ITV Shardlake: Full cast list and when it will be on TV

Glasgow Times

4 hours ago

The historical mystery novels are set during the reign of King Henry VIII during the 16th Century.
This was brought to life in a four-part series, which was released on Disney in 2024, and now the episodes will be broadcast on ITV1 over the coming weeks.
The series will follow Matthew Shardlake (Hughes), a 16th-century lawyer tasked with investigating a murder at a monastery.
A synopsis on the Radio Times website says: "Idealistic lawyer Matthew Shardlake (Arthur Hughes) works for Thomas Cromwell (Sean Bean) and is dedicated to serving justice and the Crown.
"He is flanked by cocky assistant Jack Barak (Anthony Boyle), who could be a spy for Cromwell.
"Shardlake is living with scoliosis and is rudely dismissed as a 'crookback' by Tudor society as he carries out his duties.
"Weathering the verbal abuse, Shardlake and Barak travel to the remote town of Scarnsea to investigate the murder of a commissioner, who was gathering evidence for Cromwell to close the local monastery."
Discussing the show, writer Stephen Butchard explained how, despite the historical setting, there were plenty of aspects that could relate to modern times.
As reported by the Radio Times, he said: "We don't change. This is the 16th century, but the same things are going on today.
"With the dissolution of the monasteries, the money was supposedly going for the benefit of the common people, but that didn't happen, it ended up in the hands of the king and Cromwell.
"And that happens today. Contracts [...] end up going to friends of [politicians], and fast-tracks and stuff like that.
"We do not change, politicians don't change. But the good thing also is that there are always good people and that's what this is about. This is about good men, good women, it's about the good people just as much as it is about the villainous people."
Disney Plus confirmed in January 2025 that they were not planning to make another series of Shardlake, despite there being more books to potentially adapt.
ITV Shardlake full cast list
Arthur Hughes as Matthew Shardlake
Sean Bean as Thomas Cromwell
Anthony Boyle as Jack Barak
Babou Ceesay as Abbot Fabian
David Pearse as Brother Edwig
Miles Barrow as Brother Gabriel
Paul Kaye as Brother Jerome
Irfan Shamji as Brother Guy
Brian Vernel as Prior Mortimus
Joe Barber as Novice Simon Whelplay
Ruby Ashbourne Serkis as Alice Fewterer
Peter Firth as Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Mike Noble as Master Bugge
Matthew Steer as Dr. Goodhap
Michael Rivers as Robin Singleton
Ken Nwosu as Snook
Hilary Tones as Old Annie
Kimberley Nixon as Joan
Alex Lowe as Brother Andrew
Recommended reading:
Tadhg Murphy as Copynger
Alex Bhat as Crowe
Louis Goodwin as Mark Smeaton
Charlotte Christof as Orphan Stonegarden
Roderick Hill as Copper
Anthony Cozens as Jacob Crump
Miltos Yerolemou as Oldknoll
Anthony Aje as Ned Skeels
When will Shardlake be on TV?
The first episode of Shardlake will air at 9pm on ITV1 on Monday, June 9, with the other three episodes airing in the same timeslot over the following weeks.
Alternatively, if you have a subscription to Disney Plus you can watch the episodes on that service.