Sean Bean has three new projects landing in quick succession – a Liverpool crime saga, a Tudor whodunit, and a documentary series. Here’s a clear guide to his latest shows and where to watch them.
New series featuring Sean Bean (2024–2025): At least 3 ·
This City Is Ours platforms: BBC iPlayer, Prime Video ·
Original Gangsters release date: 4 November 2025 ·
Shardlake platform: ITVX ·
This City Is Ours genre: Crime drama
Quick snapshot
- This City Is Ours premiered 23 March 2025 on BBC One and iPlayer (Digital Spy)
- Original Gangsters airs 4 November 2025 on Sky HISTORY (Sky HISTORY)
- Shardlake is available to stream on ITVX (ITVX)
- Whether This City Is Ours will be renewed for a second season
- Exact international streaming availability beyond UK platforms
- Whether Original Gangsters will be available on streaming services after its television broadcast
- 2024 – Shardlake lands on ITVX (ITVX)
- March 2025 – This City Is Ours premieres (Digital Spy)
- 4 November 2025 – Original Gangsters starts (Sky HISTORY)
Three new Sean Bean projects, each with a very different feel. Here’s how they stack up against each other in key details.
| Series | Genre | Platform | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| This City Is Ours | Crime drama | BBC One, iPlayer, Prime Video | 2025 |
| Original Gangsters | Documentary / History | Sky HISTORY, HISTORY Play | 2025 |
| Shardlake | Historical crime drama | ITVX | 2024 |
| Marriage | Drama | BBC iPlayer | 2022 |
What is Sean Bean’s new series called?
Sean Bean’s most prominent new series is This City Is Ours, an eight-part crime drama set in Liverpool. He plays Ronnie Phelan, the ruthless head of a drug gang whose decision to step down triggers a violent power struggle.
Sean Bean stars in This City Is Ours, an epic new crime drama on BBC One. The series premiered on Sunday, 23 March 2025 at 9:00 pm, with all episodes available on iPlayer from 6:00 am that day (Prima (lifestyle magazine)). Created by Stephen Butchard, it follows the disintegration of a Liverpool crime family after patriarch Ronnie Phelan (Bean) decides to exit the business (YouTube (official trailer)).
Is Sean Bean in a new show?
Yes — This City Is Ours is his major new lead role. Bean also appears in a supporting capacity in the historical crime drama Shardlake on ITVX, and he host/narrates the documentary series Original Gangsters on Sky HISTORY. In a 2022 BBC drama Marriage, he co-starred with Nicola Walker (Digital Spy).
What is the new BBC series with Sean Bean?
The new BBC series featuring Sean Bean is This City Is Ours. The network describes it as an ‘epic new crime drama’ (Digital Spy (entertainment news)). The cast includes James Nelson-Joyce as Michael, Hannah Onslow as Diana Williams, Jack McMullen as Jamie, and other regulars like Laura Aikman, Kevin Harvey, and Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Prima).
The implication: This City Is Ours anchors Bean’s 2025 slate and sets the tone for his return to crime drama.
Where can I watch This City Is Ours season 1?
The entire first season of This City Is Ours is available to stream in the UK on BBC iPlayer. After its initial broadcast window, the series also landed on Prime Video (Amazon) (Digital Spy). It is not currently available on ITV, Netflix, or Disney+.
Is this city ours on ITV or BBC?
The series airs on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer. It is not an ITV production. The confusion may arise because Sean Bean also appears in the ITVX exclusive series Shardlake (ITVX (ITV streaming service)).
Is the city is ours on Prime Video?
Yes — after the initial BBC iPlayer availability, This City Is Ours became available to purchase or stream on Prime Video in select regions (Digital Spy). UK viewers can access it through both platforms.
For UK viewers, BBC iPlayer is the cheapest route (included with licence fee). International viewers should check Prime Video first, as streaming rights vary by region.
The catch: BBC iPlayer offers the most cost-effective access for UK viewers, but international fans should check Prime Video first.
Is This City Is Ours based on a true story?
No — the series is entirely fictional. Creator Stephen Butchard invented the characters, the crime family dynamics, and the plot. The setting (Liverpool) is real, and the depiction of gang culture draws on generic archetypes, but no specific real-world figures or events are portrayed (Prima).
The catch: While fictional, the show’s authentic Liverpool filming locations give it a gritty realism that anchors the story.
