HBO ditches ‘Gentleman Jack’ leaving BBC hit show’s future uncertain

Gentleman Jack

HBO has cancelled Sally Wainwright’s Gentleman Jack, leaving its UK-based coproduction partner the BBC unsure about the show’s future.

The drama, which was produced by BBC Studios-owned Lookout Point, starred Suranne Jones as nineteenth-century landowner and industrialist Anne Lister.

The first season was a major hit for the BBC, with the show receiving a second season commission less than a week after the first episode aired on BBC One back in 2019, but it has fared badly on HBO in the US.

That prompted the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned operator to end its involvement the drama, adding that it would not be moving forward with a third season.

The BBC, which debuted the show’s second season in the UK in April to favourable reviews, declined to clarify the drama’s future. It commissioned a doc to accompany the second run – Gentleman Jack Changed My Life – that detailed how the series had led six women “to reassess their sexuality and change their lives”.

In a statement to TBI, the BBC 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.”

HBO, meanwhile, said: “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.” US trade Deadline broke news of HBO’s cancellation.