Season 1
Gentleman Jack
Suranne Jones' boundless charisma brings the indomitable Anne Lister to vivid life in Gentleman Jack, a gently revelatory series that mines terrific humor from the icon's unapologetic forward-thinkingness - although the series isn't as willing to ruffle feathers as she was.
90%
TOMATOMETER
Critic Ratings: 5093%
Audience Score
User Ratings: 197Rate And Review

Verified
-
Super Reviewer
Rate this season
Oof, that was Rotten.
Meh, it passed the time.
It’s good – I’d recommend it.
Awesome!
So Fresh: Absolute Must See!
What did you think of this tv season? (optional)
Super Reviewer
Step 2 of 2
How did you buy your ticket?
Let's get your review verified.
By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
Super Reviewer
Rate this season
Oof, that was Rotten.
Meh, it passed the time.
It’s good – I’d recommend it.
Awesome!
So Fresh: Absolute Must See!
What did you think of this tv season? (optional)
How did you buy your ticket?
By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.
Episodes
Series premiere. In 1932 Halifax, Anne Lister returns to Shibden Hall, having discovered that her would-be companion, the aristocratic Vere Hobart, has accepted a marriage proposal from a man. Despite her affection for her elderly aunt, Lister is frustrated by the shabbiness of her ancestral home and finds her father and long-suffering sister difficult to live with.
Lister begins a playful but dangerous courtship of Ann Walker; Lister's plan to excavate her coal mines brings her into the path of local magistrate Christopher Rawson and his brother Jeremiah; Lister's servant offers a solution to Eugénie's problem.
Lister confides her hopes for a future with Ann Walker to her aunt, as Mrs. Priestley's inkling about the two women's relationship presents a threat. Meanwhile, John Booth is surprised at his own romantic success.
Dr. Belcombe confirms that Lister is the perfect tonic for Ann Walker's nervous disorder. When news of a friend's death arrives, Ann's desperate reaction makes Lister suspect that she has secrets of her own.
Reverend Ainsworth arrives in Halifax and, with encouragement from Mrs. Priestley, sets his sights on Ann Walker. Meanwhile, Lister presses on with the transformation of her estate, but her ambitious plans threaten to lead her into trouble.
Ann Walker's mental state is in a downward spiral, so Lister is forced to contemplate traveling to Europe alone, despite her family's warnings that doing so will raise eyebrows. Aunt Anne and Captain Lister endure another visit from the irritating Mr. Abbott, while Marian remains peeved that her sister is absent once again. Lister reopens her coal-mine negotiations with the powerful Rawson brothers. Thomas Sowden's secret casts a cloud over his budding relationship with Suzannah Washington.
Before setting off for Europe to escape her heartache, Lister invites Christopher Rawson to Shibden to rebuke him for publicly insulting Marian. Later, Lister comes up with a bold strategy to mine her own coal and expose the Rawson brothers' industrial-scale theft. In Scotland, Ann Walker becomes increasingly distressed when she discovers that her brother-in-law, Captain Sutherland, plans to marry her off to his penniless cousin.
The life of Anne Lister back in the height of the Industrial Revolution.
Gentleman Jack: Season 1 Photos
Tv Season Info
-
Genre:Drama
-
Network:HBO
-
Premiere Date:Apr 22, 2019
-
Creator:
-
Exec. Producers:
Cast & Crew

