ITV's latest drama Shardlake won't be seeing a second series, despite earning plaudits from critics.

Premiering tonight on ITV at 9pm, the historical thriller based on CJ Sansom's Shardlake novels, involves its Tudor protagonist in a web of deceit and danger during King Henry VIII's turbulent reign.

Combining historical events with fictional tales, the first book Dissolution sets the scene for the gripping TV adaptation.

Originally making waves on Disney Plus in 2024, the show takes a prime slot on ITV1 tonight, offering an alternative to Maya Jama's much-anticipated Love Island debut.

Starring Sean Bean from Game of Thrones fame, along with Arthur Hughes as the hunchbacked lawyer Matthew Shardlake and Anthony Boyle, the narrative sees Cromwell (played by Sean) enlisting Shardlake and his assistant Barak (Anthony to solve a monastery murder mystery.

Despite a commendable score of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, a second instalment is not on the cards after Disney pulled the plug.

The disappointing update arrived in January, alongside the shelving of superhero satire Extraordinary, with a Disney Plus representative telling Variety: "Disney+ Original series Extraordinary will not be returning for a third season on the service.

"We're so proud of the hilarious, award-winning series brought to life by the incredibly talented British and Irish cast and crew, our production partners at Sid Gentle Films, and the exceptional writing talent of creator Emma Moran.

"Disney+ Original series, Shardlake will also not be returning for a second season on the service.

"We'd like to thank Stephen Butchard who adapted the late C.J. Sansom's beloved novel for the screen, the entire cast - led by the outstanding Arthur Hughes - and crew, and our production partners The Forge and Runaway Fridge.

"We hope to work with all of our partners across these shows again in the future."

Though the reason behind the cancellation was not officially confirmed, according to Radio Times, the team behind Shardlake had stressed they were keen to adapt the next book in Sansom's series, Dark Fire.

Following Dissolution, the Shardlake novel series continued with Dark Fire, Sovereign, Revelation, Heartstone, Lamentation and Tombland, which was released in 2018.

Author Sansom was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2012, but did continue with his writing and plans for future novels.

In a heartfelt 2010 interview with The Guardian, the late author shared his aspirations for his work, revealing: "It would be nice to carry on into Elizabeth's time, and have someone I actually like on the throne. Shardlake meets Elizabeth in Heartstone, when she's just 11. By the time she comes to the throne, he will be long in the tooth and so will I, but I'd like to develop their relationship."

Tragically, the writer passed away in April 2024 at the age of 71 in a hospice close to his Brighton residence.

His legacy continued as Shardlake began captivating audiences on Disney+ a week following his passing.

Shardlake is available to watch on ITVX.