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You can finally binge all 4 episodes of 'fantastic' historical drama for free
A critically acclaimed historical drama has arrived on a UK streaming service for free – just over a year after it was first released.
Shardlake, which was originally released on Disney Plus in May 2024, was based on the 2000s novel series of the same by CJ Sansom.
Set in the 16th century, the novels followed both fictional and non-fictional characters during the reign of King Henry VIII – much like BBC drama Wolf Hall.
The series starred Game of Thrones actor Sean Bean, William Shakespeare theatre star Arthur Hughes, and Anthony Boyle of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child fame.
Production on the four-part miniseries was overseen by The Last Kingdom creator Stephen Butchard and TV director Justin Chadwick, known for EastEnders.
The series was cancelled by Disney Plus in January of this year, long after the first season had concluded, with prospective plans for a second season shut down.
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But perhaps there could be fresh hope of a delayed renewal after all – that's if Shardlake takes off again after ITV decided to broadcast all four episodes.
The series follows Hughes' character Matthew Shardlake, a fictional 16th-century lawyer who has been asked to solve a mysterious murder at a monastery.
Titular character Shardlake is under the employ of Thomas Cromwell, played by Bean, and is 'riddled with scoliosis' according to a synopsis from the Radio Times.
Shardlake will be starting its run on ITV tonight at 9pm – episode two will be broadcast on June 16 and 9pm, with episodes three and four presumably going out on June 23 and June 30.
All four episodes are currently available to stream on ITVX, however, for those who are excited for the whodunit series and want to binge the whole thing.
On X, @The_Perdita commented: 'The mother and I are watching Shardlake – [Disney] are going to hell for not renewing it for another season.'
@Monkey_Maisie said: 'ITV is showing a new series, Shardlake, at 9pm Monday. We loved the books so hope it will be good. It has Sean Bean in it!'
When it was cancelled, @ChriThor said: 'Predictable really, we can't seem to keep good TV shows and it appears that Shardlake is another one that has been cancelled.'
@TariboWest55 bemoaned: 'Really gutted to hear the news – Shardlake won't be returning for a second season. What a missed opportunity. Great cast and fantastic books. Disappointed.'
The first Shardlake book, titled Dissolution, was published in 2003, with Dark Fire, Sovereign, and Relevation all coming out later in the same decade. More Trending
In the 2010s, the series continued with Heartstone, Lamentation, and Tombland, with the last of the latest books coming out in 2018. No Shardlake books have been released since.
Author CJ Sansom was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in his bone marrow cells in 2012, but continued to write and planned to continue the series.
However, he sadly grew too unwell to keep on working and died in April 2024, aged 71 – he'd spent his final days in a hospice near his home in Brighton.
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Watch Shardlake on ITV, Monday, June 9 at 9pm. Watch episodes on ITVX. Shardlake is also available to stream on Disney Plus.
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