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''Harlots'' is a British-American
period drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...
television series created by Alison Newman and
Moira Buffini Moira Buffini (born 29 May 1965) is an English dramatist, director, and actor. Early life Buffini was born in Cheshire to Irish parents, and attended St Mary's College at Rhos-on-Sea in Wales as a day girl. She studied English and Drama at Gold ...
and inspired by ''The Covent Garden Ladies'' by British historian
Hallie Rubenhold Hallie Rubenhold (born 1971 in Los Angeles) is an American-born British historian and author. Her work specializes in 18th and 19th century social history and women's history. Her 2019 book '' The Five'', about the lives of the women murdered b ...
. The series focuses on Margaret Wells, who runs a
brothel A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub par ...
in 18th-century London and struggles to secure a better future for her daughters in an unpredictable environment. The series premiered on 27 March 2017 on
ITV Encore ITV Encore was a British drama pay television channel in the United Kingdom that was owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. The channel was exclusive to Sky (United Kingdom), Sky's digital satellite platform, Sky Go, Now TV (Sk ...
in the United Kingdom, and on 29 March 2017 on
Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
in the United States. It was subsequently renewed for a second series that premiered on 11 July 2018 in the United States, and on 14 February 2019 in the UK via on-demand service
StarzPlay Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consis ...
, to which it moved after ITV Encore closed. On September 24, 2018, ''Harlots'' was renewed for a third season, which premiered in the United States on July 10, 2019, and in the UK the following day. On June 10, 2020, it was reported that Hulu had cancelled the series after three seasons. After this, the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
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acquired the UK rights to broadcast all three series, with the first two episodes of the first season aired on
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
on 5 August 2020.


Plot

In 1760s London, women's opportunities for economic advancement are either through marriage or sex work. The city's brothels are run by canny and determined businesswomen, such as Margaret Wells and Lydia Quigley, but there is a new morality on the rise. Religious evangelists demand the closure of brothels, and police are happy to launch brutal raids. The show revolves around Wells' determination to improve her life and the lives of those in her "family" by moving her brothel to Greek Street in Soho to serve a wealthier clientele in Georgian society. Her move to Greek Street puts her into direct conflict with a rival madame, Lydia Quigley, for whom she had previously worked. Quigley operates an elite brothel in Golden Square that serves rich, influential people.


