Why won't there be a Shardlake season 2?

However, earlier this year fans sadly got some bad news, as it was confirmed that the show, which starred Arthur Hughes, Sean Bean and Anthony Boyle, had been cancelled.

But why was the decision made for the show not to return for season 2, and what would it originally have been about?

Read on for everything you need to know about the reason there won't be a second season of Shardlake.

Why won't there be a Shardlake season 2?

Sadly, Shardlake won't be returning for a second season, with Disney Plus confirming the news of its cancellation in January.

This was announced alongside the cancellation of superhero comedy Extraordinary, with a representative for Disney Plus telling Variety in a statement: "Disney+ Original series Extraordinary will not be returning for a third season on the service.

"We’re so proud of the hilarious, award-winning series brought to life by the incredibly talented British and Irish cast and crew, our production partners at Sid Gentle Films, and the exceptional writing talent of creator Emma Moran.

"Disney+ Original series, Shardlake will also not be returning for a second season on the service. We’d like to thank Stephen Butchard who adapted the late C.J. Sansom’s beloved novel for the screen, the entire cast – led by the outstanding Arthur Hughes – and crew, and our production partners The Forge and Runaway Fridge.

"We hope to work with all of our partners across these shows again in the future."

The reason for the cancellation has not been officially confirmed, but it was likely down to viewership figures not being as high as the streamer had hoped.

Before the cancellation, the team behind the show had stressed their desire to adapt the next book in CJ Sansom's series, Dark Fire.

What would Shardlake season 2 have been about?

It's likely that, had Shardlake returned for a second season, it would have been based on the second book in Sansom's series, Dark Fire.

The official synopsis for that novel reads as follows: "England, 1540. Out of favour with Thomas Cromwell, Matthew Shardlake is intent on keeping a low profile in the courts. But his involvement with a murder case, defending a girl accused of brutally killing her young cousin, brings him once again into contact with the king’s chief minister – and a new assignment . . .

"The secret of Greek Fire, the legendary substance with which the Byzantines destroyed the Arab navies, has been lost for centuries. Now an official of the Court of Augmentations has discovered the formula in the library of a dissolved monastery. When Shardlake is sent to recover it, he finds the official and his alchemist brother brutally murdered – the formula gone.

"Now Shardlake must follow the trail of Greek Fire across Tudor London, while still trying to prove his young client’s innocence. But very soon he discovers nothing is as it seems..."

Sadly, it seems fans now won't get to see an adaptation of Dark Fire, at least not in this format with this cast.

Shardlake is available to stream in full on Disney Plus and ITVX. You can sign up to Disney Plus for £4.99 a month or £89.90 a year now.

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