Sherwood viewers have been left disappointed by the drama's second series after it returned to BBC1 on Sunday.

The thriller, based on true events, follow the aftermath of murders in a Nottinghamshire, who are still dealing with the after-effects of the miners' strike.

Despite the returning star-studded cast including David Morrissey and Leslie Manville, and previous series being deemed 'the most compelling show since Broadchurch' slammed it as 'woke drivel'.

It comes after the show creator James Graham said he hoped casting a 'young, queer and female' Sheriff of Nottingham, actress Ria Zmitrowicz, in season two would help modernise the idea of the position. 

Taking to X viewers fumed: 'First series was great. This one feels like it's been written by a BBC left-wing woke unit withe very cliche in the book regarding characters': 'Lets be honest is was f****** s***e': 'I do hope this picks up cos so far it's drivel. Instead of trying to shoehorn in every diversity category just stick to good acting and script please BBC'.

'That's it!!! Had enough of this woke drivel... how much more sh**e can the BBC squeeze into the slot... boring as f**** to boot!!': 'What is this? The Godfather? Sherwood I'm losing it': 'I'm a bit lost to be honest, give it time'. 

Creator James said he hoped it will help modernise the idea of the position of The Sheriff of Nottingham, which is a historical role that is currently held by a councillor to promote the city, has long been associated with the Robin Hood villain.

He said: 'Whenever I tell people we still have a Sheriff of Nottingham they don't believe it.

'I feel like mythology and folklore was a big part of the first series, the stories that we carry forward through generations or even just the associations that we make to certain titles are so important in general.

'Obviously the first series had outlaws hiding out in Sherwood Forest and people drew that line to Robin Hood, and the Sheriff is a character people mostly know from that.

'In our series we have a young, queer female Sheriff of Nottingham. I just thought that felt modern and important to include that representation, and to make that character and that title fully drawn.'

It will see the Sheriff fighting against a proposed new coal mine that is set to bring new jobs, but is an 'unwelcome' reminder of community issues.

The first series aired on BBC One in June 2022 and receiving universal praise by fans and critics alike, bagging a perfect score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

The Guardian's Lucy Mangan gave it five stars, saying: 'Forty years of emotion and history have been transmuted, lovingly and painstakingly, into art. It’s the cleverest, most compelling and most moving thing I’ve seen in years.'

Also giving it top marks in the Evening Standard, Katie Rosseinsky wrote: 'There’s not a weak link in this ensemble, and even the briefer supporting roles somehow feel lived in, a wonderful synthesis of writing and performance.'

And the Telegraph's Anita Singh also handed out five out of five stars, saying: 'It is really, really good, a show that is ostensibly a police procedural about murders in a Nottinghamshire village but turns out to be so much more: a layered exploration of community, class and enmity.'

The new series is set to focus on further issues in the community, with David's character Ian St Clair leaving his job as Detective Chief Superintendent to head up the council’s Violence Intervention Team, which connects community services.

Homeland's David Harewood and Mr Bates Vs The Post Office star Monica Dolan are also joining the cast.

Monica plays Ann Branson, whose family run a drug operation in Ashfield, and David will play Dennis Bottomley, whose family is impacted by narcotics.

This is a first returning series for James, who won an Olivier award for his play Dear England and wrote Channel 4 film Brexit: The Uncivil War and ITV drama Quiz.

He hopes that the 'curiosity about the people and communities inside the red wall' is extended in the next instalment of Sherwood.

He adds: 'I guess the first series gave the impression that some of these wounds were linked and tied to the past and are perhaps unique to these communities, but I think there are more universal and social themes to this series which shows what happens to any community that is neglected.

James hopes that the 'curiosity about the people and communities inside the red wall' is extended in the next instalment of Sherwood. 

'I think it examines the trauma and the violence and the issues that can come from taking your eye off the ball and ignoring people.

'I think it's a broader and wider story that extends beyond Nottingham, and I would like people to see that.'

Speaking about the show, lead star David said: 'One of the issues that resonates a lot is around a breakdown of social services and the cracks that young people - particularly young men - can fall down. Particularly in regard to gang culture.

'I think a lot of the other themes explore the dissociation between talk and action for the rejuvenation and investment into local communities.

'Broken promises and superficial political rhetoric which have let down people and their communities for too long.'

Sherwood's second season will begin airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday at 9pm.