Yahoo News Suranne Jones joins her Scott & Bailey writer's series
While writer Sally Wainwright has Happy Valley on ice, she'll be reuniting with her Scott & Bailey star Suranne Jones for a brand new series.
Jones has been cast as the lead in Gentleman Jack, the BBC and HBO co-production that was originally commissioned under the title Shibden Hall.
The Doctor Foster star will be portraying the real-life industrialist Anne Lister, who turned Halifax on its ear back in the 1830s when she announced her intentions to marry another woman.
Gentleman Jack explores the romance between Lister and her partner, the heiress Ann Walker, as well as the cut-throat business schemes Lister endured as a woman of power at the dawn of the industrial revolution.
"I first worked with Sally ten years ago [on Dead Clever] and I remember the feeling of reading her scripts like it was yesterday," Jones said. "They were scripts for women; fresh, daring and bizarre in a wonderful, modern, fun, complex and challenging way.
"Now I get to once again speak the words of an almighty talent on a show I know she holds close to her heart. To have Sally direct me on this feels like I'll finally get to work on a project with her where the connection will be immediate, exciting and new each day and we can enjoy that amazing ride together! I'm thrilled to be back at the BBC with this role and to be joining the Lookout Point and HBO family."
Wainwright also boasted that she's "delighted" to be working with Suranne Jones once again on a project that has so much resonance to this day.
"Bringing Anne Lister to life with all her complexity, passion, brilliance and wit is an epic challenge that will require all the boldness, subtlety, energy and humour that I know only Suranne will bring to it," the writer added.
Production on the eight-part drama series will begin next year, with further acting announcements to come in the months ahead.
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