What is Shardlake starring Sean Bean about?

If you’re looking for more historical fiction to watch, Hulu is a great platform to turn to. One of the upcoming releases is Shardlake, which is perfect for Sean Bean and Tudor history fans.

We see a lot of shows focused on Henry VIII and his six wives. Then there are shows that are focused on Elizabeth I of England and even Mary, Queen of Scots. What about the other major plays in the time period? And what about stories that are other than royal drama?

Well, Shardlake brings us something very different. The series is a murder mystery, and Thomas Cromwell may be at the heart of it.

Shardlake is based on a book series

We’ll start by getting a major question out of the way. Yes, Shardlake is based on a book series by C.J. Sansom.

The first season of the Hulu drama is set to follow the first book in the series, Dissolution.

There’s a murder. This one is gruesome and shocking, and it cannot go unanswered for. Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer in Tudor period England, is determined to get to the bottom of this murder. It’s happened at the height of the dissolution of the monasteries, and Shardlake wonders if Thomas Cromwell is involved in this.

The problem is Thomas Cromwell is Henry VIII’s right-hand man. Would anyone really want to go up against this powerful figure? He could make live almost impossible for those who cross him, especially at this point in history.

As a lawyer, Shardlake wants the truth. He and his assistant are willing to risk it all to get to the bottom of it. Sean Bean plays Thomas Cromwell, so if you know history, you know what to expect for this political figure. The question is how far into Cromwell’s life the story actually goes as to whether Bean will make it out of this show alive.

Shardlake premieres on Hulu on Thursday, May 1.