The legend is back — and he’s bringing the darkness with him!

Sean Bean, the iconic star of Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings, is set to electrify screens once again in a pulse-pounding new BBC crime thriller, The Shattered Crown. This 8-part drama, already generating buzz as “haunting” and “unmissable,” promises to deliver a masterclass in gritty storytelling, with Bean joined by Shetland veteran Julie Graham and rising star James Nelson-Joyce (This City Is Ours). With a narrative steeped in betrayal, buried secrets, and vengeance, The Shattered Crown is not just another mystery—it’s a reckoning.

A Dark Tale of Power and Redemption

Set against the brooding backdrop of Liverpool’s rain-soaked streets and the desolate beauty of the Scottish Highlands, The Shattered Crown weaves a complex web of crime, loyalty, and retribution. The series follows Thomas “Tommy” Kane (Sean Bean), a former crime lord who vanished into obscurity after a devastating betrayal shattered his empire. Now, 15 years later, Tommy is drawn back into the underworld when a cryptic message from his past resurfaces, threatening to unravel the fragile peace he’s built.

Julie Graham, known for her commanding presence as Elaine in Shetland and This City Is Ours, plays Marianne Walsh, a steely detective with her own haunted history. Marianne’s investigation into a series of brutal murders leads her to Tommy, forcing an uneasy alliance between the two. Meanwhile, James Nelson-Joyce, fresh off his breakout role as Michael Kavanagh in This City Is Ours, brings raw intensity as Liam Doyle, a volatile young enforcer with a personal vendetta against Tommy. As their paths collide, secrets long buried begin to surface, and the line between hero and villain blurs.

“This isn’t just a crime drama—it’s a deep dive into the human condition,” says showrunner Anna Hargreaves, whose previous work on The Night Manager earned critical acclaim. “Sean, Julie, and James bring an authenticity and emotional weight that make every scene crackle with tension.”

Sean Bean: The King of Grit

Few actors can command the screen like Sean Bean. From his unforgettable turn as Ned Stark in Game of Thrones to his chilling portrayal of Thomas Cromwell in Shardlake, Bean has a knack for embodying complex, morally ambiguous characters. In The Shattered Crown, he leans into that strength, delivering a performance that early reviews describe as “magnetic” and “heart-wrenching.”

“Tommy Kane is a man carrying the weight of his past,” Bean said in a recent interview with The Guardian. “He’s not a hero or a villain—he’s just trying to survive. Playing him was like peeling back layers of grief and rage, and I loved every second of it.” Fans of Bean’s work in This City Is Ours, where he played the retiring drug lord Ronnie Phelan, will find echoes of that intensity in Tommy, but with a more introspective edge.

Bean’s return to the BBC comes at a time when the network is doubling down on high-stakes crime dramas. Following the success of This City Is Ours, which became BBC iPlayer’s biggest new drama launch of 2025, expectations for The Shattered Crown are sky-high. The series, filmed in Liverpool and the Scottish Highlands, blends the urban grit of Bean’s previous projects with the stark, atmospheric beauty of Shetland.

Julie Graham: A Shetland Star Shines

Julie Graham, a fan favorite for her role in Shetland, brings her trademark blend of toughness and vulnerability to The Shattered Crown. As Detective Marianne Walsh, Graham portrays a woman driven by a need for justice but haunted by personal losses that mirror Tommy’s own. Her chemistry with Bean is a highlight, with their scenes described as “electric” by early viewers.

“Working with Sean was a dream,” Graham told Radio Times. “He’s so generous as an actor, and our characters have this push-and-pull dynamic that’s both adversarial and deeply human.” Graham’s experience in Shetland and This City Is Ours—where she played Elaine Phelan, the matriarch of a crime family—lends her performance an effortless authority.

Graham’s involvement also ties The Shattered Crown to the Shetland fanbase, who have long praised the Scottish drama for its atmospheric storytelling. While The Shattered Crown is a fictional tale, its Highland scenes evoke the same sense of isolation and menace that made Shetland a hit.

