---
title: "Gentleman Jack"
year: 2019
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/gentleman-jack"
fi1m_score: 82
critics_score: 76
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-17T16:03:23.415408+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-17T16:03:51.936872+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Gentleman Jack (2019)

Created by Sally Wainwright · 1h 00m · MPA TV-MA · Drama

**Fi1m score: 82** · Critics 76 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* Suranne Jones looks straight at us as though we, too, are taking up valuable time

> Suranne Jones gives Sally Wainwright’s period romance its briskness, humour and considerable feeling. The storytelling wanders, and the heroine could withstand harder scrutiny, but the courtship with Sophie Rundle’s Ann Walker makes the detours worth tolerating.

## Synopsis

Anne Lister (Suranne Jones), a landowner recovering from the heartbreak of a lover choosing someone else, wants a lasting partnership with a woman. Her pursuit of Ann Walker (Sophie Rundle) brings the possibility of that life closer, though her confidence is not enough to make it simple. The surrounding characters include Marian Lister (Gemma Whelan), Aunt Anne Lister (Gemma Jones) and Jeremy Lister (Timothy West). Between the demands of landownership and the difficult business of courtship, Anne Lister tries to make room for a relationship that the society around her does not readily accommodate.

## Review

*Gentleman Jack* is a warm, funny romance with an excellent central performance and a persistent tendency to wander away from what matters most. Sally Wainwright, its creator and writer, treats Anne Lister’s desire for a woman as substantial enough to sustain a drama about lasting companionship. There is romantic hurt here, alongside the confidence and the work of a landowner. We do not have to find every aspect of her admirable to want that companionship for her.

Suranne Jones makes the confidence entertaining without entirely smoothing away its capacity to exhaust other people. Her swagger gives the drama a briskness that the storytelling cannot always maintain. We laughed at her looks towards the camera, because she seems to assume we share her impatience with everyone else. These invitations to take her side are appealing, although the performance is more interesting when her certainty cannot quite conceal how much she wants another woman’s affection.

Sophie Rundle’s Ann Walker makes the courtship worth waiting for. Her uncertainty has enough detail that we are interested in what it costs her to respond to such an assured woman. Sally Wainwright writes dialogue with the wit to make attraction pleasurable and enough awkwardness to stop it becoming merely a demonstration of cleverness. The romantic tension builds because the performances let us notice how much depends on each reply, including the replies that do not come easily.

The direct address gives cinematographers Nick Dance and Simon Chapman something useful to work with: a central character who can recruit us with a glance. It makes the camera an active part of the comedy, although repeated appeals for our complicity can become a little insistent. Anna Pritchard’s production design makes the period surroundings convincing, though sometimes too agreeable to settle into. The pressure on the women needs sharper expression when the setting feels this comfortable.

The editing, credited to David Rees, Richard Cox and Ulrike Münch, is less assured when the story moves away from the romance. Individual scenes have plenty of life, but the gaps between the encounters we care about can feel longer than they should. Murray Gold’s music feels too committed to keeping everything jaunty, encouraging a brisk manner even when a quieter stretch would help. There is room to let the women hesitate without making us impatient to return to them after another diversion.

Sally Wainwright is less sure about how hard to press Anne Lister on her confidence in her own judgement. The writing recognises her forcefulness, then too often seems satisfied simply to enjoy it. A landowner who expects to get her way deserves closer examination, especially when so much of the romance depends on attending to somebody else’s needs. This does not sink the drama, but it keeps a lively character from becoming as difficult, and as interesting, as she could be.

Within period romance, the welcome difference is how much room the two women have to be funny, hesitant and attracted to one another. The dialogue gives them pleasure as well as difficulties, and the performances make their interest worth sharing. We recommend it for that relationship and for Suranne Jones’s ability to hold our attention even when the story drifts. Allow a little patience for the stretches when the programme cannot quite match her pace.

*Fi1m score 82, published 17 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics welcome Gentleman Jack as a lively period drama, with praise centred on Suranne Jones’s confident, forceful performance as Anne Lister. The reviews repeatedly credit her with making Lister compelling, while Sally Wainwright’s dialogue, dry Yorkshire wit and attention to romance give the series much of its character. Sophie Rundle also earns praise for a nuanced performance, particularly in the developing relationship between the leads.

The reservations concern how firmly the writing handles Lister beyond that commanding presence. Variety offers the clearest dissent, admiring the adult romance and both leads but finding that the series meanders without a secure grip on its central character. Vulture also wants clearer stakes and a less simplified Lister, while The Guardian finds the fourth-wall breaks close to parody. The spread runs from enthusiastic approval to a mixed response, though even the more qualified reviews praise Jones.

