The BBC has announced the star-studded cast of the third season of its acclaimed drama, Sherwood, with the likes of Sue Johnston (Downton Abbey, The Royle Family) and Joe Dempsie (Get Millie Black, Toxic Town) joining the show.
The award-winning drama, which has been hailed by "incredible" by viewers, is created and written by James Graham and centres on the residents of the former mining community of Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, which is still scarred by the 1980s miners' strike.
David Morrissey stars as DCS Ian St Clair in the crime series, which first premiered in 2022 and was inspired by two real-life murders that rocked a Nottinghamshire mining community in 2004.
Meanwhile, season two introduced two new families and centred on the intense feud between the Sparrow family and the Branson crime clan, which ended with the death of Branson matriarch Ann (Monica Dolan).
Fans will undoubtedly be counting down the days until season three's release. This compelling crime series seamlessly blends socially and politically relevant commentary with gripping drama, resulting in a nuanced exploration of tensions and divisions in a former mining community. Plus, the cast is outstanding. Season upon season, the show has attracted big names, from Lesley Manville to Robert Lindsay. I can't wait to see what writer James Graham has in store for the residents of Ashfield in season three.
Keep reading to find out what we know so far.
What to expect from Sherwood season three
The series picks up six months after Ann Branson's death and sees a new family at the heart of the story.
The Wood family are the "picture of working-class respectability," according to the synopsis. Pillars of the community, the family volunteer at the local church, while Zoe Wood, in particular, is a passionate campaigner on behalf of her town. Meanwhile, her husband Alex Wood is overseeing construction of the new Gotham housing estate which is being built in the shadows of Sherwood Forest, and where they live with their kids and Zoe's parents, Irene and Eric Bostall, as the estate's first residents.
Elsewhere, after numerous human remains were found in the reservoir during the recovery operation following Ann's drowning, DI Zara Gill is on the case to identify them. Her investigation leads to several missing people linked to the Bransons' criminal activities, but one unexpected discovery links to the Bostall family.
The synopsis continues: "Forty years after he first went missing, the body of Arthur Bostall is unearthed from Nottingham’s ancient caves, and a series of unnerving questions begins to arise over who killed him and why. As the Wood and Bostall families find themselves being forced to look back into the past, events in the present conspire to uncover more buried secrets for the family and the wider community alike."
Which new cast members have joined the series?
A number of familiar faces have joined the cast alongside Sue Johnston and Joe Dempsie, including Rosalie Craig (Riot Women, The Hack), Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Sandman, Sugar), Peter Wight (Another Year, A Confession), Ben Batt (Riot Women, Toxic Town) and Adam Long (Day of the Jackal, Masters of the Air).
Which cast members are returning for series 3?
David Morrissey will reprise his role as DCS Ian St Clair, alongside Lorraine Ashbourne as Daphne Sparrow, Lesley Manville as Julie Jackson, Claire Rushbrook as Cathy Rowley, Perry Fitzpatrick as Rory Sparrow, Bill Jones as Ronan Sparrow and Robert Lindsay as Franklin Warner.
When will season 3 be released?
The BBC has yet to announce a release date for season three. However, with filming underway, we'd expect the new episodes to arrive in late 2026.