Sherwood is a computer animated science fiction streaming television series created by Diana Manson and Megan Laughton that premiered on March 6, 2019, on YouTube Premium. It is a new telling of the Robin Hood legend. Some reviewers have noted the focus on socioeconomic class, as Robin lives among "the impoverished 99%," leading rebels who will overthrow the Sheriff, who lives in an Upper City housing "the wealthy citizens of Sherwood." Others also noted the focus on class difference, with Robin and her comrades trying to "overcome inequality and fight for justice." Apart from this, others said the series has a cyberpunk feeling to it.
The show had a world premiere in Sydney, Australia, in March 2019. In April 2020, Sherwood was one of the originals that Google decided to make freely available in light of the pandemic. Even though the show's season one episodes aired in March 2019, official accounts on Twitter and Instagram regularly post content about the show.
Premise
In the year 2270, in the dystopic 23rd century, 14-year-old hacker Robin Loxley and her friends battle the Sheriff of Nottingham in a Britain devastated by environmental disaster.
Characters
Main
Robin Loxley (voiced by Anya Chalotra) is the main protagonist of the series. She often has to fight and steal from the Sheriff of Nottingham, to protect Sherwood. She is called "Insurgent Hood" by the Sheriff and his allies, also once takes the alias of "Marian Johns." Iniko (voiced by Tyler Posey) is one of the main protagonists, the pilot of the submarine Amphy, and a self proclaimed Sea Pirate. Gisbourne (voiced by Aneurin Barnard) is the son of the Sheriff of Nottingham and is the Head of Security of the Regime. He often commands the Drobos and attempts to catch the Insurgents. Sheriff Nottingham (voiced by Joseph Fiennes) is the main antagonist of the Sherwood series and rules the Upper City. He is the head of the Regime, with Gisbourne as his Head of Security (and son).
Supporting
Tui (voiced by Rachel House) is like a mother to Robin, and helps her around the Kelp Farm. Gripper (voiced by Adetokumboh M'Cormack) is part of Robin's crew and acts like a father to Juba. Rose Trefgarne (voiced by Jamie Chung) is a protagonist, often helping out the main cast. Formerly a resident of The Upper City, she now resides in Sherwood. Thomas Loxley (voiced by Darrill Rosen) is a scientist and inventor, and is the father of Robin Loxley. Juba (voiced by Neneh Conteh) is a small girl with dark skin and light blonde hair like Gripper and who is a refugee before she came to Sherwood.
Production
The idea for the series was originally posed by Diana Manson and Megan Laughton, of a New York company named Baby Octopus, in 2016, to Justin Trefgarne. Additionally, the show is, according to Trefgarne, aimed at "the pre-teen market," and is focused "on positive female empowerment." The production company, Baby Octopus, worked with the Computer Science in Media team of Google to help imagine "world of the future and what it meant for design, travel, technology and society," and to inspire "young women and girls on their role in technology of the future." Trefgarne, in a August 2018 post on his website, noted that he was commissioned to write the pilot script in 2016, with YouTube ordering nine additional episodes in January 2017, and continued production, with an original release date in November 2018. He also stated that the series is "inspired by the classic Manga Akira," a Japanese cyberpunk manga series set in a post-apocalyptic and futuristic Neo-Tokyo, more than two decades after a mysterious explosion destroyed the city.