''Renegade Nell'' (originally developed as ''The Ballad of Renegade Nell'') is a British

historical fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic (fantasy), magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those c ...

action Action may refer to: * Action (philosophy), something which is done by a person * Action principles the heart of fundamental physics * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video gam ...

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

television series created and written by

Sally Wainwright Sally Anne Wainwright (born 1963) is an English television writer, producer, and director. She is known for her dramas, which are often set in her native West Yorkshire, and feature "strong female characters". Wainwright has been praised for th ...

and starring

Louisa Harland Louisa Clare Harland (born ) is an Irish actress. She is known for her roles as Orla McCool in the Channel 4 sitcom ''Derry Girls'' (2018–2022) and the titular character of the Disney+ series ''Renegade Nell'' (2024). Early life Brought up i ...

. Produced by Lookout Point for

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

, the series premiered on 29 March 2024. Set in a fantasy version of 18th-century England, Nell Jackson (Harland) becomes a highwaywoman—and the most feared person in the country—after being framed for murder. With the help of a magical sprite called Billy Blind, Nell realizes that her destiny is bigger than she ever imagined. In July 2024, Disney canceled the series after one season.

Cast

as Nell "Nelly" Jackson, a young fugitive *

Adrian Lester Adrian Anthony Lester (born Anthony Harvey on 14 August 1968) is a British actor. He is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award, an Evening Standard Theatre Award and a Critics' Circle Theatre Award for his work on the London stage, an ...

as Robert Hennessey, Earl of Poynton *

Nick Mohammed Nicholas George Mohammed is a British actor, comedian and writer. He has portrayed the character Mr. Swallow across both stage and television for over a decade. He is the creator of the Sky One comedy series ''Intelligence (British TV series), ...

as Billy Blind, a fairy that grants Nell her powers * Bo Bragason as Roxy Trotter, Nell's younger sister * Enyi Okoronkwo as Rasselas, a young stable boy *

Craig Parkinson Craig Parkinson (born 11 March 1976) is an English actor and podcaster. He has played Shaun in the E4 series '' Misfits'', twins Jimmy and Johnny Kray in the ITV series ''Whitechapel'', and DI Matthew "Dot" Cottan in ''Line of Duty''. He has a ...

as Sam Trotter, Nell's father * Florence Keen as George Trotter, Nell's youngest sister *

Frank Dillane Frank Stephenson Dillane (born 21 April 1991) is a British actor. He is known for his roles as Nick Clark on ''Fear the Walking Dead'' (2015–2018) and 16-year-old Tom Riddle in the film ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'' (2009). He a ...

as Charles Devereux, aka Isambard Tulley, a wanted highwayman * Alice Kremelberg as Sofia Wilmot, daughter of a magistrate and an ambitious widow * Jake Dunn as Thomas Blancheford, Sofia's brother and the magistrate's heir *

Pip Torrens Philip D'Oyly TorrensThe Cambridge University List of Members up to 31 July 1998, University of Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1998, p. 793 (born 2 June 1960) is an English actor. Torrens portrayed courtier Tommy Lascelles in the Netfl ...

as Lord Blancheford, a magistrate and the Trotters' landlord * Jodhi May as Queen Anne * Joely Richardson as newspaper magnate Lady Eularia Moggerhanger * Iz Hesketh as Valerian, Lady Eularia's attendant *

Ashna Rabheru Ashna Rabheru (born 1996/1997) is an English actress. On television, she is known for her roles in the Channel 4 drama '' Indian Summers'' (2015–2016) and the BBC Three horror series '' Red Rose'' (2022). Early life and education Rabheru was b ...

as Polly Honeycombe, a young noblewoman with literary aspirations

Production

In April 2021 it was revealed that

had acquired the series from British screenwriter

. Ben Taylor, Amanda Brotchie and MJ Delaney are directing episodes. Faith Penhale, Will Johnston, Louise Mutter and Johanna Deveraux are executive producers. Jon Jennings is series producer and Stella Merz producer. In a ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...

