Sherwood is fast becoming the best TV series of the year, if not the decade – following in the footsteps of The Lakes before it.
More than two decades ago, The Lakes was the most talked about TV series of the 90s.
And it remains one of the most unforgettable and highly regarded TV series of recent times.
Not least because it launched the career of several actors who went on to achieve huge success, including John Simm and Holby City star Kaye Wragg.
The Lakes fans may well have spotted a connection between the iconic TV show of the 90s, and the current drama Sherwood.
Here’s everything you need to know!
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What’s the link between the two series?
It’s been more than 20 years since The Lakes ended in 1999.
But its legacy remains.
The series is still considered one of the best to ever be televised in the UK.
The Lakes launched the careers of several actors who have subsequently become big names – not least John Simm, Kevin Doyle, and Kaye Wragg.
John Simm starred as Danny Kavanagh in the series, which ran from 1997 to 1999.
Viewers saw Danny leave Liverpool for the Lake District, finding work at a hotel and love with a local girl named Emma.
However, Danny remained an outsider in the close-knit community, made more pronounced when he found himself implicated in a tragedy…
When four young girls died in a terrible boating accident, the harsh finger of blame was pointed at Danny by the whole community.
The drama which aired for two series over two years was created and written by Jimmy McGovern.
Although Sherwood is based on a true story, both TV series focus on the impact death has on a small tight-knit community.
Both series are set and filmed in Nottinghamshire, and the Lake District respectively – something non-Londoners would appreciate.
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What actors from The Lakes star in Sherwood?
There are several cast members from The Lakes who appear more than 20 years later in Sherwood.
TV addicts will know that actor Kevin Doyle, 62, starred in both The Lakes and Sherwood.
He currently plays Fred Rowley in BBC One’s thriller Sherwood.
Fred Rowley is a former miner who didn’t speak to Alun Armstrong’s character Gary Jackson – even though they were related.
But one of Kevin’s first roles was as murdering John Fisher in The Lakes.
School teacher John Fisher, no longer able to cope with his wife’s affairs, bludgeoned her to death in the bath.
The Lakes viewers then saw the character struggling to summon up the courage to dispose of his wife’s body.
This was made all the more complicated when his super-flirtatious sister-in-law Beverly turned up.
Eventually, besotted Beverly helped him to destroy all the evidence of his wife Simone’s murder.
While the police began to piece together the facts about Simone’s murder, John kidnapped the Chef’s son…
Of course, John’s wife Simone had had an affair with the Chef before she was killed.
So Kevin’s character in The Lakes was a far cry from the subservient Mr Molesley he went on to play in Downton Abbey!
Actor Kevin has also portrayed Geoff Hastings in Scott & Bailey, Howard Crane in Drop Dead Gorgeous, and Mike Hartnoll in At Home with the Braithwaites.
Did Clare Holman star in The Lakes?
Actress Clare Holman stars as Helen St Clair in the cast of Sherwood on BBC One.
Clare, 58, also appeared in The Lakes.
She portrayed Simone Fisher in both series of the dark BBC One drama.
Yes, Clare played the wife of Kevin Doyle’s character John, who he murdered in the bath (see above).
Clare went on to portray forensic pathologist Dr Laura Hobson in the crime drama series Inspector Morse and its spin-off Lewis from 1995 to 2015.
She’s also known for portraying Felicity Dorr in Island at War, Miss Bach in The Little Drummer Girl, and Colonel Reese in MotherFatherSon.
Did Sherwood actor Charles Dale star in The Lakes?
Meanwhile, Charles Dale starred as Gary Alcock, also known as the Chef.
Charles plays former miner Leonard Gibson in Sherwood.
But The Lakes fans will know him as the philandering Chef from series one and two of the BBC drama.
Chef Gary was known as a sexual predator and potential psychopath.
In fact, Charles’ character Chef had an affair with Sherwood co-star Clare Holman’s character Simone – which led Kevin Doyle’s character John to kill him.
Now all three of them appear in The Lakes…
Now THAT must have been quite the conversation during production!
Welsh actor Charles is also known for playing Big Mac in Casualty.
Coronation Street fans will know him as Dennis Stringer in the ITV soap.
He’s also played Clive Eustace in The Eustace Bros, Brian Weston in Rules of the Game, Chief Constable Robin in Unforgotten, and DS Gareth Rees in The Pembrokeshire Murders.
Sherwood continues on Mondays and Tuesdays on BBC One at 9pm. The Lakes boxset is available to buy on Amazon.
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