Arthur Hughes in Shardlake
If historical dramas with a touch of mystery are your thing, then Shardlake might just be one to add to your watchlist.
The four-episode Disney series is set in Tudor England and stars The Innocents actor Arthur Hughes as a fictional lawyer tasked by Oliver Cromwell (Sean Bean) to investigate a murder against the backdrop of real-life political drama and religious reform.
Shardlake is based on the mystery novels by CJ Sansom, and began streaming on Wednesday, just days after the author died, aged 71.
Critics have already praised Shardlake’s gritty historical setting and engaging characters, although some have also highlighted issues with pacing.
Read on to check out the consensus so far…
The Guardian (4/5)
“Murderous monks ignite this magnificent CJ Sansom story… Sean Bean channels his inner-Cromwell in this tale of a loner lawyer investigating a gruesome decapitation at a Tudor monastery. It’s mean, moody – and the perfect tribute to its author who died this week.”
The Evening Standard (4/5)
“There isn’t a lot of joy to be found here. What there is instead is tension. As the episodes pass and the body count piles up, [the show] becomes an examination of the horrible things........