Eugénie Pierre

Jeremy Lister

Elizabeth Cordingley

Jeremiah Rawson

Anne Lister

Ann Walker

Marian Lister

Christopher Rawson

Vere Hobart

Samuel Washington

Rachael Hemingway

Eliza Priestley

Aunt Anne Lister

Ann Walker's Aunt

Queen Marie of Denmark

Joseph Booth

Elizabeth Sutherland

John Booth

William Priestley

Thomas


News & Interviews for Gentleman Jack: Season 1
Episodes
Series premiere. In 1932 Halifax, Anne Lister returns to Shibden Hall, having discovered that her would-be companion, the aristocratic Vere Hobart, has accepted a marriage proposal from a man. Despite her affection for her elderly aunt, Lister is frustrated by the shabbiness of her ancestral home and finds her father and long-suffering sister difficult to live with.
Lister begins a playful but dangerous courtship of Ann Walker; Lister's plan to excavate her coal mines brings her into the path of local magistrate Christopher Rawson and his brother Jeremiah; Lister's servant offers a solution to Eugénie's problem.
Lister confides her hopes for a future with Ann Walker to her aunt, as Mrs. Priestley's inkling about the two women's relationship presents a threat. Meanwhile, John Booth is surprised at his own romantic success.
Dr. Belcombe confirms that Lister is the perfect tonic for Ann Walker's nervous disorder. When news of a friend's death arrives, Ann's desperate reaction makes Lister suspect that she has secrets of her own.
Reverend Ainsworth arrives in Halifax and, with encouragement from Mrs. Priestley, sets his sights on Ann Walker. Meanwhile, Lister presses on with the transformation of her estate, but her ambitious plans threaten to lead her into trouble.
Ann Walker's mental state is in a downward spiral, so Lister is forced to contemplate traveling to Europe alone, despite her family's warnings that doing so will raise eyebrows. Aunt Anne and Captain Lister endure another visit from the irritating Mr. Abbott, while Marian remains peeved that her sister is absent once again. Lister reopens her coal-mine negotiations with the powerful Rawson brothers. Thomas Sowden's secret casts a cloud over his budding relationship with Suzannah Washington.
Before setting off for Europe to escape her heartache, Lister invites Christopher Rawson to Shibden to rebuke him for publicly insulting Marian. Later, Lister comes up with a bold strategy to mine her own coal and expose the Rawson brothers' industrial-scale theft. In Scotland, Ann Walker becomes increasingly distressed when she discovers that her brother-in-law, Captain Sutherland, plans to marry her off to his penniless cousin.
The life of Anne Lister back in the height of the Industrial Revolution.
Critic Reviews for Gentleman Jack Season 1
All Critics (50) | Top Critics (28) | Fresh (45) | Rotten (5)
"Gentleman Jack" is British period drama, and it's also a lot of fun.
It's hard to craft a drama around a person who seems to be invulnerable... The pity is that Anne Lister, a truly audacious, difficult, and groundbreaking woman, ends up with a biographical portrait that's anything but.
Precise, attentive, and beguiling, Jones is such a gust of fresh air, it's tough for the series around her to keep up.
Between Wainwright's crisp, fair-minded scripts and star Suranne Jones' flawless performance, it's tempting to believe that Anne Lister was the most fascinating person of the 19th century...
Gentleman Jack, like its protagonist, has been a triumph of wiry wit, unsentimental empathy and, above all, sheer force of personality, projected with total confidence.
Gentleman Jack brightly but also quietly investigates Anne's unusual life with a winning mixture of humor and charm, giving context to modern gender politics by looking to a pioneer from the past.
A sensible, sensual and captivating drama. [Full Review in Spanish]
Suranne Jones does a tremendous job of conveying the struggle of a woman who constantly chafes against the life she's supposed to live.
Capitalizing on the extraordinary story of Lister, Season 1 unpacks gender performance, sexuality, and female desire; the script is full of thoughtful, sardonic writing.
Gentleman Jack proudly celebrates queer history.
Gentleman Jack has shifted the dial.
Suranne Jones plays Lister as calculating yet winning, winking at us through the fourth wall.
Audience Reviews for Gentleman Jack: Season 1
-
Jan 26, 2021Amazing show! Perfectly filmed and great characters. Binged the entire season in two days, cannot wait for the next season!!
-
Nov 27, 2020Interesting story of a real woman in those times, as Anne Lister defies the norm by telling the world about female's capability in handling day to day business. Top notch acting, those characters were played effortlessly. Not a fan of the bright color tone | follow us at @uncle.review
-
Oct 12, 2020Suranne Jones is absolutely brilliant in this and carries the series through. There are no bad episodes, the sets and clothing are spot on, i also really like the occasional acknowledgement and look at the camera, a nice touch.
-
Aug 30, 2020True to life story of an accomplished unconventional woman.
-
Jun 24, 2020It did not compel me to watch. Frankly, it was boring. And I love Suranne Jones. (Dr. Foster)
-
Jan 25, 2020The best series since game of thrones great acting and the writing is excellent
-
Jan 10, 2020I haven't identified this closely with a character since reading Jane Eyre in junior high. Such an incredible relief to see a female character whose problems are mostly external, who's not struggling with self-doubt.
-
Jan 04, 2020Love this show! Superb acting and script.
-
Oct 22, 2019This is a great story and is shot very well with a perfect balance of drama and comedic relief and a bit of romance
-
Oct 12, 2019Just discovered this one on HBO. Lead actress has a unequaled charisma. Good old-fashioned storytelling.
News & Features
TOP HEADLINES
-
2021’s Most Anticipated Movies
– -
Best Netflix Shows and Series To Binge (January 2021)
– -
The 100 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now (January 2021)
– -
The Best TV Shows of 2020
– -
Best Movies Off the Radar From 2020
– -
150 Essential Comedy Movies To Watch Now
– -
100 Best Movies on Amazon Prime To Watch (January 2021)
– -
Best Horror Movies of 2020 Ranked
– Rotten Tomatoes
About Tomatometer
The percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who have given this movie a positive review
About Audience Score
The percentage of users who rated this 3.5 stars or higher.
Verified