Cast and characters


Main

*
Samantha Morton Samantha Jane Morton (born 13 May 1977) is an English actress and director. Known for her work in independent cinema, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for tw ...
as Margaret Wells, the intelligent and strategic
madam Madam (), or madame ( or ), is a polite and formal form of address for Woman, women in the English language, often contracted to ma'am (pronounced in American English and this way but also in British English). The term derives from the French ...
of an up-and-coming brothel who is determined to improve her fortune; a former sex worker of Lydia Quigley's *
Lesley Manville Lesley Ann Manville (born 12 March 1956) is an English actress known for her frequent collaborations with Mike Leigh, appearing in the films ''Grown-Ups'' (1980), '' High Hopes'' (1988), '' Secrets & Lies'' (1996), ''Topsy-Turvy'' (1999), '' A ...
as Lydia Quigley, the ruthless madam of a posh brothel with clients from the judiciary, nobility, and upper echelons of Georgian society *
Jessica Brown Findlay Jessica Rose Brown Findlay (born 14 September 1987) is an English actress. She played Lady Sybil Crawley in the ITV television period drama series ''Downton Abbey'' and Emelia Conan Doyle in the 2011 British comedy-drama feature film '' Albatr ...
as Charlotte Wells, the eldest daughter of Margaret Wells and a witty courtesan who is coveted by society's elite *
Eloise Smyth Eloise Smyth is a British actress best known for her role of Flora in the television series ''The Frankenstein Chronicles'' and as Lucy Wells in the television drama series ''Harlots''. Early life Eloise Valentine Smyth, currently living in L ...
as Lucy Wells, the youngest and favoured daughter of Margaret Wells, and a reluctant sex worker who earns an arrangement with Lord Fallon *
Dorothy Atkinson Dorothy Caroline Atkinson (born 1966) is an English actress and singer. She has appeared in several plays by playwright Alan Ayckbourn and in films by Mike Leigh, including ''Topsy-Turvy'', ''All or Nothing'', and ''Mr. Turner'', which premiere ...
as Florence Scanwell, a religious zealot who opposes sex work and becomes a pawn for Lydia Quigley *
Pippa Bennett-Warner Philippa Elaine Fanti Bennett-Warner (born 23 July 1988) is a British actress. She was nominated for an Ian Charleson Award in 2010 for her performance as Cordelia in Michael Grandage's production of ''King Lear'', and long-listed for Best Actr ...
as Harriet Lennox, a former slave of Nathaniel Lennox (a former lover of Margaret Wells) who is brought to England as his wife and mother of two children, and becomes a sex worker for Margaret Wells *
Kate Fleetwood Kate Fleetwood (born 24 September 1972) is an English actress. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance as Lady Macbeth in ''Macbeth'', which first opened at Chichester Festival Theatre and was transferred to the West End and Bro ...
as Nancy Birch, a longtime friend and neighbour of Margaret Wells, whose sex work specialty is bondage and domination *
Holli Dempsey Holli Dempsey (born 11 May 1990) is an English actress and comedian. She played Vicky in Ricky Gervais’s ''DerekDerek's Ladies Kerry Godliman And Holli Dempsey'Derek's Ladies Kerry Godliman And Holli Dempsey Reveal What Kind Of 'Office' Ric ...
as Emily Lacey, a fiery, opinionated and impulsive sex worker who deserts Margaret Wells for what she believes are better prospects at Lydia Quigley's brothel. Emily is the love interest of Charles Quigley *Douggie McMeekin as Charles Quigley, the inept son and aide of Lydia Quigley who takes a liking to Emily Lacey (season 1–2) *
Edward Hogg Edward Hogg (born 26 January 1979) is an English actor, known for portraying Jesco White in '' White Lightnin, Stephen Turnbull in '' Bunny and the Bull,'' Eugene Mathers in ''Indian Summers,'' Segundus in ''Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell'', ...
as Thomas Haxby, the estate manager of the house where Sir George Howard has Charlotte Wells live (season 1) *
Richard McCabe Richard McCabe (born William McCabe; 18 August 1960) is a Scottish actor who has specialised in classical theatre. He is an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). Career McCabe is an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare ...
as Justice Cunliffe, a judge in the employ of the Spartans, a shady society of elite gentlemen pursuing pleasure, rape and murder (season 1) *
Danny Sapani Danny Sapani (born 15 November 1970) is a British actor who works in British, American, and Indian films. He is best known for appearing in ''Misfits'', '' Doctor Who'', ''Penny Dreadful'', ''The Crown'', '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi'' and '' Bl ...
as William North, the loving partner and common law husband of Margaret Wells, and a father figure to Charlotte and Lucy, who was born a free Black man in England to a woman who was a slave *
Hugh Skinner Hugh William Skinner (born 6 January 1985) is an English actor. He is best known for starring in sitcoms W1A (TV series), ''W1A'' (2014–2017) and ''The Windsors'' (2016–2020), and his appearances in musical films Les Misérables (2012 film) ...
as Sir George Howard, an aspiring Member of Parliament who has an arrangement with Charlotte Wells to receive her exclusive services (season 1) *
Sebastian Armesto Sebastian Felipe Xavier Fernández-Garcia Armesto (born 3 June 1982) is a British film, television and theatre actor. He is the son of the historian Felipe Fernández-Armesto. Career Television and film Armesto played Charles V, Holy Roman Emp ...
as Josiah Hunt (season 2) *
Liv Tyler Liv Rundgren Tyler (born Liv Rundgren; July 1, 1977) is an American actress, producer, singer and former model. She began a modeling career at age 14. She later decided to focus on acting and made her film debut in ''Silent Fall'' (1994); she ...
as Lady Isabella Fitzwilliam (season 2–3) *
Julian Rhind-Tutt Julian Alistair Rhind-Tutt (born 20 July 1967) is an English actor, best known for playing Dr "Mac" Macartney in the comedy television series ''Green Wing'' (2004–2006). Early life Rhind-Tutt was born in West Drayton, Middlesex, the youngest o ...
as Harcourt Fitzwilliam, Marquess of Blayne, the Archon of the Spartans (season 2-3) *
Anna Calder-Marshall Anna Calder-Marshall (born 11 January 1947) is an English stage, film and television actress. Personal life Calder-Marshall was born in Kensington, London, and is the daughter of the novelist and essayist Arthur Calder-Marshall and documentary ...
as Mrs. May, a retired bawd, once the mistress of Lydia Quigley's late father, who acts alternatively as a mother-like figure to Lydia, as well as being her casually cruel corruptor and tormentor (season 2-3). *
Daisy Head Daisy May Head (born 7 March 1991) is an English actress. She played Grace in the American drama series '' Guilt'', Amy Stevenson in BBC One's drama '' The Syndicate'', Kate Bottomley in the third season of Hulu series '' Harlots'' and Genya Sa ...
as Kate Bottomley (season 3), a young woman sent to an insane asylum by her conservative family when they catch her in the climax of sexual passion with a boyfriend. In the asylum, Kate develops an unlikely mother-daughter bond with Lydia Quigley.


