The new series of Sherwood (BBC1), is exceptional. It is very different to the first but Graham’s talent for understanding the human condition, for depicting the taste and texture of Nottingham — once nicknamed “Shottingham” after a wave of gun and drug crime — and for creating complex, believable characters is every bit as potent as last time.

Wat made Sherwood so brilliant and painful is still here. .... And perhaps it is more of a standard crime drama than the first series. But what a crime drama – the final minutes of episode two will have your heart leaping out of your chest.

Sherwood might not feel quite as original and arresting this time around, but it’s still a magnificent thriller.

Sherwood didn’t need a second series, but Graham makes a compelling case for its existence. His intricate plotting of multiple strands is masterful and mirrors the many-rooted complexities of a community that had been manipulated, divided and neglected. New director Clio Barnard (The Arbor), snakes nimbly around the many moving parts – her fabulous tension-building bodes well for the rest of the six–part series.

Sherwood season 2 has all the makings of what is already shaping up to be a stellar anthology series. Not that it necessarily needed it, but new characters, storylines and dynamics breathe new life into the series which is set in the present-day and hones deeper into some of the family rivalries that seek to tear this Nottinghamshire community apart.

The series remains quite serviceable, though it would be hard to claim that Sherwood is a truly enjoyable watch. It’s an oppressive, grimdark detective series, through and through.

There’s no doubt that Sherwood aspires to be more cerebral than Line of Duty, a show whose spectre looms over all BBC primetime thrillers. Writer James Graham cut his teeth on political drama, and this show reflects that. Yet this second series is strongest when it focuses on the human implications of street-level violence.