'' interview following the series' premiere, director Ben Taylor said a second season was being written and would likely involve a time jump; Disney had yet to confirm whether there would indeed be a second season at the time of the interview's publication. In July 2024, the series was ultimately cancelled after its first season, with Disney saying the decision not to renew the series was based on "several metrics".

Casting

In August 2022,

, Joely Richardson, and

were announced as being among the cast for the series.

Filming

Principal photography was reported to have started with a nine-month schedule for the planned eight episodes. Joely Richardson was pictured in costume at Oxford's

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in ...

in October 2022. Other filming locations included

Hampton Court Palace Hampton Court Palace is a Listed building, Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. Opened to the public, the palace is managed by Historic Royal ...

, Bourne Wood in Farnham, Rousham House in Oxfordshire, Broughton Castle (the Blancheford's manor house) also in Oxfordshire, and the

Old Royal Naval College The Old Royal Naval College are buildings that serve as the architectural centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, a World Heritage Site in Greenwich, London, described by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) ...

in Greenwich.

Broadcast

''Renegade Nell'' streamed on Disney+ beginning on 29 March 2024.

Episodes

Reception

Viewership

According to market research company Parrot Analytics, which looks at consumer engagement in consumer research, streaming, downloads, and on social media, ''Renegade Nell'' experienced a significant surge in global demand following the release of its trailer around March 20, and peaked on March 29 with the official launch of the show on Disney+. Demand on that day reached nearly the level of the average global TV show, marking a rise of 11,346 places in its worldwide rank. Luminate, which gathers viewership data from certain smart TVs in the U.S, announced that ''Renegade Nell'' was watched for 177.5 million minutes from March 29 to April 4. The series accounted for 3.6% of Disney+ original series viewing time in 2024.

Critical response

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, the series holds a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Lucy Mangan Lucy Mangan (born 1974) is a British journalist and author. She is a columnist, features writer and TV critic for ''The Guardian'' and an opinion writer for '' i'' news. Early life and education Mangan was born in 1974 and grew up in Catford, ...

of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' rated ''Renegade Nell'' four out of five stars and praised the show for its fun, action-packed nature and Louisa Harland's performance as the titular character. She noted the series' supernatural twist, with Nell gaining superhuman abilities when in danger, which leads to thrilling set pieces. Mangan appreciated the show's lighthearted, non-serious tone, comparing it to ''Gentleman Jack'' with added swagger, and found Harland's portrayal full of confidence and charm. She acknowledged the plot's occasional chaos but felt that the energy of the cast held it together. Fiona Sturges of ''

The Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

'' said ''Renegade Nell'' is a lively and entertaining period drama that marks a stylistic departure for Sally Wainwright from her previous crime dramas like ''Happy Valley''. She praised Harland's charismatic performance as Nell Jackson, noting that the character is tough and not afraid to stand her ground. Sturges found the show to be fast-paced and fun, with comedic fight scenes and magical elements, such as the Tinkerbell-like figure, Billy Blind, adding a whimsical touch. She also highlighted the supporting roles from Craig Parkinson and Joely Richardson, but emphasized that the show is ultimately Harland's, as she brings charm and energy to the role. Anita Singh in ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' complimented Harland's performance, highlighting her gift for physical comedy and action heroism, noting that Harland carries the whole series with ease. However, Singh found the fairy character, Billy Blind to be "hellishly annoying," especially for older viewers, despite its potential appeal to younger audiences. She found the show's supernatural elements and script leaning too much into silliness, with the fantasy aspects feeling more like a rejected ''Doctor Who'' episode as the story progressed.

Accolades

''Renegade Nell'' was one of 200 television series that received

the ReFrame Stamp The ReFrame Stamp for Gender-Balanced Production certification is awarded by ReFrame to corporations and media that show progress toward gender equality and greater representation of women in key roles. History On June 8, 2018, the ReFrame Sta ...

for the years 2023 to 2024. The stamp is awarded by the gender equity coalition ReFrame and industry database

IMDbPro IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

for film and television projects that are proven to have gender-balanced hiring, with stamps being awarded to projects that hire female-identifying people, especially women of color, in four out of eight key roles for their production.

References

External links

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