Sherwood creator responds to BBC drama's ending
The hard-hitting miniseries came to an end tonight. **CONTAINS ENDING SPOILERS**
The creator of BBC One thriller Sherwood has discussed the emotional series finale with RadioTimes.com, revealing one way in which he hopes it can be interpreted positively.
Created by James Graham (Quiz), the six-part drama is inspired by true events, exploring the aftermath of two shocking killings that rock the already fragile community living in a Nottinghamshire mining village.
Among the topics explored in the show is the controversial deployment of so-called 'spycops' in Britain and divisions still felt following the miners' strikes of the 1980s.
In conversation with RadioTimes.com, Graham discussed how he hopes the final episode will affect viewers – be warned, some spoilers follow.
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"Given that the drama is about the divisions of a community and the long-lasting legacy of a very violent moment in our recent history, I actually hope that the lasting feeling the audience will have about the show is about reconciliation and about healing," he began.
"It shouldn't take a trauma like this to get people together again and speaking; warring families to forgive each other or friends to reach out and shake hands again. But that often is the case in life. And to be honest, I've sort of gone on that journey as well with this."
The writer went on to explain how he was "genuinely moved" by meeting the family whose tragic true story served as the inspiration behind the first death depicted in the show, describing how he invited them to set, introduced them to the cast and spent time speaking to them about their experiences.
He continued: "And then meeting the police and how hearing their stories of how difficult it was to be a police officer in a village like that during the strike.
"All of that just gave me a strange – maybe exaggerated – hope that, in the telling of these stories, and even in the making of these stories, there is a way to look at difficult things and change your relationship to it."
Graham added: "I hope that for an audience, after having six hours of quite a lot of extreme drama, that it's a more positive ending than you might think."
Read more: Sherwood cast – Meet the characters
Sherwood is now streaming on BBC iPlayer. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Drama hub for the latest news.
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Authors
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
