Sherwood

Inspired by real events this timely new drama series is set in present day Nottinghamshire where a murder seemingly has links to the miners strike of 1984 and the divisions in the local community it provoked.

This was an accomplished piece of television with everybody involved in front of and behind camera on song. Good production values all round, a great assembly of Northern acting talent old and new and a special mention for the brilliant script by James Graham.

Loved it from first to last. Congrats to all involved in making this, its a truly wonderful piece of drama that rings true.

With one of the greatest TV casts put together since State of Play, this series promised to be interesting. But the first episode has surpassed my hopes -- the essential background to this drama is brilliantly sketched as we are introduced to the large range of characters, and it is beautifully written, shot and performed. It was so gripping I watched it twice, not wanting to let it go, and counting down the hours to tomorrow night. If it is half as good, the week between episodes 2 and 3 will seem an eternity.

We need much, much more drama like this.

A lot of dramas fizzle out after a few episodes but that is not the case with 'Sherwood'. Every episode is worth watching and as a drama overall this works. Well acted and with a good story this is one of the best and most consistent dramas the the BBC has produced for a while.

There are some very well known actors here with very little screen time which adds to the drama considerably. Joanne Froggatt, Alun Armstrong, Mark Addy, Lindsay Duncan and Stephen Tomkinson all appear briefly but with impact. This is well worth watching.

The first season was pretty solid, had decent writing and interesting characters, portrayed by lots of good actors. But the second season felt inferior in most ways, and by the two last episodes, I was glad this series ended when it did. Like so many similar crime/drama mini-series these days, what promises to be entertaining, intelligent and quite believable, gets bogged down by too many side stories and similar endings that remind one of any soap opera we're familiar with. Hugely disappointing turn of events by the last few episodes, and despite a very strong performance by Mr. Morrissey, the characters became caricatures of themselves. Not sure if the writers were the same for both seasons, but am glad there is no 3rd season to endure. Lots of loose ends, improbable scenarios (a vulnerable female who is left in the care of 3 unknown males for one), and unresolved crimes only added to the relief that this was just fiction. Apparently based on a real-life community of the author, I can only hope it was very loosely based on reality.

BBC drama at its brilliant best. A stellar cast of top notch actors and a story line that always keeps you guessing with some real jaw dropping moments. This is definitely one of the best series of the year. Not to be missed.