This spring, HBO is launching Gentleman Jack, a period drama set in 19th-century Halifix in West Yorkshire, England, where landowner Anne Lister has no intention of marrying a man. Instead, she has her eye on the wealthy heiress Ann Walker.
Here's what we know about the show so far:
The show is based on a real person.
The real-life Anne Lister, who sometimes went by Jack, lived during the 19th century, and was indeed a noblewoman and landowner in Yorkshire. She is often referred to as "the first modern lesbian" and married Ann Walker in a commitment ceremony in 1834 at Holy Trinity Church in Goodramgate, York.
That church now celebrates Lister with a plaque, which describes Lister as a "gender-nonconforming entrepreneur" and celebrates her "marital commitment, without legal recognition, to Ann Walker."
The first trailer is finally here.
The two-minute clip succinctly sets up the premise of the series. It begins with a quote from Lister's sister—"However far away my sister goes, however long she's gone for, she always manages to become the topic of any given conversation"—and then goes on to introduce the woman at the center of the story.
In the footage, Lister is seen collecting rent, dressing like a man, and courting Miss Walker. Watch the full trailer right here:
The show stars Coronation Street's Suranne Jones as Lister.
Sophie Rundle will play Walker, and other members of the cast include Derek Riddell (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald), Veronica Clifford (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), Sylvia Syms (The Queen), Brendan Patricks (Downton Abbey), Caspar Phillipson (Jackie), Lucy Black (The Durrells in Corfu), Stephanie Hyam (Peaky Blinders), Dino Fetscher (Humans), Rupert Vansittart (Game of Thrones), and Michael Xavier (Northern Rescue), among other actors.
Gentleman Jack premieres in April on HBO.
The eight-episode season premieres on Monday, April 22 at 10 p.m. eastern. It will also be available on HBO Go. Gentleman Jack will also air in the U.K. on BBC One, but not until later this spring.
This isn't the first television program to explore the life of Anne Lister.
A TV film called The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister aired in 2010 on the BBC. It's currently available to stream on Amazon at the link below:
As the digital director for Town & Country, Caroline Hallemann covers culture, entertainment, and a range of other subjects
