Allow us to introduce Nell Jackson. Nell isn’t like the other girls: she’s wanted for murder and about to become the most notorious outlaw England has ever seen. That’s the premise of Renegade Nell, a new fantasy series headed to Disney Plus in the coming months.
The trailer looks spectacular but it’s the credits that have got me particularly interested in this show. It’s been written by Sally Wainwright, who wrote the exceptional cop drama Happy Valley and the equally exceptional Gentleman Jack, and directed by Sex Education’s Ben Taylor. And it star Louisa Harland, who played Orla McCool in Derry Girls.
Renegade Nell: what we know so far
Harland’s Nell is “a quick-witted and courageous young woman” whose life is turned upside down when she’s framed for a murder she didn’t commit, and she turns to a life of crime as she stalks England’s highways as an increasingly feared highwaywoman. She becomes the most notorious outlaw in 18th Century England, leading Joely Richardson’s Lady Eularia Moggerhangar to exclaim that “if you haven’t heard of Nell Jackson then you’re the only person in England who hasn’t”.
Harland is joined by Nick Mohammed as Billy Blind, a magical spirit who appears to Nell and lets her know that her destiny is much bigger than she could ever have imagined, and he’s joined by Alice Kremelberg as Sofia Wilmot, Ényì Okoronkwo as Rasselas and Jake Dunn as Thomas Blancheford. Judging by the trailer it’s safe to assume that swashes will be buckled, the rich will be robbed and, ahem, all Nell breaks loose.
As Film Stories reports, the show is one of several exciting English shows coming to the best streaming service this year. A second season of one of the best Disney Plus shows – Extraordinary – will be streaming from March 6, and Sean Bean will star in the forthcoming – and currently unscheduled – Shardlake. And Rivals, streaming later this year, will bring Dr Who’s David Tennant and the equally entertaining Danny Dyer together in a tale based on the steamy 1980s novel by “queen of the bonkbuster” Jilly Cooper. The mind boggles.
Renegade Nell comes to Disney Plus on March 29.
