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Can Fans Bring Back HBO’s ‘Gentleman Jack’?

Gentleman Jack Billboard
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Fans of the HBO/BBC series Gentleman Jack made a bold statement last Thursday by displaying two campaign designs on the huge Nasdaq billboard in New York’s Times Square.

In the two months since HBO ended its production partnership with the BBC, fans from around the world have developed a robust campaign to bolster the chances of another streaming partnership being found, which will allow the BBC to complete the series. The final episode of season two aired on May 29, 2022, on HBO Max in the United States.

Creator Sally Wainwright expressed a desire within days of the ‘cancellation’ on July 7, 2022, to continue with a third season and spoke directly to fans through an Anne Lister Birthday Week (ALBW) video chat, encouraging them to be vocal about their dedication to the show. The fan-base are a passionate group, inspiring among other things a BBC One documentary titled “Gentleman Jack Changed My Life” which aired in May this year.

Pat Esgate, founder of ALBW, says: “With Gentleman Jack, Anne Lister-both the real person and the series character-grabbed the hearts and souls of women around the world. We saw ourselves in this dazzling 18th century woman, saw the pain and joy of our own lives, in someone who believed she was created exactly as she was meant to be-in today’s parlance, queer. What an affirmation, for all of us in the LGBTQIA community! How could we not want more?”

This type of campaign is not unfamiliar. In the wake of countless shows with LQBTQIA representation being cancelled, it has become increasingly common for fans of such series to voice their deepening concern.

The billboards are fan-designed and come with a hefty price tag. Gentleman Jack supporters were able to raise over six thousand dollars through crowd funding in just under a week.

Gentleman Jack was a co-production between the BBC and HBO produced by Lookout Point. The series was created by Sally Wainwright and stars Suranne Jones and Sophie Rundle. The story focuses on the true story of Anne Lister who has been described by scholars as the first modern lesbian.

To learn more about the Save Gentleman Jack campaign visit: www.BringBackGentlemanJack.com

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