Recurring

*
Francesca Mills Francesca Mills (born 1996 or 1997) is a British actress, having played roles as Cherry Dorrington in television drama series ''Harlots'' (2019–2020), as Earthy Mangold in ''Worzel Gummidge'' (2021) and as Meldof in '' The Witcher: Blood Ori ...
as Cherry Dorrington, a sex worker with dwarfism (series 2-3) *Roy Beck as Mr. Abbadon *
Rosalind Eleazar Rosalind Eleazar is an English stage and screen actress. She trained at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, graduating in 2015. Her TV roles include Christine in the BBC series '' Rellik'', Jacky Bast in ''Howards End'', Kate in the ITV s ...
as Violet Cross, a Black sex worker and adept thief who works for Nancy Birch *
Rory Fleck Byrne Rory Fleck Byrne (born 1988) is an Irish actor and composer, known for ''Vampire Academy'', ''Harlots'', '' The Foreigner'' and '' This Is Going to Hurt''. Early life Rory Fleck Byrne was born in England but moved to Ireland when he was nine y ...
as Daniel Marney (series 1) *
Tim McInnerny Tim McInnerny ( ; born 18 September 1956) is an English actor. He is known for his many roles on stage and television, including as Lord Percy Percy and Captain Darling in the 1980s British sitcom ''Blackadder''. Early life McInnerny was bor ...
as Lord Repton (series 1) *
Fenella Woolgar Fenella Justine Therese Woolgar (born 4 August 1969) is an English film, theatre, television and radio actress. She is known for her roles in the films ''Bright Young Things'' (2003) and '' Judy'' (2019). She is also well known for appearing i ...
as Lady Repton (series 1) * Con O'Neil as Nathaniel Lennox, a plantation and slave owner who is a former lover of Margaret Wells (series 1) *Bronwyn James as Fanny Lambert, a full-figured and good natured sex worker for Margaret Wells *Jordon Stevens as Amelia Scanwell, the daughter of Florence Scanwell * Alexa Davies as Betsey Fletcher, a sex worker who works for Nancy Birch (series 1) *
Poppy Corby-Tuech Poppy Colette Corby-Tuech (born 1987) is a British actress. She is known for portraying Prudence in the E! soap opera '' The Royals'', and for her role as Vinda Rosier in ''Fantastic Beasts''. Early life Corby-Tuech was born to Michel Corby-Tuec ...
as Marie-Louise D’Aubigne, a French-speaking sex worker in Lydia Quigley's house who decides to work for Margaret Wells (series1) *
Josef Altin Josef Altin (born as Yusuf Altın; 12 February 1983) is a British television and film actor who had the role of Pypar in the HBO fantasy TV series ''Game of Thrones''. Other notable performances is his role as Ekrem in ''Eastern Promises'' and ...
as Prince Rasselas, a molly boy who is an informant for Lydia Quigley (Series 1-2) *Jordan A. Nash as Jacob Wells North, the young son of Margaret Wells and William North *Ellie Heydon as Anne Pettifer, one of Lydia Quigley's girls *
Steven Robertson Steven Robertson (born 1 January 1977) is a Scottish actor who stars as Detective Sandy Wilson in the BBC One adaptation of Ann Cleeves's ''Shetland'', filmed near where Robertson was born and brought up. He portrayed Michael Connelly, a young ...
as Robert Oswald *Timothy Innes as Benjamin Lennox, the eldest child from Nathaniel's former marriage *Ziggy Heath as Sam Holland *
Hannah Dodd Hannah Dodd (born 27 April 1992) is an Australian Grade IV equestrian and 1.0 point wheelchair basketball player who represented Australia in equestrian at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, coming 11th and 12th in her events. Switching ...
as Sophia Fitzwilliam, Lady Isabella's daughter who was conceived when her mother was raped by her brother (Series 2-3) *Ben Lambert as Lord Fallon, an aristocrat who takes an interest in Lucy Wells. *Gerard Monaco as Mr. Armitage *Sean Hart as Sir Christopher Rutledge *Amy Dawson as Mary Cooper (series 1) *Eleanor Yates as Lady Caroline Howard, the wealthy wife of Sir George Howard who uses his dalliances to her advantage. (series 1) *Lottie Tolhurst as Kitty Carter, a sex worker for Margaret Wells *Eric Kofi-Abrefa as Noah Webster (season 2) *
Angela Griffin Angela Mellissa Griffin (born 19 July 1976) is a British actress and television presenter who has been active on British television since the early 1990s. She is best known for portraying the roles of Fiona Middleton in the ITV soap opera '' ...
as Elizabeth Harvey (Series 3) * Tom Fisher as Dr. Swinton (Series 3) *Lex Shrapnel as Lord James Croft (Season 3) *
Jack Greenlees Jack Greenlees is a Scottish actor, known for his roles as Craig Cooper in the BBC One Scottish crime drama television series ''Shetland'' (2016), as Justice Stuart Knox in the British-American period drama television series '' Harlots'' (2019) ...
as Justice Stuart Knox, new Justice in town. (Series 3) *Aidan Cheng as Fredo Harvey (Series 3) *
Alfie Allen Alfie Evan Allen (born 12 September 1986) is an English actor. He portrayed Theon Greyjoy on all eight seasons of the HBO fantasy series '' Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), for which he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Out ...
as Isaac Pincher (Series 3) * Ash Hunter as Hal Pincher (Series 3) * Luke Elkins as Young Boxer (Series 3)


