Will there be ‘Sherwood’ season 3?

Though Sherwood was originally conceived as a one-off TV miniseries, it proved so popular that the BBC relented and commissioned a second season anyway. Now that Sherwood season 2 has premiered in full in the U.K. and will soon be available on BritBox elsewhere, it’s time to look towards the future of this award-winning anthology show.

Has Sherwood been renewed for season 3?

Yes, Sherwood will be returning for season 3. In fact, it was renewed well before the second season’s premiere in the U.S., meaning that the U.K.’s viewing figures for season 1 and season 2 were strong enough to warrant a third season of James Graham’s hit crime drama.

As two years passed between the release of seasons 1 and 2, we’d expect Sherwood season 3 to premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the U.K. sometime in the summer of 2026, though this is just speculation. Anything could still affect the show’s timeline.

When the news of Sherwood’s season 3 renewal broke, Graham told the BBC:

“It continues to be the greatest privilege to tell stories set in and inspired by the history of my home county of Nottinghamshire … My biggest appreciation though goes to our audiences and I’m determined to deliver for them in a series three, which will be a new set of stories, and the continuation—and completion—of some strands I’ve been dreaming of for some time.”

Season 1 was inspired by the real-life events of a rogue killer that terrorized the Nottingham area in the early ’00s and the coal miners’ strikes in the 1980s, while season 2 offers a present-day narrative inspired by the gang violence that plagued the city and its surrounding towns around 2014. So what could Sherwood season 3 be about?

Of course, since season 2 was written and filmed, a seismic shift occurred in U.K. politics, as Labour defeated the Conservatives in a landslide in the 2024 General Election. When, as reported by RadioTimes.com, Sherwood’s leading man David Morrissey was asked what he would like to see covered in the upcoming season, the actor replied:

“I think it would be interesting for James [Graham] to explore what is happening under a Labour government. How things are attempting to change as opposed to how things are changing. I think [prime minister] Starmer has a tightrope that he needs to walk in the next two or three years so it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out in people’s lives.”

The actor also mentioned that he would like his character Ian’s storyline with Julie (Lesley Manville) to be explored further, as the two struck up a compelling and endearing relationship in Sherwood season 2.

In any case, it’ll be a while yet before we find out what happens in Sherwood season 3.