Period drama Gentleman Jack has been canceled at HBO, as reported by Deadline. The finale of the second and final season aired on May 29th. It was on lower-rated Monday nights and became one of the lowest-rated shows on the platform.
Leading star Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster: A Woman Scorned) made an Instagram post thanking fans for the support and expressing how much working on the series meant to her.
Costar Sophie Rundle (Peaky Blinders) also took to Instagram to look at her time with the series.
HBO canceled Gentleman Jack after two seasons
The series followed the real story of Anne Lister, who helped pave the road for the LGBT+ community with her relationship with Ann Walker. The second season followed Lister and Walker’s marriage in Shibden Hall, where they planned to combine estates and settle in as newlyweds. Lister’s diaries were used as references for its source to tell the story accurately. Jones played Lister with Rundle as Walker. The series also starred Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones), Gemma Jones (Harry Potter), and Timothy West (EastEnders).
Sally Wainwright (Happy Valley) executive produced, wrote, and created the now canceled Gentleman Jack. Ben Irving, Faith Penhale, Laura Lankester, Will Johnston, and Jones executive produced. Producing was Phil Collinson, Des Hughes, Stella Merz, and Deborah Bayer Marlow. The series was a co-production with BBC.
Despite its low viewership that led to Gentleman Jack being canceled, the series was favored by audiences and critics alike. Its first season had a 90% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes with a 92% from audiences. The second outing was received better with a 95% critic score and a 94% audience. The series was praised for Jones’ performance along with the well-written dialogue. It was also nominated for two BAFTAs, one for Jone’s leading performance and the Drama Series category.
HBO deciding to have Gentleman Jack canceled comes after turbulent production due to the pandemic. The first season aired in 2019, putting off season 2 until this year, which premiered in April.
