Sherwood season 3 confirms new and returning cast - including Brookside and Skins legends

The cast has been confirmed for the third season of acclaimed BBC drama Sherwood, with Skins star Joe Dempsie and Brookside's Sue Johnston amongst those joining the series.

Other new cast members set to feature include Rosalie Craig (Riot Women), Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Sandman), Peter Wight (Sister Boniface Mysteries), Ben Batt (Toxic Town) and Adam Long (Day of the Jackal), all of whom are joining returning series regulars David Morrissey, Lorraine Ashbourne, Lesley Manville, Claire Rushbrook, Perry Fitzpatrick, Bill Jones and Robert Lindsay.

Lindsay Duncan and Robert Glenister are also set to star, returning as their characters from season 1 who were absent in season 2.

Season 3 will be set six months on from the end of the last run, and will focus on a family, the Woods, a working-class, respectable family who are pillars of the community and volunteers at the local church. Craig's character Zoe is a particularly passionate campaigner on behalf of her town.

The synopsis for the series reads: "Husband Alex Wood (Dempsie) is overseeing construction of the new Gotham housing estate which is being built in the shadows of Sherwood Forest, and where they live with their kids and Zoe’s parents, Irene and Eric Bostall (Johnston and Wight), as the estate’s first residents.

"Meanwhile, DI Zara Gill (Howell-Baptiste) is leading the operation into identifying the numerous human remains that were found in the reservoir during the recovery operation following Ann’s drowning. The trail leads to several missing people linked to the Bransons' criminal activities but one specific discovery unexpectedly leads back to the Bostall family.

"Forty years after he first went missing, the body of Arthur Bostall is unearthed from Nottingham’s ancient caves, and a series of unnerving questions begins to arise over who killed him and why.

"As the Wood and Bostall families find themselves being forced to look back into the past, events in the present conspire to uncover more buried secrets for the family and the wider community alike."

The series once again comes from writer/creator James Graham, who said in a statement: "The joy of Sherwood for me is introducing brand new characters with exciting original stories each and every series, sitting alongside existing characters and actors I’ve grown to love.

"The new Wood family, despite their down-to-earth humour and charm, are going to be put through the most intense experience we’ve created yet – a normal family, in the most extraordinary situation which we hope will have audiences asking ­‘what would I do?’ And we’ll be returning to other strands too – including Daphne Sparrow (Ashbourne) and her long-kept secret past…"

Clio Barnard is returning as lead director having worked on season 2, while Jack Casey, who has directed episodes of Blue Lights, will also be helming episodes.

Sherwood season 3 will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on iPlayer now.

Add Sherwood to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.