James Nelson-Joyce: The Rising Star

If Sean Bean is the seasoned king of this drama, James Nelson-Joyce is its fiery prince. The 36-year-old Liverpool native has been making waves since his standout performance in This City Is Ours, where he played Michael Kavanagh, a gangster torn between loyalty and love. His raw, charismatic energy earned him praise as “TV’s hottest rising star” and even sparked rumors of a potential James Bond role.

In The Shattered Crown, Nelson-Joyce’s Liam Doyle is a wildcard—a young man driven by anger and ambition, yet grappling with his own moral compass. “Liam’s got this fire in him, but there’s a heartbreak underneath it all,” Nelson-Joyce said on a recent podcast. “Playing opposite Sean and Julie pushed me to dig deeper than I ever have.” His Liverpool accent, honed by years of local theater, adds an authentic edge to the series’ urban scenes.

Nelson-Joyce’s meteoric rise mirrors the trajectory of actors like Stephen Graham, with whom he worked in This City Is Ours. His performance in The Shattered Crown is already generating Oscar buzz, with critics calling him “a revelation.”

A Story That Cuts Deep

At its core, The Shattered Crown is about the cost of power and the search for redemption. The series doesn’t shy away from heavy themes—grief, addiction, and the cycle of violence are woven into its DNA. Yet, it’s not all doom and gloom. Hargreaves infuses the script with moments of dark humor and tenderness, particularly in the evolving relationship between Tommy and Marianne.

The ensemble cast, which includes Hannah Onslow (This City Is Ours) as a journalist digging into Tommy’s past and Jack McMullen (Hijack) as a loyal but conflicted ally, adds further depth. The series’ pacing—described as “relentless” by Variety—keeps viewers on edge, with each episode peeling back new layers of the mystery.

Filming in Liverpool and the Highlands posed its own challenges. “The weather was brutal,” Bean admitted, laughing. “One day we’re shooting in a downpour, the next we’re battling wind in the mountains. But it added to the rawness of the story.” The series’ cinematography, with its stark contrasts of urban decay and sweeping landscapes, has already drawn comparisons to Broadchurch and The Undoing.

Why You Can’t Miss It

The Shattered Crown is more than just a crime thriller—it’s a character-driven epic that explores what it means to confront your past. With Sean Bean at his brooding best, Julie Graham delivering a career-defining performance, and James Nelson-Joyce cementing his status as a star, the series is poised to be a cultural juggernaut.

The buzz is already building on social media, with fans of This City Is Ours and Shetland eagerly awaiting the premiere. “Sean Bean in a crime drama is an instant watch,” one X user posted. Another wrote, “James Nelson-Joyce is about to steal the show—mark my words.” The series’ trailer, released last week, has racked up millions of views, teasing a labyrinth of twists and a jaw-dropping cliffhanger.

Set to premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in August 2025, The Shattered Crown will drop all eight episodes at once, perfect for binge-watching. Early reviews praise its “unflinching” storytelling and “stellar” cast, with The Telegraph calling it “a masterclass in tension.”

A Reckoning Awaits

In a television landscape crowded with crime dramas, The Shattered Crown stands out for its raw emotion and powerhouse performances. Sean Bean, Julie Graham, and James Nelson-Joyce form a trio that’s as compelling as it is unpredictable, supported by a script that balances heart and horror.

As Tommy Kane, Bean reminds us why he’s a legend—a man who can convey a lifetime of pain with a single glance. Graham’s Marianne is the soul of the series, a beacon of resilience in a world of shadows. And Nelson-Joyce’s Liam is the spark, igniting every scene with his volatile energy.

This is not a story that lets you look away. It’s a journey into the dark heart of loyalty and loss, where every choice has a price. So, grab your remote, brace for impact, and prepare to lose yourself in The Shattered Crown. The king is back—and he’s ready to reign.