Axed: Gentleman Jack

Gentleman Jack looks to have been cancelled after HBO confirmed it is not moving forward, after two seasons.

The series is jointly produced with BBC -so a new partner would doubtless need to be found if BBC was to proceed.

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

Set in 19th century Yorkshire, the historical drama is based on the life of Anne Lister (Gentleman Jack ), a landowner and industrialist who is often referred to as the “first modern lesbian” due to her diaries, written in secret code, that documented her relationships with women.

The news comes just three weeks after Wainwright revealed her hope for Season 3’s content and the prospect of showing how Lister’s diaries managed to survive.

“What I think is really exciting is the story of the journals now and how they survived, which I do hope to encompass if we get another season, and if we are able to go up to the end of her life. The story of how the diary survived in itself is an extraordinary tale,” she said.

Gentleman Jack screens in Australia on BBC First.