Guest

* Stephen Beckett as Mr. Lynch * John Lynch as Jonas Young *Michael Simkins as Justice Poulson *
Nicola Coughlan Nicola Mary Coughlan (born 9 January 1987) is an Irish actress. She is known for her roles as Clare Devlin in the Channel 4 sitcom ''Derry Girls'' (2018–2022) and Penelope Featherington in the Netflix period drama ''Bridgerton'' (2020–presen ...
as Hannah Dalton Notes


Episodes


Series 1 (2017)


Series 2 (2018)


Series 3 (2019)


Production


Development

On 26 May 2016, it was announced that
Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
and
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
had given the co-production a programme order for a first series consisting of eight episodes. The series was set to be written by Moira Buffini and based upon an original idea by Buffini and Alison Newman. Directors were expected to include Coky Giedroyc and China Moo-Young. Lawrence Till was set as producer, with Alison Owen and Debra Hayward also on board to executive produce alongside Alison Carpenter, Buffini, and Newman. Production companies involved with the series include Monumental Pictures. On 27 July 2017, it was announced at the annual
Television Critics Association The Television Critics Association (TCA) is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian television critics, journalists and columnists who cover television programming for newspapers, magazines and web publications. The TCA accepts app ...
summer press tour that the programme had been renewed for a second series. On 23 April 2018, it was announced that the second season would premiere in the United States on 11 July 2018. On April 12, 2019, it was announced that the third series was set to premiere in the United States on July 10, 2019.


Casting

Alongside the initial series order announcement, it was confirmed that the series would star
Samantha Morton Samantha Jane Morton (born 13 May 1977) is an English actress and director. Known for her work in independent cinema, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for tw ...
,
Lesley Manville Lesley Ann Manville (born 12 March 1956) is an English actress known for her frequent collaborations with Mike Leigh, appearing in the films ''Grown-Ups'' (1980), '' High Hopes'' (1988), '' Secrets & Lies'' (1996), ''Topsy-Turvy'' (1999), '' A ...
, and
Jessica Brown Findlay Jessica Rose Brown Findlay (born 14 September 1987) is an English actress. She played Lady Sybil Crawley in the ITV television period drama series ''Downton Abbey'' and Emelia Conan Doyle in the 2011 British comedy-drama feature film '' Albatr ...
. On 7 July 2016, it was announced that Eloise Smyth had been cast in a series regular role. On 16 October 2017, it was announced that
Liv Tyler Liv Rundgren Tyler (born Liv Rundgren; July 1, 1977) is an American actress, producer, singer and former model. She began a modeling career at age 14. She later decided to focus on acting and made her film debut in ''Silent Fall'' (1994); she ...
was joining the main cast in series two.


Filming

Principal photography for series one was expected to commence in June 2016 in London. The majority of filming took place at Langleybury Mansion,
Kings Langley Kings Langley is a village, former Manorialism, manor and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Hertfordshire, England, north-west of Westminster in the historic centre of London and to the south of the Chiltern Hills. It now forms part o ...
,
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
.
Chiswick House Chiswick House is a Neo-Palladian style villa in the Chiswick district of London, England. A "glorious" example of Neo-Palladian architecture in west London, the house was designed and built by Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington (1694– ...
was used to replicate 18th-century London for the series, and additional scenes filmed at Historic Dockyard Chatham.


Reception

All three seasons have been received positively by critics. On the
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the series holds an approval rating of 94% with an average rating of 7.08/10 based on 48 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "''Harlots'' uses its titillating subject matter to draw the viewer into a deeper drama about the intersection of survival, business, and family."
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 74 out of 100 based on 17 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews." The second series holds an approval rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 11 reviews, with an average rating of 7.83/10. The site's critics' consensus reads: "''Harlots'' maintains its lavish grit and holds an 18th-century mirror up to our contemporary world of troubling gender-based suffering." The third series holds an approval rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 7.31/10. The site's critics' consensus reads: "Delightfully uncomfortable, ''Harlots'' continues to push boundaries, but never at the expense of its deliciously campy fun." Metacritic reports a score of 77 out of 100 based on 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harlots (TV Series) 2017 British television series debuts 2019 British television series endings 2010s British drama television series Hulu original programming ITV television dramas Television series set in the 18th century Television shows set in London Television series by ITV Studios Television shows based on books English-language television shows Prostitution in British television