Sherwood, on Britbox, is a British series that takes place in present-day Nottinghamshire, a former coal mining area and the scene of violent clashes during the 1984-1985 miners' strike. The miners were divided into those who supported the National Union of Miners and went on strike, and those who crossed the pickets and continued working in the shafts during the strike, known derisively as “scabs”. In the show, set 38 years after the strike, Gary Jackson, a former union member, is murdered and old wounds open up as the police search for the killer. With an interesting backstory and an all-star cast, Sherwood is a better-than-usual small-town murder mystery.
What could easily have been another "run-of-the-mill" murder mystery, loosely inspired by true events, has real anger and contemporary resonance, making for a thought-provoking experience that resonates across generations.
Creator: Monroe Hayden
Stars: Janelle Garcia, Monroe Hayden, Daniel Andrade
This is truly a golden age for crime dramas. A historically oversaturated genre, it seems that producers are finally waking up to the appetite for innovative and interesting takes on familiar material. This is absolutely the case with the recent BBC Sherwood programme. It has the usual comforts of crime: a murderer on the loose, a complex police investigation, and shocking revelations about people's personal lives that keep us coming back for more. But what really makes Sherwood stand out is a historical, cultural and political identity built into the show.
Sherwood tells the story of a post-industrial community in rural Nottinghamshire, which is shaken by the death of one of its residents by a crossbow. As the case unfolds, old rivalries dating back to Thatcher and mining strikes come to the surface, sparked by the presence of the Met, who are there to help investigate a larger conspiracy.
This political approach definitely comes from the series' writer, James Graham, who made a name for himself in the political thriller sphere with dramas like Brexit: The Uncivil War. In that drama, he dissected the 2016 referendum, wading through the quagmire of misinformation to present entertaining but urgent television.
He takes a similar approach with Sherwood, this time with the consequences of the Thatcher presidency on post-mining communities. During the 1984/5 strikes it is generally accepted that the Democratic Mine Workers Union in Nottinghamshire broke the monopoly of the National Mine Workers Union and the reason why the strikes failed. Graham, a Nottingham native, shows how communities have never gotten over this blow, with debates still ongoing about whether or not their actions were justified, backed up by name calling and random acts of violence. In fact, this is the alleged motive for the murder, setting up a larger conspiracy over how much control the workers really had in this situation, with sinister government hands at work.
The Met's presence in the story plays into this, as well as addressing the 'North/South cultural divide', showing the concentration of power around Westminster and contemporary issues such as protecting 'the thin blue line'. Graham uses this scenario to introduce generational trauma, the damage the past can do, and how we have to find our way forward. He doesn't forget, not not to hold those responsible accountable, but to move on, or risk anger breeding greater anger.
Somehow, and he puzzles how she manages to do all this while he creates a close and intimate story. A crime drama only really works if we care about the victims of said crime, which is where Graham's skills as a character writer shine. There are moments where the dialogue undermines this, as it's a plot-focused show, but it quickly takes it back with a quip or personal moment that reconnects us with the people shown. Detailed exposition is a necessary evil in a story of this complex political and historical nature, but despite this, Graham manages to capture the real people at the heart of the drama. This is of course helped by the incredible cast, with a revolving door of recognizable British talent on display, David Morrissey and Leslie Manville being the standouts.
This isn't really a show with a main character, but rather a well-balanced ensemble piece about the interconnectedness of community and the devastating impact tragedy can have. Graham's defining thesis with this show is that people are inherently political.
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