nottingham (Ria Zmitrowicz).
Sherwood takes place following a series of murders in Nottinghamshire during a time when the county and its people are reeling following the miners’ strike – series two transports viewers to the present-day.
According to a BBC synopsis for series two, it teases: “Set in the present day, (Sherwood) 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 coal 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.”
BBC Sherwood: David Morrissey leads the cast
BBC
But within moments of the series two premiere dropping on BBC One on Sunday night, some fans rushed to social media to complain about the dialogue and make-up of the cast.
So much so, one turned off as they raged: “That’s it!! Had enough of this woke drivel….how much more s***e can the BBC squeeze into the slot …boring as f**k to boot!!! #Sherwood.”
“#Sherwood. First series was really good. Authentic. Now. Cliched woke lefty s***e,” a second agreed.
Elsewhere, a third praised the first run but added: “#Sherwood First series was great. This one feels like it’s been written by a BBC left-wing Woke unit with every cliché in the book regarding characters.”
BBC Sherwood: Lesley Manville is also part of the ensemble
BBC
“This show is so woke, and so c**p… p**s poor, #Sherwood,” another weighed in before a fifth commented: “I do hope this picks up cos so far it’s drivel. Instead of trying to shoehorn in every diversity category just stick to good acting and script please BBC #Sherwood.”
However, there was still plenty of support for the series, including one fan who hit back at the criticism: “Just watched #sherwood then checked out the trends. There’s a lot of upset bigots using the word woke cause there’s a diverse cast. twitter is a cesspool these days.”
And another praised: “Putting the accents to one side, loved the first episode of the new #Sherwood – gripped already.” (sic)
Writer Graham has spoken out about the decision to make the Sheriff of Nottingham a female queer character previously, pointing out that it was done to reflect modern times.
“Whenever I tell people we still have a Sheriff of Nottingham they don’t believe it,” he told the BBC. “I feel like mythology and folklore was a big part of the first series, the stories that we carry forward through generations or even just the associations that we make to certain titles are so important in general.
“Obviously the first series had outlaws hiding out in Sherwood Forest and people drew that line to Robin Hood, and The Sheriff is a character people mostly know from that.
We caught up with Robert Lindsay last night as he attended the launch of the new BBC drama Sherwood 😍 🎥
He was born and bred in Ilkeston but, speaking before the event, said Nottingham “has always been my home really”. pic.twitter.com/CdDmqFQwDv
— BBC Nottingham (@BBCNottingham) August 20, 2024
“In our series, we have a young, queer female Sheriff of Nottingham. I just thought that felt modern and important to include that representation, and to make that character and that title fully drawn.”
Leading star Morrissey also lauded Graham’s “ability to hold a mirror up to society as it is now” when making his casting and creative decisions.
“The main thing about James is that he has this ability to hold a mirror up to society as it is now. Of course, series two was written during a different government to the one when the show airs, but the issues still exist,” he told the Beeb.
“I think James highlights the problems that are facing our society. He also offers potential solutions to it, or certainly points you in a direction of where to be looking in terms of healing.
“I think it’s a very important drama for us in terms of where we are now with the breakdown in society, how we seem to have become more and more isolated in where we are, and that we need to be more conjoined, particularly around social service.”
Alongside Morrissey and Zmitrowicz, the cast also includes Robert Lindsay, Bethany Asher, Perry Fitzpatrick, Stephen Dillane, Monica Dolan, Lesley Manville, David Harewood, Aisling Loftus, Claire Rushbrook, Bill Jones and many more.