BBC in talks with Gentleman Jack creator after HBO scraps show

The BBC has said it is in talks with the creator of Gentleman Jack after American network HBO decided to end its involvement in the show.

The period drama – which stars Suranne Jones as 19th century landowner Anne Lister, often regarded as the “first modern lesbian” – is a co-production between the broadcasters.

Created by Sally Wainwright, the series is based on Lister’s diaries, which were part-written in a cryptic code, and has won plaudits in the UK.

However, in a statement to Deadline, HBO said it “will not be moving forward with a third season of Gentleman Jack.

“When we began this journey more than five years ago, we knew the series’ creator Sally Wainwright had a uniquely compelling vision, and it’s been tremendously gratifying to see how Anne Lister’s journey has resonated with viewers.

“We are incredibly grateful to Sally, to the impeccable Suranne Jones and Sophie Rundle, and to the entire cast and crew for bringing Anne and Ann’s story to life.

“We’d also like to thank our partners at BBC and Lookout Point for their collaboration on two remarkable seasons.”

A statement from Lookout Point, the producers of Gentleman Jack, said: “It has been an absolute honour to help Sally realise her wonderful vision and bring Anne Lister marching into the 21st Century.

“We are so proud of the profound impact that the series continues to have on viewers around the world and would like to thank all the fans for their incredible support. Huge thanks also to the BBC and HBO whose shared passion made series 1 and 2 possible and of course to Suranne Jones and Sophie Rundle and every cast and crew member who helped bring Anne and Ann’s world to life with such glorious colour and feeling.

“Here’s to never conforming to the way people think a woman should look, or think, or be.”

The BBC suggested it was exploring further options with Wainwright.

A spokeswoman said: “We are tremendously proud of Gentleman Jack, a show which has made a huge cultural impact, and we are in discussions with Sally about what’s next.”

The first series of the period drama was a hit for BBC One and iPlayer, averaging 6.8 million viewers across its eight-episode run, according to the broadcaster.

It went on to win the Royal Television Society best drama series award in 2020 and also received Bafta nominations for best drama, as well as a leading actress nod for Jones’ performance.

TV presenter Lorraine Kelly was among those lamenting the end of the show.

She tweeted: “OH NO!! Can the BBC not just do series 3 by themselves?? #GentlemanJack is brilliant and so many more stories to be told about these fascinating characters.”