What this means: The fictional narrative, backed by realistic locations, delivers drama without the constraints of real events.
What is the new drama on ITV with Sean Bean?
Sean Bean appears in Shardlake, a historical crime drama set in Tudor England, available exclusively on ITVX. The series premiered in 2024 and is based on the novels by C.J. Sansom. Bean plays a supporting role alongside Arthur Hughes as the hunchbacked lawyer Matthew Shardlake (ITVX).
Good Housekeeping called Shardlake an “unmissable new series” starring Bean in a key role (Good Housekeeping (lifestyle brand via Facebook)).
The pattern: Bean’s supporting role in Shardlake expands his Tudor repertoire beyond historical fiction.
What is the new drama with Sean Bean and Nicola Walker?
Sean Bean and Nicola Walker co-starred in Marriage, a 2022 BBC drama about a long-married couple navigating everyday life. The series received critical praise for its naturalistic portrayal of a relationship over time. It is available on BBC iPlayer (BBC iPlayer (BBC streaming service)).
That series is not new in 2025, but remains relevant for viewers who want to see Bean and Walker together in a quieter, more intimate setting.
The implication: Fans of Bean’s quieter performances can revisit Marriage on iPlayer while waiting for his new series.
Timeline of Sean Bean’s new series
- 2024 – Shardlake released on ITVX (ITVX)
- 23 March 2025 – This City Is Ours premieres on BBC One and iPlayer (Digital Spy)
- 4 November 2025 – Original Gangsters airs on Sky HISTORY (Sky HISTORY (history channel))
The pattern: Bean’s release schedule shows a consistent output across streaming platforms throughout 2024 and 2025.
Clarity check
Confirmed facts
- This City Is Ours is a BBC One series available on iPlayer and Prime Video (Digital Spy)
- Original Gangsters starts 4 November 2025 on Sky HISTORY (Sky HISTORY)
- Shardlake is available on ITVX (ITVX)
- Sean Bean plays Ronnie Phelan in This City Is Ours (Prima)
- Shardlake is set in Tudor England (ITVX)
What’s unclear
- Whether This City Is Ours will have a season 2
- Exact international streaming rights for Original Gangsters outside the UK
- Whether Original Gangsters will be available on streaming services after its television broadcast
The implication: While most details are confirmed, the uncertainty around season 2 and international rights leaves room for updates.
What critics are saying
“A gripping new 4-part series starring Sean Bean.”
— HELLO magazine, on Original Gangsters
“An unmissable new series featuring Sean Bean.”
— Good Housekeeping, on Shardlake
The catch: These early endorsements highlight Bean’s ability to draw attention across different genres.
Sean Bean’s 2025 slate shows an actor willing to move between genres — from the bloody power plays of a Liverpool gang to the quiet dignity of a Tudor detective and the factual weight of a historical documentary. For UK viewers, the choice is simple: subscribe to BBC iPlayer for This City Is Ours, add ITVX for Shardlake, and watch Original Gangsters on Sky HISTORY. For international fans, Prime Video is the most reliable single source. The implication: Bean’s versatility means there’s something for every taste, but missing the window on iPlayer may cost you.
Frequently asked questions
Is This City Is Ours available on Netflix?
No, it is not on Netflix. It streams on BBC iPlayer and Prime Video.
How many episodes are in This City Is Ours?
It is an eight-part series (Prima).
What is the cast of This City Is Ours?
Sean Bean (Ronnie Phelan), James Nelson-Joyce (Michael), Hannah Onslow (Diana Williams), Jack McMullen (Jamie), plus Laura Aikman, Kevin Harvey, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Mike Noble, and others (YouTube official trailer).
Where can I watch Original Gangsters?
It airs on Sky HISTORY and streams on HISTORY Play, starting 4 November 2025.
Is Shardlake a series or a movie?
It is a TV series (historical crime drama) with multiple episodes, available on ITVX.
When does Original Gangsters air?
4 November 2025 on Sky HISTORY.
What other new series is Sean Bean in?
He appears in This City Is Ours, Shardlake, and Original Gangsters. He also previously co-starred in Marriage (2022).
Freddie Harry Cooper Bennett is a staff writer for DailyPressUK.co.uk, covering UK news, politics, business and culture. He works under Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Whitmore and UK Managing Editor Eleanor Grant, following the newsroom standards for sourcing, verification and fact-checking set out in our editorial policies.