Gentleman Jack

[saveforthat]

Did anyone watch the first of series 2 tonight? What did you think?

I've been watching both series again, and really loved it. Has to be one of the best things on telly recently? So much more that a standard costume drama!

I love the way SW has brought the life and times of AL to life. I find this period in history absolutely fascinating.Loving the "coal" talk and the use of location to generate the sense of place. SW is really excellent at this in all her dramas imho - I suppose being local herself she has an eye for authentic detail.

I read somewhere that CBronte used AL's friend Eliza Raine as the template for Bertha, Rochester's attic-dwelling wife!

Amazing to think as well that the Brontes lived just up the road and may well have known/ known of AL.

AL must have been such an arresting figure on the streets of Halifax. Fascinating woman in so many ways.

Loved the way AW's curls grew bigger as the series progressed...and both intro and outtros were fantastic as well.

I'm feeling bereft now so off to look for something similar to watch - thinking that "To Walk Invisible" may be my next port of call.

It's been announced this morning that there will be no further series of Gentleman Jack... HBO have pulled out their funding.

It's a great shame but not wholly unexpected. I did feel the second series lost its way. I think it was a casualty of the pandemic. Second season took 3 years to get the screen, Sally Wainwright while writing it (and I feel getting too enmeshed in the business side to Anne's story) didn't direct this season as she had for season 1 and there were numerous personal events in the various cast member's lives which affected filming and no doubt performance to some extent.

I would have liked to see Anne's story completed...representation does matter and HBO waiting for Pride Month to be over before announcing it when their strapline on their Twitter account reads, 'Pride today. Pride tomorrow. Pride every day.' leaves a little bit of a sour taste!

Still... it bought Anne Lister to the fore, series one was excellent and will hopefully leave a legacy for other prime time productions.

I'm relieved in a way that there's no S3. It was perfect as it was imho.