| Shardlake | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Mystery Crime drama Period drama |
| Created by | Stephen Butchard |
| Based on | Shardlake series byC. J. Sansom |
| Written by | Stephen Butchard |
| Directed by | Justin Chadwick |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | John Griffin |
| Cinematography | Felix Cramer |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Disney+ |
| Release | 1 May 2024 (2024-05-01) |
Shardlake is a four-part television series onDisney+ based on theShardlake series ofhistorical mystery novels byC. J. Sansom set in the reign ofHenry VIII in the 16th century. The series is adapted byStephen Butchard and directed byJustin Chadwick and produced by The Forge.Arthur Hughes stars as the eponymous Matthew Shardlake, alongsideSean Bean asThomas Cromwell. C. J. Sansom died on 27 April 2024, just four days before the series premiere.[1] In January 2025, the series was cancelled after one season.[2]
During thedissolution of the monasteries in the Tudor era, the hunchback barrister Master Matthew Shardlake is sent byThomas Cromwell to investigate the death of a commissioner at a monastery in the remote town of Scarnsea.[3]
AuthorC.J. Sansom granted the rights to his first Matthew Shardlake novel,Dissolution, to producer Stevie Lee in 2003. Lee initially planned to make a film withKenneth Branagh. In 2007, the BBC optioned the novels, with Branagh still attached. However, they prioritised their production ofHilary Mantel’sWolf Hall and Branagh shifted focus toWallander instead. Later discussions withITV did not materialise into a production.[4]
In January 2023 it was announced thatDisney+ had greenlit an adaptation of the Shardlake novels to be produced by The Forge, part ofBanijay.[5] The series consists of four episodes, that are directed byJustin Chadwick from a script written byStephen Butchard. John Griffin is producing the series, with executive producers George Ormond and Mark Pybus for The Forge, Stevie Lee for Runaway Fridge, and Lee Mason for Disney+.[6][7]
Arthur Hughes was confirmed in the role of Shardlake.[8]Sean Bean was confirmed in the role ofThomas Cromwell.[9] In February 2024 Irfan Shamji, David Pearse, Miles Barrow, Mike Noble andKimberley Nixon were confirmed in the cast.[10] The cast also includesBabou Ceesay,Paul Kaye,Ruby Ashbourne Serkis,Peter Firth,Matthew Steer,Brian Vernel,[11] and Joe Barber.[12]
By March 2023 principal photography had begun with filming locations including Hungary, Romania and Austria.[13] For the monastery, they usedHunedoara Castle, inTransylvania, andKreuzenstein Castle, outsideVienna.[4]
| No. | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justin Chadwick | Stephen Butchard | 1 May 2024 (2024-05-01) |
| 2 | Justin Chadwick | Stephen Butchard | 1 May 2024 (2024-05-01) |
| 3 | Justin Chadwick | Stephen Butchard | 1 May 2024 (2024-05-01) |
| 4 | Justin Chadwick | Stephen Butchard | 1 May 2024 (2024-05-01) |
The series was available onDisney+ from 1 May 2024.[14] It is set to broadcast on territorial television in the United Kingdom onITV1 from Monday 9 June 2025.[15]
Thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes reported a 79% approval rating with an average rating of 7.0/10, based on 19 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Well acted if a bit unconvincing in its verisimilitude,Shardlake's fast pace keeps it from feeling like a dry tutoring lesson on Tudors intrigue."[16]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 70 out of 100 based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[17]
Anita Singh inThe Daily Telegraph called it a "solid, intelligent offering" and that Hughes "imbues Shardlake with a sense of fairness and decency without making him too much of a goody-two-shoes".[18] Joel Golby inThe Guardian wrote that "Hughes is superb" and that his "Holmes-Watson dynamic with Boyle's rogueish Jack Barak is very enjoyable".[19] Vicky Jessop inThe Evening Standard described it as "a tightly plotted, gorgeously atmospheric piece of television".[20]