### Reviews we read (9)

- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Tim Goodman (90/100, inferred): HBO's jaunty, funny, smart and touching true lesbian love story shines thanks to showrunner Sally Wainwright and star Suranne Jones. A great story, well told, with Jones perfectly embodying the bold, rule-breaking Lister. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/gentleman-jack-review-1202036/)
- **The Times**, Carol Midgley (★★★★☆): The review praises the slow-burn sexual tension and rollicking drama, highlighting Suranne Jones as a dynamo and Sophie Rundle's nuanced performance. Wainwright's sparkling dialogue stands out in this classier take on the material. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/gentleman-jack-review-im-falling-for-miss-lister-wrmhklm75)
- **The i Paper**, Jeff Robson (80/100, inferred): Suranne Jones delivers a force-of-nature performance as the real-life lesbian landowner Anne Lister in this well-told true story. Sally Wainwright brings dry Yorkshire wit and sharp observation to the period drama template. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/gentleman-jack-bbc1-review-suranne-jones-292079)
- **The Guardian** (70/100, inferred): The critic sees the series as a lively coal-town romp with fourth-wall breaks that flirts with parody. Suranne Jones's swaggering performance as Anne Lister makes the central character's presence believable and compelling. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/may/19/gentleman-jack-review-suranne-jones-bbc)
- **Vulture** (70/100, inferred): The critic praises Suranne Jones' nuanced performance as Anne Lister and the show's portrayal of her as a dynamic figure ahead of her time, contrasting with the slow period setting. However, it notes the series could better emphasize stakes, avoid simplifying aspects of Lister's character, and more fully embrace its discordant elements. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2019/04/gentleman-jack-on-hbo-review.html)
- **Variety**, Caroline Framke (50/100, inferred): The series adapts the extraordinary real diaries of Anne Lister into an adult romance about devotion and partnership that breathes life into period drama. Jones and Rundle excel as the leads, though the show meanders without a firmer grip on its central character. [Read](https://variety.com/2019/tv/reviews/gentleman-jack-review-hbo-anne-lister-1203187084/)
- **Den of Geek**, Louisa Mellor (90/100, inferred): The critic lauds Suranne Jones as exploding onto the screen in Sally Wainwright's drama about the real-life Anne Lister, presenting her as a thrilling, confident industrialist and trailblazer. It highlights Wainwright's delight in the character and the lively supporting world, calling it an exciting new prospect for period drama. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/gentleman-jack-episode-1-review-a-19th-century-superhero/)
- **Collider**, Allison Keene (★★★★): The series is a sharp, jaunty, and wonderfully unusual tale centered on the real-life Anne Lister. It singles out Suranne Jones' magnetic and confident performance as the standout element that infuses the story with energy and charm. [Read](https://collider.com/gentleman-jack-review/)
- **Paste**, Amy Glynn (8.8): Gentleman Jack delivers a compelling portrait of a defiant historical figure through strong production and performances. It singles out Suranne Jones' forceful and vivacious portrayal of Anne Lister as the can't-miss centerpiece. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/gentleman-jack/gentleman-jack-hbo-review-suranne-jones-sally-wain)

## Details

- **Created by:** Sally Wainwright
- **Creator:** Sally Wainwright
- **Director:** Sally Wainwright, Fergus O'Brien, Jennifer Perrott, Sarah Harding, Amanda Brotchie, Edward Hall, Edward Hall
- **Writer:** Sally Wainwright
- **Cinematography:** Matt Gray, Simon Chapman, Nick Dance
- **Editor:** Richard Cox, Ulrike Münch, David Rees
- **Music:** Murray Gold
- **Production design:** Anna Pritchard
- **Costume design:** Tom Pye
- **Producer:** Phil Collinson
- **Cast:** Suranne Jones as Anne Lister; Sophie Rundle as Ann Walker; Gemma Whelan as Marian Lister; Gemma Jones as Aunt Anne Lister; Timothy West as Jeremy Lister; Rosie Cavaliero as Elizabeth Cordingley; Joe Armstrong as Samuel Washington; Amelia Bullmore as Eliza Priestley
- **Runtime:** 1h 00m
- **Certificate (MPA):** TV-MA
- **Release (the US):** 22 April 2019
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uBYRcP44M4

## Where to watch in the US

- HBO Max: streaming
- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd
- Hulu: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- Apple TV: buy, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy, hd

*Checked 2026-09-17.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, HR, HU, ID, IL, IS, IT, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TH, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Desert Hearts* (1985): A patient romance that lets attraction develop through conversation and shared uncertainty
- *Tipping the Velvet* (2002): Another period romance with room for lesbian desire, humour and self-invention
- *Portrait of a Lady on Fire* (2019), Fi1m 89: For close attention to women’s faces and the risk involved in looking — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/portrait-of-a-lady-on-fire.md)
- *Mädchen in Uniform* (1931): Its schoolroom romance gives female desire a different set of rules to break
- *The Favourite* (2018), Fi1m 87: For viewers who would like the period manners considerably less well behaved — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-favourite.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/gentleman-jack